The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-07-01
Reliable Treasury Correspondence-.War :!
Blood and Thunder!


written by some gentleman in Monroe,
dated June 18th. After giving some
items as to rain, weather, crops &C., he
uses the following language:
Political agitation continues. The
bitter feeling entertained by the largest !
portion of the whites towards the blacks |
and officers of the State Government !
has become intensified in this immedi- |
ate vicinity by the result of the recent
local election. At any time within the
last ten days n conflict seemed unavoid-
able. Threats have been freely in
du1ged. Both parties are we'll sup
piled with arms, and appear eager for
the conflict. Bands of armed men are
reported to be ready, and only waiting
for the summons to begin the work of
bloodshed. Lawyers, doctors, mer-
chants, planters and officials attcnd't to
their various occupations with revoIvers
within easy reach. Notwithstanding
all this, l trust the crisis has passed,
but should not be surprised if the ditli-
Guilty terminated in blOodshcd ut any
time.
We propose to notice the above par
agraph for the purpose of seeing the
amount Of truth containe.l--thc mis-
representation intensified and the pur-
pose of the writer.
! The first SENTENCED is not true. s'The po-
litical agitation continues" The agita-
ton wasa property question. The prop
erty holders ofthe city We're not willing
to see the government go into the
! hands Of men who We're totally desti-
tute of capacity and integrity, and
were in no sense responsible men.
Many of our citizens who have never
been known to take part in politics,
did take an active part in this election,
and respectable Republicans voted with
the white people to defeat this irrcspon-
sible ticket.
"The bitter feeling entertained by
tho largest portion of the whites to-
wards the blacks and officers of the
State Government has become intensi-
fed in this Immediate community by
the result of the recent clection.'
| The whites have never entertained
bitter feelings toward the black, and
| the above is only one of the million
times this f:,isehood has been publish
cd to the Northern people. The whites
have nothing against the negro, and
have never had. They know him well
and they know that if the negro was
| let alone by those who are here for
with the whites. There is Il bitterness
of feeling with the blacks against the
whites, engendered by the teachings of
bad men. There is u bitter feeling
against those white men who have
taught the negro political agitation,
| but this feeling was not s'intensitied''
at this municipal election. The feeling
is Cecp-rootcd and founded on the best
of causes.
We do not feel u..Kind toward that
Northern gentleman who comes here,
and bee ..leS one Of us, without feeling
it his duty to shoulder the government
! OF the whole country. But we do hate
that ungodiy carpct-bagger who is
here for no other purpose than to build
himself up by crushing us. These mon
are seeking to control It's through the
negro, and that by fraud and corrup-
ton. This feeling was Ur1ttSe,1, not din
tensitied,' on the day Of the municipal
election, because these irresponsible
men propose to govern this city against
the wish of the great body of property
among the whites-thc election was
quiet and orderly, and not until il was
known that negroes We're hired to live
in the city ten days and that many
VINO lived outside the city limits were
permitted to vote, did the white people
realize their true situation. They SIM
ply met and decided that the election
was Illegal, and resolved to contest
before the courts.
But listen: s'At any time within the
last ten days conflict seemed un-
aHoidable.' This is something new to
this people. If there was Il shadow of
a conflict, it was not with white people
of this city. There are in all COM
munities some alarniistS, and it * gen
orally with those who are ont of place
There may have been few Radicals
alarmed, because they we'll understand
that if Il conflict should over come thcy
would become the targets of both par
tics. 1t WAS reported that they did go
down to the Commons and had the
negroes to arm themselves. at which
the negroes took fright. Ifsn. it was
without cause. and done for no other
purpose but to make political capital,
as this letter clearly demonstrates