New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-10
NEW ORLEANS SATURDAY, 1872

! election, to seal up the ballOt-bOxes, see that
| they were not tampered with, and bring
| them to the Mechanics Institute. On hand
| ing the note to him with the instruc ions,
Captain Edgworth told witness 'You know
what to do" The Governor had said Mr.
Alexander must net be returned, and had
told the messenger, when he called on him
at his house at midnight on election day and
had informed him Mr.. Alexander was prob
ably elected, This won't do" All that the
witness could say was that, having sealed
the boxes and brought them over about
four O'Clock in the morning, when the tick
cts were counted Mr.. Alexander was not
elected, but Mr.. Buchanan, his opponent,
was. Witness had brought the boxes over.
He declined to answer Whether he smashed
them or not.
Question-HOw many commissioners of
election were therel
Answer-Three.
Quasti6n-Are there any Of them now in
the Penitentiary?
Answer-NO.
Witness bore his cross examination with
becoming fortitude, but did not alter from
his original statement. He said that Mr..
Alexander who, he understood, had been
elected was found upon the count to have
been beaten by over a thousand majority.
The succeeding witness cOrroborated the
above testimony.
QuestiOn-When the Governors note to
you said the boxes were not to be tampered
with, did you understand it to mean that
the boxes were to be tampered with2
Answer-Captain Edgworth told me when
he had read the note, you know what to do.
Mr.. Miller, the remaining commissioner,
was not sworn.
Mr.. j. B. Eustis gave a statement of the
recent coalition from Democratic point OF
view. In his reference to the object OF the
Democrats as evinced by the action of the
party Chiefs he said the first purpose was
to unite with the Republicans in the House
and Senate their own forces, as they had
the same end in view as the Democrats.
The coalition was to extend until the laws
comforting these powers on the Governor
were repealed, and then should end. Both
parties in the union complained of the way
those laws had been administered. After
the expulsion of Speaker Carter, which was
not anticipated, there was added another
purpose. the resistance to executive usurpa-
ton in legislative proceedings.
Question-Did you intend to ill., beach the
Governor!
Answer-No. Our object was to divide
the Republicans as much as possible. Had
We impeached the Governor it would have
united them.
The people, Mr.. Eustis said, would prefer
martial law, the government of federal
soldiers, or the rigors of Prussian despotism
to the state of things now prevailing.
Taxes were burdensome, capital was fleeing
from our shores, and commerce was par
alyzed. He attributed this condition of
things to the lone man power" In regard
to the sentiments of the masses of colored
men, Mr.. Eustis said they still had an affec
ton for their old masters
Queaton-But they do not vote with
their old masters, as they are politically
afraid of them.
Answer-The negro is superstitious be-
ing. During the late elections he has some
how got it into his head that Democrat
means a power that will make slaves of
them again. This idea has been instiled
by the Republicans who claim to be the
people who liberated them.
Question-So. in spite of their love for
their old masters, they will vote the Repub-
lican ticket!
Answer-Yes: nearly all.
The witness said that the white and black
voters in the State were about equally di-
vided, but he Vas not sure that all the
black voters would vote with the newly ar
rived Northern men, the Republican ticket
i'll this manner gaining a majority at every
election.
Mr. Packard submitted letter from the
proprietor of the Nicolson pavement
scheme in New York, testifying that he had
no interest in it, but that his influence was
given merely as a friend.
The committee adjourned until ten
O'Clock today.