The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-09

The deplorable state of affairs in Louisiana
has not yet eliminated in tho worst horrors OF
civil war but all tho elements are ready.
We will be told that the United States is az
peace but our special dispatches report inc
rapid concentration of United States troops
in New Orleans, the sending forward OF de-
tachments of United States troops, and they
tell OF people whose attitude can be described
as on the verge Of insurrecton 1t eight years
since the last of the Southern armies surren-
dered to the Union forces. Eight years
have passed in which the party that
congratulates itself on saving the Union has
had the power and the opportunity of healing
the wounds caused by the war. What is the
result2 We find ourselves to-day on the
borders of that supreme horror, o war Of races.
The massacre of the wretched, misguided
negroes at Colfax, in Grant Parish, was
terrible commencement, for which the repub-
lican party, as well as the bloodthirsty whites
who committed the atrocity, will be held
responsible by history. Such is the disorgani-
zation of the State of Louisiana that the mas
sacre has passed by without any steps being
taken to inquire into the matter. The usurping
government placed in position by the
bayonets of the United States troops has
found itself unable to preserve order without
the further aid of these bayonets Negroes
may be massaored by whites or whites robbed
and killed bynegroes, but the Kellogg govern
ment are unable to punish the offenders on the
one side and will not do so on the other. The
position of the Metropoltans or police ofthe
Kellogg party at St Martinsville is almost
ridiculous They are supposed to represent
the might of great commonwealth; but they
are defed and beaten back when they attempt
to move by body of volunteers under the
from McEnery. Unable to send the United
States troops openly to Dragon the people.
the convenient plan of using them as posse
comitatus is resorted to. So far the policy of
the resisters has been very crafty. They have
avoided all collisions with the United States
troops, as that would place them at the mercy
Of the federal government They have re-
fused to allow the assessment of taxes to sup
port the Kellogg party, and have shown their
readiness to fight the hirelings Of that party
whenever the United States forces were out of
the way. The present condition of affairs
is perfectly anomalous, and can scarcely
continue for any length of time without end
ing in desperate conflict, in which it is in
evitable that the "resisters" will 60 down as
such. The word ''insurrection" is freely
used in the highest army circles, and the
temper is such that, if the slightest excuse is
offered for calling instruction fact, reign
of blood will be speedily inaugurated.
1t is fortunate, so far, that no battle has oc-
Cured between the contending forces that
represent the State parties. The shameful
side of the matter is that only the presence of
United States soldiers can prevent a sangui-
nary combat. The cure is as discreditable
as the malady. The country where
the disturbances are in progress is,
as will be seen by our map, in the
swampy district of the bayous near the south
ern coast. The position held by the McEnery
commander, Colonel Le Blanc, is on an island
accessible only by three slight wooden bridges,
easily defended The country people around
are said to be bringing in supplies for his men,
and the hostility of the whites in the section
against the unfortunate blacks is illustrated
in significant hints from New Iberia about
measures necessary to the protection of the
white race being coolly and openly
taken" The white man on the streets
who threatens to raise the negroes
appears in our dispatches also, and
it would seem that all the explosive materials
Of human passion are waiting only for chance
ignition to spread havoc In the chaos oil the
rights Of the citizen are lost The first great
crime in the notification Of the ballot has led
to hundred others. The military heel which
trampled on this great bulwark of free govern
ment crushed all other liberties at the same
time. Where those who have been deprived
of their sharsin the government are in the
numerical majority they, in turn, have disre-
garded the citizen rights of their opponents
the party made insolent by success spares nc
effort where numbers are in its favor to
make defeat CALLING to its opponents Crime
is heaped upon crime. Outrage is offset BY
massacre Passive resistance is faced by un.
mistakable threat. 1t only remains for the
rash on one side or the superserviceable Oh
the other to precipitate civil war;
We have from the commencement Of these
troubles sincerely hoped that the sound sense
of the people of Louisiana would resist al
temptation to invoke conflict, which, apart
from the bloodshed that must follow, will
render the material condition of the State
more deplorable than ever. Plundered as i,
has been by rascals, some Of whom are now
in the party of resistance, there is q depth Of
misery still greater which state of civil wa,
would produce. The disgust which the usurp.
ing action Of the federal government win pro.
duce throughout the nation can only ba ra.