Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-05-02
History ofthe Louisiana Outrage.


OF the bloody result of Grants miserabl,
reconstruction policy in Louisiana-alke dis
astrous to black and white, and thoroughly
disgracefnl TO republican institutions, the New
York Sun gives the following sketch;
g The riot in Grant parish, La, which cul.
minated horribly on Sunday in the roasting
10 death Of eighty or one hundred negroes
who had taken possession of the Court House
in the town Of Colfax is but the natural re-
suit of the lawlessness encouraged in thai
State by President Grant in order TO give a
member OF his own family predominance in
the State Government, and of the vicious ap-
pealS to race prejudces which have formed The
carpet-baggers policy in the reconstructed
States OF the South,
q" In order to maintain control over the ne
gro vote the carpet-haggers have industrious
ly sought to ncte feelings of hostility on the
part of the blacks against the white native
population Of the South, and have met with
great success in their undertaking. II has
been their constant endeavor to assure the
ignorant negroes that the main result of the
war was that the blacks with their Garnet
hagging friends should hold all the offices in
the several States and exercise absolute rule
over their former masters. The enormous lille
gal wealth which many prominent negro Office
holders nave acquired was sufficient to excite
the cupdity Of their less fortunate brethren
and in Grant parish, as in many other South
ern localities, the deladed blacks were more
easily convinced that their turn had come TO
rule, and that all of them ought to have in
turn chance at the pnhlc crib
" As the leaders of the negro party failed
of securing an election to the offices they COW
cted, they naturally looked to New Orleans
The headquarters Of their party, for informa-
lion as 10 how they should proceed They
saw there a case precisely similar 10 their
own Kellogg, the Republican candidate for
Governor, had been defeated by the people.
and Mr.. McEmory, who was supported by a
fusion Of Democrats and Liberal Republicans,
representing nearly all the wealth and inteili-
geEce had been elected TO that office By Presi-
dent Grants authority Kellogg, having the
support Of United States troops, seized the
Government Of the State, without even pre-
tending that he had been elected and appor-
toned the patronage belonging 10 the legally
elected Governor to snt himself This served
ms a hint 10 the negroes o. Grant parish and
they acted on it.
1.-The leader Of the blacks, William Ward,
was man who kept his eyes well open ali
the time, ready to embrace all promising OPP
portunlties. Learning that Keloggs claim
10 be considered Governor was supported by
the President of the United States, he present.
cd himself at New Orleans and declared that
lie would have been elected to the Legislature
if a ballot box had not been broken open -
This declaration was recognized as forming
sufficient evidence Of election, and he was ad-
mitled TO a seat in the Kellogg legislature
This recognition Of his pretensions to place
among the rulers of the State completely I'M
settled the ignorant fellows sense.
g There had been a misunderstanding in
regard 10 the officers of Grant parish. The
legal election was entirely disregarded by
Kellogg returning board. and Kellogg APP
pointed set of men to fill the vacancies.
8" These failed to qualify according 10 law,
and after the time allowed for them to do so
had expired, Kellogg, at the instance of Judge
w. X. Rutland who was afierward driven off
by the rioters, commissioned the officers who
We're really elected, including both Republ-
oaus and Fusionists, white and colored, except
parish Judge who had already qualified,
aud was Republican.
81 This did not suit the plan of the amb-
tious Ward, who, being me-aber of the KEEL
logg Legislature, learned what was going on
and FASTENED home TO establish himself as a
sort Of dictator. Raising mob OF his color
lac took possession of the Court House, drove
off nearly all the white citizens murdered
blacks, who would not submit TO his rule ms
well AS the whites, and committed robbery
and assassination at will. Fnnlly the whites
rallied from different points besegcd the riot
crs in The Court House which they burned,
and put TO fight those of the blacks who
escaped the flames in sight of their besiegers.
- This is one Of the most shocking occur
rsnces in the history Of the country. especially
by reason of the revolving death Of lie blacks
who were burned alive. 1t is not at all
strange that an ignorant negro like Capt
Ward, who had seen Gen. Grant overturD all
lawful authorities and take possession of a
sovereign State by military force should think
hat in his own parish he could follow the
example Of his chief and also overthrow the
civil authority by armed power Capt Ward $
usurpa,ion was no more high-handed than
Gen. Grants; but il has proved less success
ful and it even appears probable that Capt
Ward has been burned up