Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-04-24
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
MONDAY, APRIL 81, 1878.
rno white modocs of Louisiana.

The massacre by the Modocs of Gen.
oral Candy and a mere handful of men,
IN number, has called out wide spread
ovnression of indignation on the part of
the press and the people. The demand
has been, and still continues to be, al
r,ost universal for their speedy and con-
dion punishment. The demand is prop
or, and the punishment would be only
inst if it should extend to entire exter-
mination. BY whom was this massacre
committed? BY miserable set of ig-
norant savages, treacherous and blood
thirsty in their nature, and incapable, in
our Judgment, of being civilized Their
punishment should, however, be none
the less speedy and sure. That they
knew no better and that the act was ac-
cording to their nature may relieve them
of moral responsibility, but it imposes,
the more imperatively, upon the govern
ment the duty to protect society from
the further possibility of similar out
RACES and acts of treachery from the
same source. Their crime was that Of
Ignorance and of inherent treachery and
brutality. 1t pales, however, into com
parative insignificanCe when considered
in connection with the outrages commit
ted at Colfax, Louisiana, by brutes, bear
ing the semblance of humanity, and
calling themselves ''white men" For
brutality, treachery, inhumanity and
blood thirstiness, these white democrats
of Louisiana surpass the Modocs. Upon
receipt of the first kilograms, we said
that we should prefer to submit our
selves to the tender mercies of the ignor-
ant plantation negro than to those of the
so-called reconstructed Louisiana white.
Later intelligence shows that to have
been but mild expression. The action
of the whites at Colfax, led on by one
Marsh claiming to be the democratic
sheriff of the parish or county, surpasses
in horror anything that can be found in
the history of San Domingo. Even Fort
Pillow is thrown into the shade and,
hereafter, Colfax, as locality, will be
synonyme for all that is cruel, treach-
rrous, brutal and inhuman. Never be-
fore, in the history of the civilized
world, in peace or in war, were such
scenes enacted as Colfax Court House
witnessed on Sunday the thirteenth day
Of April. A. D. 1878, a day ever to be
Infamous in our annals. That it may
be evident that we are not exaggerating,
let MS repeat some of the details. derived
from official sources aud confirmed by
the participants therein. We quote first
from a special dispatch to the New York
Her0ld. 1T now appears that not a
single colored man was killed until all
of them had surrendered to the whites
who were fighting with them, when over
one hundred of the unfortunate negroes
were brutally shot down IN cold blood.
II is understood that another lot of ne
prors was burned to death in the Court
House when it was set 0n fire. The de-
tails Of tire massacre, as they are related
hv rye-witnesses to the terrible scenes
enacted at Colfax Court House, are pos
ltively appalling in their atrocity, and
would appear 10 be more like the work
of fends than that of civilized
men in Il Christian country" This
is the language, be it remembered
of the New Orleans correspondent of the
New York Herald, and not ours. The
official report is to the same effect. The
United States District Attorney of Louis
lana, in reporting to the authorities at
Washington, says "an attack was then
made and the negroes were driven into
the court house. The court house was
fired and the negroes slaughtered as they
left the burning building, after resistance
Nad ceased. Sixty-fye negroes, terribly
"~ted, were found dead near the
niu'l''' court house. Thirty, known
,uluS OF 'h' Nsh prisoners, are said to
10 nave oeen Ia" ',~aWn into the river
nave been shot and IT, >'saB in the riot
The slaughter is greater i, -,,is siaugb-
of 1856 in New Orleans" H. >,,;t-
ter, this tiendish butchery, was COZ.
ted solely for political reasons. There
is no question in reference to the fact
that these negroes were in the quiet and
peaceable possession of the court house
and public property. They had been
ordered out as a ''posse comitatus by
one Shaw, who had been duly commits
stoned as sheriff by Governor Kellogg.
Shaw was the de tdctO sheriff, and as
such his orders were to be duly obeyed. |
As we understand it, from the latest in
formation, both from democratic and re-
publican sources, he was rightfully sher- |
III. The frauds in that parish at the |
November election had been of such |
enormous proportions, that the regular |
returning board threw out their vote,
and even Warmoths board refused to
count them. But so far as this massacre
Is concerned, we care not whether he |
or the negroes were in the right or
wrong. No act of theirs, no usurpation |
or even crime on their part, could fur
nish the least shadow of shade of JUS /
titiCatiOn for this democratic butchery
and treachery. 'Not a single colored |
man was killed until all of them had |
surrendered" How does this read in
civilized America, in the middle of the
nineteenth century? Remember that
these deeds were not committed by igno-
rant, treacherous savages, but by white
men. 1t was not the act of plantation
negroes, ignorant, cunning and brutal. |
and smarting under the wrongs done
their race for centuries, but of white
men, led on by white sheriffs and white
judges. These are the men who pirate of |
reconciliation, and resolve at Balti-
more that they recognize the equality
Of all men before the law, and hold that
it is the duty of the government in its
dealings with the people to mete out
equal and exact justice to all, of what
ever nativity, race, color, or persuasion,