New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-05-20
Governor Kellogg and the Assassins.

The last number of Hapsrs Weekly cen.
tains the following remarks by the editor
upon the recent attempt to assassinate Gov.
severe structures upon the perpetrators OF
these outrages and their apologlsts:
The ;nQderatiol, and good feeling. pru-
dence and torbearance with which Gov.
ernor Kellogg and h;. supporters have con.
trol!ed the affairs of disOrdered Louisiana.
have been repaid by the lawless portion Ut
That Governor Kellogg represents the ma.
joritr Of the people. that ii free. election
could be held in the State today he would
receive still larger supper: than before.
few can doubt. Blu: the worst elements OF
the rebel faction. the vicious and :ndo!ent
remnant Of the party of slavery. have re.
solved to make Louisiana the seat OF new
;nsurrection. in every Southern State ex.
lists this class OF depIaved and worth
proud for labor. vet ready for
any act Of violence. maddened with
whisky and accustomed to blOOdshed. who
are feared. hated or desplsed by every hon
est merchant OF mechanic. and from whom
the South can only rid itself by patient Sc
verify. To this class is due the enormities
that have been recently committed in Louis
lana. as well as III several other Southern
States. 1t has filed the country with riot
and bloodshed. II has attempted an lnsur.
rection. 1t melted its allies az Colfax TO
their horrible deeds. 1: would bring upon
New Orleans the guilt and perhaps the tate
of Charleston. 1t mas plundered the gun
shops, beaten respectable citizens on the
public streets, and completed its crimes 5y
attempting the life OF the Governor. L. is
plainly nc better than a band of assassins
claiming to be political party.
Less and less .oierable are the accounts
that come to Us of the Colfax massacre.
and the horrors OF the dreadful scene make
it worthy to stand beside the most shame.
fui acts of human barbarity. From Colonel
Wright's report, a member of General Long
streets staff. we have some accurate de.
tails. The negroes had retreated to the
courthouse from the rude barriers which
they had formed to defend themselves from
the murderous rebels. Il was Easter Sun.
day. and they resisted successfully every as.
sault until evening. Then Nash. the rebel
chief, forced colored man to hold pine
torch TO the side of the building where there
wa. no window. The fire spread. and the
brave garrison, conscious that they must fly
from the flames, waved white handker-
chiefs. and made every symbol of submIs-
sion. But as they poured out Of the burn
ing building, no longer thinking OF resist
ance. and begging for life, they were shot
down by the merciless LOuisianians as II
they had been dogs. No honorable enemy
but what is willing to accept the submission
OF a suppGant foe. but these barbarians
were intenSbnly upon extermination Many
of the cOlOred people fed back into the
courthouse, and perished IN it's ashes, Many
fell by the knives or bullets of the assail-
ants. No quarter was given. Beneath the
floor of the building, near the river, were
found the bodies of six persons who had
been shot in their hiding place. One man
lay not far off. dead. his hands clasped in
supplication. Some were hacked and hewn
to pieces
And yet We have among us apologists for
McEnery and his followers who would even
intrust Louisiana to their care, and expose
every white or colored Republican to fate
like that of the garrison at Grant parish |.
1t is difficult indeed to understand so
strange q delusiOn, or TO read with any
calmness the studied arguments that are
offered to maintain it, No one can be un-
familiar with the long series of similar,
though perhaps less terrible deeds perpe-
trated BY the brutal associations at the
South. There is no one who does not know
that in 1868 the colored and white voters
were driven from the polls by che same mis-.
creants, that on every succeeding elec tlon
they have resortet to the same method of
terrorism, or that, on The last, they had
nearly succeeded in establishing their bru-
tai tyranny over Louisiana Whatever be