Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-07

gradually Developed Oh The 18th
ult. Sheriff Nash, Of Grant parish,
visited Maj. Smith who is il command of a
detachment of United States soldiers sent
there to preserve the peace, and submitted
70 him the following statement IS to the
origin and termination. Of the Oolfsx af-
fair:
MAI. j. H. smith, ,conmandIng asth o. s. In
tanuy:
As the duly elected and legal Sheriff of
this parish would make this statement,
that you may Judge for yourself relative to
the legality of the action taken. | received
for Sheriff the largest number OF votes,
and as such was duly commissioned both
! by MessrS idcEneryJ and Kellogg. Pre-
vious to my election, there bad been bodies
of Iiotous persons in the country, who
had ne fear of Che law, land who made
frequent threats of outlawry and incen-
diarism.
:, On the 18th of March last, these persons,
beth white and cofored, marched in a body
Ptethe Courthouse and thence elected the
legally elected and installed parish officers,
myself among the Number. j at that time
ordered them to disperse, but they fred
upon myself and others, compelling Us to
flee for our lives. accordingly, seeing no
other course, procured from Judge Regain,
the police magistrate, commissioned by
Kellogg, warrant forthe arrest of the ring
lea ,ers, and with it, and deputy consta-
bic, proceeded to iColfax, where I'arrived in
time TO learn that an assemblage of peace
able citizens had been broken up and fred
upon by the rioters. s2s i
Even then l desired to make compro-
mise; and, before executing the warrant,
rodeup and endeayored to preserve peace,
but was again fired upon, and threats made
by the rioters, who said they would any
how drink my blood. Seeing no course
then left, l, at the order of the Judge, sum-
moned posse cOnttdtts ,sof citizens, beth
white and eelored, and with these (125 10
Dumber) succeeded on Easter Sunday in
dispensing the $50 rioters and preserving
peace. The warr'nt for their arrest, and
the order, still hold in my possession l
deemed that it was necessary to preserve
peace at sll hazards, and, therefore, re-
sorted to the measures taken.
. 8.I ,aar, Very respectfully,
G. c. NASH, Sheriff.
Tie postmaster at COlfax makes thesfol-
lowing statement: rl--oy. .-IHY
am National Republican, and always
have been one. I was a member of the
Republican Legislature from 1868 20 1872,
and was, and am now, a United States post
master at Colfax, Grant parish, having sup
ported Gen Grant aud Gov. Kellogg in the
last campaign. Previous to this I was a
member of the Constitutional Convention
in 1868.
l was quietly pursuing my vocation as
postmaster at Colfax, and was told peat
edly, from the 9th of April, by the rioters
that should be killed, and on the 10th of
April was compelled to leave, they stating
that they would shoot me if stayed, un
less took up arms with them. On the
morning of the 10Th went up to receive
the mail, and l was met by an armed mob
of negroes, who told me to get on my horse
and leave, else would be killed. They
also threatened the life ofmy brother and a
colored man named Buck Mckinney; also
Ralph Marons. ..
l then left, and came TO Alexandra to
receive instructions. l expected to see 8
deputy marshal, to preserve peace; but find
ing none. was told by Mr.. Suris, the mail
contractor, to bring the mail here, which 1
did. l made requisltion on Daniel Shaw
supposed to be acting sheriff, as follows:
To D. w. Shaw, Sheriff of Grant parish,
Ls--Sir: demand of you in the name of
the State protection for the Postmaster ct
Colfsx, La, and also to protect Govern
ment properly.
Very respectfully, S. E. CUNY.
United States Postmaster.
t. l,,G
man named Leo Alien came down and said
Shaw had no authority to do so, and that he
was commanding officer.
1 then made similar requstion on him
as commanding officer, in writing, the same
as the above. He replied The Government
property must take care of itself, that he
wanted the men himself, and took them
away. This was about the 9Th of April,
and the threats we're made after this. Ny
object was to protect the United Stated Gov
eminent property, and l remained until my
life was threatened. s. Z. CUNY.
United States Postmaster, Colfax, Grant
parish. N
Executed at Alexandria, La, Monday,
April %, 1873.
f. Witnesses: HARRY WILDE,
A. COCKERiLLE,
q. L. HOOPER.
To these statements nothing need be
added. They are conclusive as to where
the blame rightfully rests. 'Depend upon
it," says correspondent of the New Or
leans Picayurae, 'the white population here
had to meet the issue made by the riotous
negroes and give them severe check, or
leave the country. Nothing else was left to
do.D Now the bad men, both white and
black, who led these negroes into this riot
Gus resistance TO the lawful authority, are
the men TO be punished, and punished Sc
verely. If their dupes had been white men
resisting the authority of Republican Off
cials, they would have been arrested long
since and been in the penitentiary before
now. Here we have specimen of Repub-
lican justice toward the Southern people.