New Orleans Republican., 1873-05-08
LOUISIANA.
important Testimony Concerning the COIo
fax Massacre.


l had an interview to-day with gentIe0
man fran Rapides parish, which adJoins
Grant. He is a man of wealth ana hlgh
social position, we'll known throughout tHe
State, and possessing great influence;
Every word be says can be relied upon. ana
his statements are entitled to aocslloual
weight, when he speaks favorably LOT the
Rennb1icans of Colfax. from the fact that
he is an old Shareholder, secesslenist' ara
a strong Democrat tO-days He desires ms
name to ba withheld for the present, as ne
will soon be required to give testimony IN
the investigation which Is TO ensuee Ills
description of the condition ot affairs upon
the Red river should be heard 10 be appre-
ciateds ! can give but a 1alnt luea cb Whab
he so graphically descrlbedo
Said he: o'The Republican officers on that
side of the river are either rascals os cove !
ards They refuse, either because they dare
not OF, more often, because they Will not,
TO execute warrants or serve wrltso DO nv
knowledge there are over FIFTY warrants IN
the hands of the officers OF kapides parish
which chey refuse to execute Some OF
them are two years old. Any man can
commit any crime with impunityo The law
guards no Dan; bis Own guards are his rec
volver and bowie. We have been twenty
months without a court OF any kinto The
judges, sheritis, etc, appointed by the hee
publicans are all Of & piece. They refuse TO
@>'S
them turn out these rascalss ana send us
men, black or white Republicans or Demto
Gratis we care not, SO long as they Will enc
force the laws and attend 10 their duties
Bv appointing and keeping IN power such
officers as these, the Republicans have done
much to bring on the troubles in Gransso
s.In the first week in January the tusioh'
lists took possession OF .he oncces ~ Eians ah
parish by force. The otiense for which the
Republcars were murdered aS Col1aS was
in retaking them by the same means
"After Nash and the other McEnery OH
GERS had been Gspossessel OF their places
they set about to accomplish their revenge
Shaw, the Kellogg sheriff, fearing trouoie'
enrolled posse cOn.itdtus, consisting, Aeces-
sarilv, of negroes mostly, as they form tne
majority Of the population. Rutland, mad
not, the Fusion member Of the House IRON
Grant parish. and Nash raised gang OF
! men from Grant and other parishes, ana pe-
gan to ecour the country around Col1aX,
committing all sorts of depredat!ons, muir
| dering the negroes, burning Their houses
| and driving off their stock Every day
the ueopIe tlocked TO the courthouse
| at Colfax for protection, until nearly
| all the population was gathered there. 1he
men as they came in were promptly orOer-
| ed to Join the posse, until it numbered be.
tween three aud tour hundred men. Armed
men rode into the town occasionally, and
several fights took place. The negroes
| threw up a breastwOrk around the court
| house and prepared themselves for defense
| as best they could. The negroes were all
1 from Grant parish alone. Ihose attacking
| them were gathered from dozen different
parishes, some coming from fifty miles
away, and It is asserted that there were
| men from New Orleans in the ranks.
..On the morning of Easter Sunday Had
not and Nash, at the head Of their crowd,
| rode into Celfax and told Shaw that he
| could have thirty minutes to get the women
| and children ont of the way. They were
sent out, and the fight began 1t lasted
until near sundown. ! know that many
white men were killed and woundedo Ihe
} negroes stoutlS contested The struggles ana
! old soldiers who were with Saee Fold Inc ht
J was tie hottest fighting they were ever IN
At Last Rutland's cannon was opened upon
| She rpgroeso and panic stricken they oied eo
the courthouse Tho besiegers forced a
I negro to 90 up under their guns anu set hre
20 the cypress shingle-rooi, which could be
easily reached from the outside As the
fire oSurned down into Che eerroro
strickero struggling, shriekYng crowd of
negroes, the halfroas;ed wretches broke
from the building, swinging handkerchleis,
| pieces OF their shirts, or anything OF the
kind they could lay their hands Oh, IN token
of surrendero Jhe whites formed IN front
of the building and poured On q steady
fire upon them as they came oute Hadno.
( eprapg in front of his men, and shouted
! 10 them eEem 90 stop as the negroes dad
su1rendeceSo He fell dead, shot by bis own
men. whether purposel Y or accidentally 1t
cannot be 6eteSminedo The negroes were
20. firing theno Men from his own gang
tell me this is the true statement OF the nag
} OF eruce storyo Then the work Vent one
and in lew minutes loo OF lhe negroes
were killed. Thirty seven were taken alive,
marched down to the rivero shot one by one
and thrown into the watero In the evening
Shaw went to visit the house where Had
not was living. While there q crowd came
to the door and said they owanted himo He
went out and never cane Sacko The male
: pSpuiatioA st ColIax 0ss slnose annihS
| iatede 90
oOf SHe faea We cohn posete eie attacking
party have this eo says There was not a
representative man among them. Hardiy
any property holder or taxpayers. All tht
! men of any characteS or social position re
! fused to take any part N the affair. Bu
two of the men who went from Raplde
7 parish are upOn thecax rollo Many OF then
were old Ku klux memo
They were idle, reckless scoundrels O.
irresponsible, thoughtless young men. I'M
stories of the negro outrages are false
: | that one of their intending 10 take TIL
: white women for concubines, a silly one
, trumped up to gain recruits. These poo
blacks thought they could do what they hat
seen whites do SO often, and had no idea Q
the fearful consequences OF their mistake
la all this section the negro is wrcnged
robbed and ill-treated past belief. ter
| rible persecution has been praCuced agalDs
them ever since the war.
Il believe there never was race 81
y abused, so swindled, so detrauded py EN-
y ployers and traders, and officers. Blacl
lnen can get no Justice. No one dare speal
for him. He is naturally patient, faithful
and kind. One word 10 those negroes IN tn
trenches at Colfax. and they would .hav
!! laid down their arms But our people wer
u determined upon a bloody massacre, AM
= wanted no compromise.
"a For all these things the Republican
. party is indirectly responsible. 1hev nav
: the power and the strong arm OF the ma
tionai gGvernment to back them. Why d
. they not exercise II Give us courts am
: : good officers and protect us. While he
- logg hesitates and compromises, ana az
u pojnts Fus0nists to office, in the endeavo
to please both sides. this bloody revolution
g ary spirit is encouraged and strengthened
This State is not in condition to be rule
by kid glove government. / know ou
70 people bv fear alone they must be ruled
:, and when the iron hand is lad upon thel
u they will be quiet, and such feEds as PEI
petrated the Colfax horror will SINK ava
-. to their holes. Oar people refuse TO uEdel
u stand their position that they have bee
= subugated that the negroes are tree, an
their political and social equals. lhey r.
fuse to accept this situation and Ieconc!
themselves 20 it. We want force, we war
an iron military guile TO bring them 10 the
senses.
es,ArEMEsTs OF A eEGRc s0oUSDES AT TIL