New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-06
THE COLFAX QUESTION.

THE C0LFAx QUESTION.
| ACCORDING To the opsl6ns6s't 0afssr. tie
people of Catahoula parish are somewhat
disturbed by the ''Colfax question" This
is the more strange, as it arises from the
fact that "a good many of the residents
had been engaged in the Colfax fight y
and are on the lookout to guard against
troops who may come ITO arrest them any
day" 80
Now this information direct from the
people who are on the alert against arrest,
does not accord with the story propagated
by the Fusionists about the Colfax affair.
Have we not been told tina: Nash, the
sheriff Of Grant, headed posse comitatus
Of citizens belonging to his bailiwick to
dispense mob Of negroes who had taken
possession of the courthouse? Yet these
frigh tened Catahoula people are conceal
ing themselves in their houses, fearful
that the soldiers may come at any time
and drag them to 'Bastile. They stand
self.convicted of participation In the
crowning outrage of the century, at the
very moment that Governor Warmoth,
General McMillen, Judge Bonner, and
dozen other Fusion chiefs of
more or less note are trying to
convince the Northern mind that the Re-
publioans are responsible for all the out
RACES direct and indirect, that grew out
of the last election. Now We see IN the
information afforded US by the Courier
much to regret. We infer that those vino
deprived the planters Of Red river of three
hundred tall, willing laborers are not Of
fering themselves as substitutes in the
cotton and corn fields. On the contrary,
they are posted as scouts against the
United States army to give timely warning
of the approach of danger.
The sheriff Of st. Landry recently went
over into Catah cula after a prisoner who
had been in the Colfax fight Everybody
in the parish was we'll knowing to the
fact, yet pledged to throw the officers off
the scent if they came to arrest one OF
their number for that ofense. A little
explanation, however, soon satisfied these
people that Guillory was wanted for
transactions not connected with Sheriff
Nash and his posse, and they then let the
sheriff pursue hisprey without sending the
warning that had been promised in case
it had been charge growing out Of the
Colfax fight. How long this Colfax ques-
ton will maintain its vitality we can only
infer probably until the troops are with
drawn. ALI the guilty people of Cata-
houla are on the lookout for the common
enemy, and give signs of alarm at the
least appearance Of danger, but are
easily quoted when satisfied on
the "Colfax question. There is lit
tie respect for law among people
about whom such things can truthfully
be said. A whole neighboahood inter-
ested in screening fugitives from justice
charged with murder from arrest, and !,
making common cause with miscreants |
who pass over into an ad joining parish to
Join in Wholesale butchery of entirely |
defenseless people.
1t will not be long before we shall be
told that the better part of the people OF
Catahoula have declared wa- of extermi-
nation against the very men they are now
from arrest for crimes of IN
usual magnitude. We shall be told with !
all the gravity suited to the occasion that |
the desperadoes have carried things with |
such high hand that they could no |
onger be tolerated. and the pious,
he honest, the law abiding, temperate,
Tirtuous part of the community |
vas compelled to kill them because they
,ould find no witnesses to give testimony.
10 juries to convict For when men once
embark il a career OF crime, they rarely |
'ver reform or return to virtuous ways.
The best thing the good people Of Catahou-
a can do is to abolish this Colfax ques-
ion, give their offenders up to the officers
u justice, to take their chances before a
ury of their countrymep, and put on an |
outward show Of obedience to the laws
wen if they cannot fully keep up the prac-
ice Immigrants will no. then bear such
tales Of Louisiana, and may in
ime be induced to come here and settle.