New Orleans Republican., 1873-05-04
LOUISIANA.
An Impartial View of the situntlcn-Casse
and Consequence - The COifax Mus
sacre-The Facts >fated-.icEneryite
Organs lnci,inK War Of Rnce--False
and Absurd Reports.

Organs lnci,ing War Of Race--False
and Absurd Reports.
Especial CORE esPOndence of Times and Chrc1eic
NEw ORLEANS. April q, 1873
There ara parties and parties IN i!ouls-
lana. There are Democrats and keput-
leans, and FusiOnists and con fusionists.
There are Warnothtes and Mct.neryifes
and kelloggites and Hit-ites. Every one
has its black and white division, and every
individual division its particular ant. 1t
is not in the character OF these people to
sit upon the fence. They are nothing if
not fierce parfsans. Choose ye this dav y
whom ye will serve, is the watcnword. and
serve him 20 any extent. No two men viii
agres in stating a political question:, and
studying the political situation in Louis
lana is about as satisfactory a. studying a
buzz saw.
Said | 10 gentleman who IS probably Y
one of the best informed men politically in
New Orleans: "Iou would doubtless bs
surprised If You understood the ignorance
we are in a, the North concerning the true
state of affairs in Louisiana" Yes was
the reply. land YOU would doubtless be
surprised If YOU understood n what ignor-
ance we are here concerning the true con-
dition of affairs in Louisiana"
To-day the State Of Louisiana Is in a
wOtAl conditiOn-that much can be told.
Let the people of the North draw in their
ina ginatiOns the most fearful picture pcs
sible, and it viii fall short of the depiora BILE
reality. In my correspondence from this
State will endcavor to place before the
Northern people as full, accurate and COM
plete an account of the troubles of Louisi
ana, and her present condition and pros
pects. as it is possible to obtain.
TIL. State has reached the acme of po
litical corruption and disOrganization, with
two complete sets OF State officers, each
claiming to be honestly elected and legally
constituted to serve; each Issuing cOnliuiS
sious in the name of the Con mOnwealth
Louisiana;' under each hungry horde OF
Office seekers piunderipg the State and mur
dering each other in the struggle for prefer
ence; the passions of men upon each side
inflamed to the highest pitch rascal- and
political shysters in places Of trust and re-
sponsibility; the rights Of the common peo-
pie disregarded; the Judiciary demoralized
or terror bound; human life taken with im
punity, justice denied, business paraiy zed;
error, wrong and oppression, with the fu
ture black and threatening-that's Louis
lana to-day. Said one gentlemen to me,
1T grows worse each succeeding year. At
present the condition of the State is much
worse than it is was at the close of the war.
Where It will end God only knows We
are almost in despair
In the bloody foreground
stands the Collax affair, the ghasti, cul-
minatiOu Of 4 eeries of minor OTtraees Of
like character. To this shall devote con
siderable space, and have enjoyed excel
iont opportunities for obtaining its history.
Let the reader follow me, and he VIII be
possessed of all that can at present be OBJ
tanned in regard to it..
AS to the real official status Of the ring
70 affh do tl,cy -,,,S
and uncertainty. Both sets of o1fcers claim
to have been legally commissioned or regu-
larly elected. believe the following to be
the truth concerning The situation as near
iy as il can be got at: The Warmotll-Mc-
Emery officers were in power. Governor
Kellogg, on assuming the govecnorship,
made new appointments and Issued the
commissions. short tine after, represen-
tatisns were made to him by prominent
Democrats from Grant that the officers
elect had tailed to qualify in time, and he
was entreated TO appoint 4 new set. Be
lieving the representations, he had no alter-
native but to comply, and the commissions
were made out.
Among others. Governor Keliogss ap-
ponted FOX sheriff Nash. who was at the
time tho Fusion incuni bent, IN the place OF
Shaw. his former appointee9 who. he sup
posed had failed to qualify. These com
missions we're. however. never Issued, and
Nash never received his from the Kellogg
government; for il Vas shown 20 Governor
kellOg that the Iuen first appointed by
him had promptly qualified. with few
minor exceptions, and. in one or two in
were in the actual discharge OF
their duties. The remainder enieavored
TO POSSESS themselves OF the Offices 20 which
they had been appointed by the keiloc@
government. and those who were IN posses
sion refused 20 vacate. The Republicans
then took forclble posseseon and held on
down to the day of the massacre. am led
to these conclusions ny statenst nts made to
NE oy residents of Coifax, and by promi-
nent actors in the bloody drama will
give these interviews hereafter, and the
read er can form hs own estimat9 Of tho
correctness Of ms views.
In forcibly ous,ing the Fusion incun
be nt7. the blacks were only eudeayoring to
initiate the whites. They had seer il dore
here in the city successfully. and N ether
The 9ery men who held ghe
1ihces n Grant parish had installed trcms
selves by force The Fusion man hac nus:-
'd the Republicans in dozen parishes. and
attempted it in Orleans By force the Ke-
oublicans expelled them. although no dis.
was made or violence done. The
negroes were only showing what apt scholo
white goose was not sauce FOR the black
,ander, and it is reasonable 10 suppose the
negroes have got enough Of "Vusting" 20
satisfy them for some time.
Many Republicans are ready to assert.
heir belief that the question OF che Offices
was only pretense for the butohery OF the
Kellogg men. That the plan for this affair
lad long been laid. and only some overt
sct on the part Ct the Republicans was
needed and waited for. Tie occasion came,
and advantage was taken with vengeance.
They say. further, that the McEneryites
Intended this as the first of series OF simi-
ar scenes. all designed 10 iDtame the ha
red and the passions of the whites and 80
;errify the negroes. The location was we'll
chosen if this is fact. Grant parish is
unely and isolated from communication
Rith the world, either By railroad or tele-
graph In it ana adjoining parishes are
nany reckless aud characteriess ri fians,
.eady for any deed of violence ard wrong
These are the men who rallied at the call
If Nash ard HadDot. The Fusiouists con
rolled whatever means of communication
we're available. and eould send such reports
Is pleased them. The Republican messen.
,ers were captured and murdered. CaIhoun
barely escaped with his life Here. in this
0nesome benigh:ed region the myrinidons
# McEnery could wreak their awful ven
.eance upon the blacks, cob, murder ard
,urn and send ont their own account TO
he wcrld. Those dismal pins forests and
.aud-hiils about the wretched !ittls settle
nent of Colfax. we're the scenes of such
leeds as make the blood su; die with hors
or to contemplate; deeds more mysterious
md fearful than were ever depicted in the
,aaes of romance 1.-Two white men and
'ixty negroes killed. was thS first report,
Now it is known that nearly oE quite
hree hundred negroes were slain. aid he
ween thirty and fifty whites, il all the
lights previous to and inciuGing the mas
'acres Since the fight the Fusion organs in
his city have used every means in their
power tc aide. deceive and cover up. Every
aSua a, onp, al anita to fha popy,3-