New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-23

that AZ least 100 men came out {
the building, and i is known that only tw
, escaped. The escaping men were oEercakeI
mustered in crowds. made TO stand around
and, willie n every attitude OF humIlIatO
and sUppllcatlOD, were shot dOwE and thel
bodies mangled and hacked 10 hasten thel
death or 70 satiGte the htIllEh mailce Q
their heartless mUrderers, even after the,
were dead. See Times report
Not content with this destruction o: hu
man life. robbery was made 10 follow or tE'
heels OF murder, Tor while, according to tn,
reports o. their own organs, mot a single
negro was 70 re seen 1Or mics around
after the massacre, horses, mules, wagons
furniture, provisions money, yea, even The
Clothes and shoes of the murdered mer
we're taken and carried of, and this pr&c
ice was beng pursued tor days after tie
massacre.
We would lave tie nation and :he woTiG
to understand that the coIOred men VIC
were massacred IL Grant parish were il
the discharge Of ar official duty, TO which
they had beer legitinately summoned, as
| a posse COmltatus, 10 protect from I&WseSs
miscreants the courthouse and parish rec
Ords. In the struggle for Office not a single
cOlUred man was personally interested, bat
the actual officials and pretenders were ali
| whites We on V became party 20 this
| unfortunate affair in obedience TO summons
| by the legal sheriff of the parish cOmmis-
stoned by Governor Kellogg. whose admin
ietration is sustained 10y the federal author
ties. As conservatOrs OF the public peace
III the performance OF a public duty, IL The
| direct interest OF white Republicans, our
people have been ttrOciOuSlv slaughtered
| in contempt OF national and State auUhori
tie; aud upon this hideous spectacle, with
! all of its revolving details, We invoke the
dignifed and Re tcriOutive justice of the com
mOnwealth, and the dispassionate Judgment
of the na;ion and mankind
! Such ale the horrible facts which we are
| prepared 10 c0rrobOrate and verify with
| unimpeachable testimony. Ia all the YER
| sions OF this fearful slaughter which have
been published important facts have been
suppressed or omitted, and deductions, nv
just and preiudcial to Us have been hastily
drawn. The misap pprehensions and cOnclu-
slOns OF the press, so far as we Lave OBJ
served. that war of races had been inau-
gurated in this State eXemplify how super
fetal is its knowledge Of the condition of
the South IN general, and the COlfaX
hutchery III paTicnlar. There can be no
war of races IN this country between the
blacks and the whites, bot there NAV occnr
in the future, as in the past, an lndjscrim-
carnage OF our men, women and chill
dren by the spirit OF slavery, quick
ened by the plausible and hypOcritical
Democracy, who, with their facilities and
means, hasten 10 justify the inIamy by
falsely designating it as Var of races
When, i'll the darkest day of our bondage,
We endured horrible affections and atroci-
ties, with death as our only hope OF release,
we not only showed humanity how 70 sui
fer. but we exemplited that high standard
OF Christian Iectltude-peace on earth and
good Will 20 man. Being pacifICally. reli-
glouslv AMI patiently disposed, we DeveT
encouraged force TO emanGipate us from an
uugodly bondage: and it is unreasonable
and unnatural to fancy that we would now
abandon CuI faith in the moral and political
agencies which have accomplished wonder
1uI transformations and are still progress
sing in the march Of justice and reform.
We have EeyeT ayrayed ourselves against
our white te!tOW-cit.Zeus. unless voting tie
Republican ticket constitutes that OtienrP.
We were loyal 10 the government ard
fought for liberty. for which the rebels have
never forgiven Us. and never will as long
as one OF the present generation is left to
poison the current ot public sentiment. 1t
j. useless TO dIsguISe the fact that they are
Our Vlndictive and covert enemies. and
wOuld, if not restrained ard deferred, in
their stupid attachment and devotion for
the relic Of barDdrism, heap Gp becatOIuba
of COlCred bodies.
Oar only hope and safety is in the fede-
raj governments realizing the situation
and acting with that promptitude and vig0r
which would IL the future protect the inn0-
cent and deter the guilty. Should We IL
our fidelity to principles and patriotism
in the exercise of our manhood ard riti-
zenshiP-cOnt.nUe 10 incur the wrath of our
Oppressors without invoking FROM the Ma
tIOGai government a corresponding degree
Of protection, oar annihilation is fOregODe
conclusion. unless We accept such terms as
NAV be dictated.
We are well aware there is scarcely a
white citizen OF any condition in the State
who will not. with apparent frankness,
acqulesCe IN the results of the war. They
will all pretend to rejoice over the downfall
of slavery, ard avow themselves in favor
of the political rights OF cOlOrtd men; and
vet, III palDaUle violation of the c0nstitu-
ton and the laws, these very persons have
created and perpetuated public sentiment
which excludes men of color from every
public convenience and place n the State.
We are denied. on account of our color in
the land Of our nativity. civil rights hich.
to the shame of American justice, we, a.
foreigners and black ruen. may erioy all
over aristOcratic Europe. without single
a3rldTement, in common with humanity.
There is a concealed influence and organ
lied resistance ga INST US on tie part OF
these very persons, who so Ostensib.y and
tlppaDtly proclaim their adhesion in favor
of equal rights of all men before the law
Our greatest danger exists in the speciuus
pretences 0t our white fellow citizens and so
long as the spin: Of slavery is powerful
en0ugh to exclude US from our public rights,
so long Wilt break our heads with impun-
ity. Wherever our civil rights are denied. we
are practically Outlawed, and at any mo
ment the luxury of Elaughtering our Unof-
Tending people is likely Ia he gratihed. Pub-
lie attention may be directed through mis-
chievous and unreliable channels from the
cause to the occasion Of the massacre, but
we are confident that every thinking and
discriminate mind will, upon reflection.
grasp the facts and conclusions sufficiently
to place TIE responsibility where it justly
belongs.
While the heslta:ing and tempolizing pol
icy Of the State government amid undis-
guised und overt acts of treason has been
impclitic, unjust TO its supporters and dan
gerOus TO the public peace, we must goturther
and look deeper for the direct cause of the
Colfax massacre 1t springs from the spirit
OF oppression which is openly and auda
c;ously championed by Mr.. John McEnery
and his Fusion admirers, who heretofore
posses esed absolute and irresponsible con
troll of our bodies ana souls. " hich they are
resolved 10 maintain in some form or sacrl
fee Us in Tho attempt, We appeal 70 the
government which made rs tree men AID
citizens, and especially 70 the administration
of President Grant. which we assisted in
placing in power. 10 protect us in oar ltber-
ties and live. truia .Ae wrath ot o.c Demo
cratic utishboIs.
The reading Of the address ""as receive!
with gr, at applause.
President Barber :hea presented as a
gentleman who needed no Introduction to
this audience, nor 70 the countTy-whose
voice sounded the alarm in this very build
go, CC1arnnr piDcbhonl-