, 1873-04-19
Origin and Character Of the Difficult
ties in Grant Parish.
Further Particulars Of the
Fight at Colfax.
The New Orleans Press of 1}otll Parties
iii Favor Of tho Etate Being Re-
mandcd 10 Federal Rrle.
GscHllI1o OF I3velltBs


III order that otr readora may be Informed Of
tho origin and character Of tho tragicnl oyents,
which within tho past ton days have transpirod
In Middle Louisiana, wo prosont Bucoinot ro-
sumo Of tho facts, as wo hayo loarned and un-
dcrstand thom.
Tho pariBh Of Grant, on Rcd River, has q pop
ulatton, white and black. Of about 4,500, whio h
liz nonrly equally divided. In tho election Of
Nov. 4, the declared return Of tho Forman Board,
composed Of mon Of high character. and in pos
Hossion Of MI the roturns, shows tho vote to havo
boon:
For Governor, bfcl5ncry (Fuaion), 514; Ke1-
logg (Rad.), 4o5. For Iogin1ator, J. Il. Haanot
(Fmsion), 622; ". Ward Ral.), 538. For Par
(nad.) 10l. For Olork Of Court, r. O. Rogistor
ssss9RR ~ T. sas$ &sk2f 5!sa Sss 6"a aa
Hadnot took bis scat in tho Louisiana 1,oglsla-
tnro, md Ward was admitted into tho Dayonct
Tho Lynch notnrning Board ao-called, Ind no
roturns, and iii this cnse did not nBsunao to de-
claro tho election Of tho parish oiIlcors. Kol-
What 10 called vacnncioa, but they did not qualify
according to laT, nnd allowed The tfmo stipulated
by law to pauH. Kollogg thon commissioned oal-
cora who had roa1ly boon elected. both Nepnb-
e sdn rhto end eoeEea n GxcGpt spax tho n1s
It seoms TINT Ward and other fladlcals,
boing dissatisfied ut not having all tho Offices,
ca1no down to Now Orlcans md romon-
atratod 9i With Kollogg. Getting 70 eatisfac-
organized IN armed company Of negroes and
took violont aud roroible possession OF tbo
Court-Houso at CoIfax, q email village on tho
river and tho county scat OF Grant Parish, mud
attempted to collect posso eo1nitatus to recover
possession of tho public building thus lawlcsaly
soized. mass-meoting Of tho white poopllo
to q s n ao May 19F IF
III consequence OF violont demonstrations Of tho
armed ncgroos undor Capt. Ward, Register,
Flowers Brantloy, snosdou, Railoy, Show,
eoxss 1s ssd t. I as e7G liz nx eT'af oF to ss %s
tho mob, Threats woro made by tho ringloadors
Of organized negrooH against those who. were
obnoxious who had urged Kellogg to commits
s4 noI ar u Or o,
coetngs.
Tho negroes OF Grant, having had their minds
poisoned against tho white people by tho itldus-
trlous incllcattons of u few ecatnwagn and car
Cd by 4 turb1,lont mud daring follow. Wnrtl mud
his gang had n short time boforo killed two OF
their own color with small provocation. Having
occupied tho village as military poBt they bo-
gan to Threaten tho lives of thoir political oppo-
Manta, gave somo Of thon1 q short timo to loavo
the place on pan Of death, shot at others, broke
opon and guttod dwelling -housoa, driving women
out, and robbing fomalo school teacher Of her
jewolry md oteeta, mud oven lilliug the coffin OF
Judge Rntland'B dead .babo, md lngrg itH
body in tho middle Of tho highway. They pick
etcd The country for miles, soizing horses and
firearms, and breathing threatening aud slaugh-
tor, sought to inaugurato 4 reign Of terror, to
drive out thor political opponents and white
people, and to become masters Of all thoy sur
Toyod.
For period these aemi-barbarianR had mat
ters all thor own way. But tho white people,
whom thoy had thus monaco1, attacked aud out
ragged III organized law1osauess, fortunately o.
oaped to safe distance.
Shorif Nash got together posao OF armed
Colfax. The negroes meantime had fortified
their ground with brcaHt-worls and prepared
tho Court House for defongo. When called on,
last Sunday, to surrender tho Court-Houso and !
disporao,. they refused, aud fight followed |
Tho result was, tho entrouehmentB were tnken, |
the Court-Houao Waa Burned and a number OF |
negroes killed. Co1fax ID no longer prey to the
political desporadoos and maraudora.
Unfortunately the authors and conductors Of |
this nefarioua business have 30 far escaped tho |
cond;gn punishment they dosorvn. The people |
Of Louisiana nre worn out with usurpntiou. |
Patience may coaso to bo a virtue. When it |
becomes entab1iBhod TINT thore is Rure danger
to the p1ottera aud managers Of hlgh-hanGed
oppression, thon affsira may DO freed from pesti
lont and fraudulent interference. For the negro
victims we feel aorry, aud tho occasion Of this
trouble III greatly to BIO doplorod.