The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-25
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE
UNITED STATES.

meeting composed Of the Committee Of Seventy
the State Central Committee and the Paris
Committee, representing the opposition to Ia
asurpation Of William Pitt Kellogg, INSTRUCTED
TO prepare statement OF the recent events II
Louisiana and an address to the people OF th'
United States, respectfully submit the following
for your candid consideration
II has been demonstrated and brought to thu
knowledge Of the people, by publication III every
leading journal in the United states that shortly
after the election in November, 1872, by the lille
gal action Of District Judge Of the Unitee
States aided and enforced by soldiers OF tbs
Federal Government, ordered from Pensacola tc
New o leans for that very purpose, the State
House was seized at night, q pretended Legisla
ture, composed in great part OF defeated candl
dates, was organized, and VIM. Pitt Kellogg was
forced upon the people Of Louisiana AZ Governor
and G. G. Antoine as Lieutenant Governor, both
Of whom were defeated by large majorities, al
shown by the actual count OF the official returns
Of the votes rs cast
Without going into details, it suffices for
the present to copy the language Of the United
States Senate Committee, OF Goth February, 1873.
REPORT No Asst, AID Congress- 3D. Session, p Az
''Your committee are therefore led to the
conclusion that If the election held in November,
1872, be not absolutely void for frauds committed
therein, McEnery and his associates in State
offices and the persons certified as members OF
the Legislature by the DeFeriet board ought TO
be recognized as the legal Government OF the
State. Considering all the facts established
before your committee, there seems no escape
from the alternative that the McEnery Govern
ment must be recognized by Congress, or Con.
gress must provide for reelection"
And again page 40:
'.If the Senate should be inclined not to go
behind the official returns OF the election, then
the McEnery Government and Legislature must
be recognized as the lawful Government Of the
State"
No one believed, no one had the audacity to
pretend that Kellogg and his associates had been
elected. The fact being established by the actual
count Of the official returns OF the votes cas-,
in the presence of the Senate Committee that
McEnery, Penn and their associates had been
elected, the only question was whether that cleo
ton was void for fraud. Protesting as We do,
that the Senate Committee had 1othing to do
with the question Of fraud in State election and
that the Federal Government, in all its depart
ments, was bound by the official returns of the
votes as cast, assert that the McEnery Gov
eminent was legally and fairly elected.
tt Senate Committee and the people of the
Northern States, generally, were led into error
and arrived at false conclusion, by assuming a.
true, two false propositions:
1. That the cOlOred voters in Louisiana were
largely in excess Of the white voters:
2. That the colOred voters and the white Re-
publicans, en- nldsse voted the Kellogg ticket.
/. The census OF 1870 was taken in the months
VI July and August, when, as is well known,
this State, IN the pursuit OF pleasure or business.
The cOiOred people had neither the means nor
the inclination to travel, and, while this census
may be taken as q fair exposition OF the cOlored
pOpula ton, it is not correct statement OF the
white population.
This census shows that there were in Louisiana
in July and August 1870:
Wnlto males. ............-. l63O3l
COlOred males 17S 1884
Excess Of white males ............. 4247
COlored males above the age of 21...... S6913
Excess of white males over 81 years.. 153
BY nm arbitrary rule the compers of the census
clsssed as above 81 all persons whose ages were
unknown. We know that most white persons
above the age of puberty would be able to state
their ages 80 that very few white persons would
be cassed Improperly, while many negroes can
give no accurate information on that subject.
VERY few white people under 81 would be classed
as OF that age, while many negroes under Il
would DO classed over q from their mere inability
to sta e their ages.
This census Was taken under the auspices of the
Republican party, and there is no pretense that
it did any injustice 70 the colored population or
diminished the numerical strength Of that race,
its friends and adherents.
II shows total coored population. ..... 364 ,210
Il shows total white population ...... 362, 065
Excess Of colored population. ....... 2,l45
Whlto males ................... lS3,O3l
White females. INSTRUMENTATION. 179,O34
Excess of white males. 1897
COlOred females. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1S5, 426
VOlOreu males. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. l7S.7S4
nj