The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-01
A CHANCE FOR BECKWITH.

Mr.. J. R. Beckwith is an able lawyer bit
ter partizan, a persistent and ferocious prose
cutor where the interests of his party are con
cerned, but strange to say, has thor
ough hatred for the ignorant and incapable
men who, by curious destiny, he has beel
compelled to defend and support.
He is not naturally bad man, but having
taken up an opinion, or having been convinced
that certain line of policy is for the best in
terests Of his party, he maintains the one an6
pursues the other unfinchingly to the last
whatever may be the consequences. Other:
may falter and exhibit disposition to relent
Beckwith falters not, but with grim courage
and marked ferocity and ability pushes for.
ward over every obstacle, like some stalwart
We will d, Beckwith the justice to say that
in this Grant parish case he was thoroughly
convinced that the white people who We're
present at Colfax on the memorable Easter
Sunday had been guilty Of gross outrage
and should be punished. He seems never to
have permitted himself to think of the previ-
GUS outrages Of the negroes, Of their horrible
and partly executed threats and of the ter
rible alarm which those threats followed up
as they were by armed assemblages Of ne
groes, caused in every white household in the
parish.
There is nothing to relieve his prosecution
Of the Grant parish prisoners from the charge
Of malignant persecution, except the fact that
he had become sort Of monomaniac on the
subject, and probably acted conscientiously.
But there is now a chance for him to dis
tinguish himself and haply to ameliorate the
bitter feelings entertained for him by a large
portion Of the community There are many
instances Of inexcusable outrage recently com
mitted by negroes upon white men, and by ne
groes upon negroes, which should now engage
his attention, since the crusade against the
whites has failed.
1t is doubtless fresh in his memory that
some five or six months ago that redoubtable
Kellogg legislator, Cain Sartain, from Car
roll parish, at the head Of an armed band Of
negroes, endeavored to board, and did forci-
bly, board the steamer Frank Pargoud Capt
James White) at Goodrich's Landing, de-
handing liquor at the bar, and subsequently
firing: into the steamer.
This was sans doubt banding and consrir-
ng to deprive citizens of property without due |
process OF law. It can be proved also tina |
while SO banded with said intent they assaulted |
Capt White and others on board the Pargoud, |
y shooting at them with murderous intent.
n February last, in the parish of Terrebonne,
band Of negroes conspired and confed-
rated to prevent other negroes from laboring
S they saw fit, which, under the Kuklux
aw, and Beckwiths construction, means
'confederatiug, conspiring and banding to-
ether for the purpose Of depriving citizens Of
quail rights and privileges granted and Sc
ured to other citizens by the laws and con-
tltution Of the United States and Of the
tate"
Time and again within the last six months
rmed bands OF negroes have, with arms in
heir hands and with noisy demonstrations,
loved along the city trout within sight Of
eckwiths Office, and have driven negroes and
hite men from honest labar In some Of
lese riotous demonstrations men have been
oundcd and killed.
And yet the perpetrators Of these outrages
ave been permitted to go scot Free and have
sat on the steps by which the
district Attorney ascends to his Office in the
and laughed and chatted over |,
he matter as an excellent joke in absolute
srtainty, that they would not be molested
MI. Beckwith heard Ward, Flower Register,
eekin, Jones, and some thirty or forty
agro witnesses perjure themselves in the :
ost audacious manner possible and as he
rs their testimony in both trials he need only
'mpare the two in order to find ample &
ounds upon which to base charges for per-
ny against these deep dyed Williams who at S
mpted to swear away the lives of innocent I
en-.
Will Beckwith move in these matters or L
II he permit his name to be handed down to L
mortal intamy as the persistent prosecutor t
white men, because they are white, and t.
e defender and abettor of murderous ne Il
oes, simply because they are negroes?
LEVEES OR NO LEVEES. Q