The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-23
ADDRESS OF THE COMMITTEE OF
To the People Of the United States.

e To the People Of the United States.
The Committee of Seventy, whose represen
tative character is we'll known to the country
call the attention OF the people of the United
States to the additional wrongs and indigni
ties under which the once free people Of Lou
lslana are now suffering.
For two years we have been in vain appeal
ing to the President and to the Congress fol
relief from the injustice, the expressions and
the robbery of a usurping State government
placed over US by the private order of a
drunken United States judge, written in his
chamber, and sustained by the United States
army brought here beforehand for the pur
pose.
This Governor. ineligible under our Consti.
tuition and defeated at the polls by 96CC
} majority, and by such means installed and
, maintained in power, had been unable, after
nearly two years Of misrule, to gain the
slightest foothold in the confidence or respect
Of the people, and as soon as the Federal
army was withdrawn, within one hour his
show of authority and force melted into thin
air before the calm determination OF an out
ragged people, and he sought refuge in the
sanctuary Of the United States Custom House.
Immediately upon the co nmand Of the Presi-
dent, all the fruits Of the brilliant victory,
achieved by our citizens, with the State
House, public buildings and archives, were
surrendered to an officer of the United States
army, who skewered Kellogg to his guberna-
torial seat.
For several weeks before the election on
I'd Of November, 1874, the whole State, and
especially the Democratic parishes, were
harried by the United States army, and our
/ hact nd tod
up charges, made by irresponsible tools of
the Radical party for the purpose of intimi-
dating the white people and carrying the
election against the will of the majority.
Notwithstanding this, our people knowing
| that their continued existence in this State
depended upon their driving the government
OF the plunderers from power; knowing that
by mlsgOyernment and eXOrbitant taxation
imposed by ignorant and corrupt legislators,
who had no interest in the State, the value OF
property had been destroyed and instead of
being blessing it had became a burden;
knowing that the fountains of law and justice
had been corrupted, and the Government,
whose end should be protection, had been
converted into an engine of oppression and
extortion, only limited by its imbecility.
Knowing these facts. they put forth
their utmost efforts, and with all the
machinery Of Ubiquitous election laws. de-
vlsed to perpetuate Radical rule in the
hands Of the usurpation, and with the United
States army at the command Of the Chair
man of the Republican State Central Com
mittee and used as an electioneering engine
against them, the Conservatives succeeded in
carrying the State by at least $500 majority,
with 4 majority Of twenty eight in the House
OF Representatives, and a majority on joint
ballot in both Houses. The city Of New Or
leans was carried by the Conservatives by
over II. 900 majority. The fact of the Con-
servatlves having carried the election has been
well known ever since the 5th November, be-
cause the ballots were counted ut the polls |
immediately and the returns made out in du- !
plicate.
Yet even now, seven weeks after the cleo
ton, We are imminently threatened with be-
ing defrauded OF our victory and Of our fran
chlse. The election returns are submitted to |
Board OF Returning Officers consisting of
five members, four Of whom are identified |
with and committed to the usurping govern
ment.
These men, aside from their partisanship,
have not sustained such a character before
the community as to inspire us with conf
dence in their integrity or impartiality, or to
give any hope that they will 1airly and hon
estly compile and promulgate the returns.
They have already evinced determination to
defraud the people and defeat their will as
at the ballot-box. In the case of
the parish Of DeSoto, Con :ervative by over
one thousand majority, the Radical election
officers stole the returns, placed them in the
hands OF woman OF the town, who offered
to give them up tor $1,000, and he left the
State. The returning officers refused to take
any steps to recover these papers. The at
torneys representing the Conservatives sent
to DeSoto and brought down and presented
the duplicate original election returns, OF
equal value, which had been filed with the
Clerk OF the District Court for the parish,
in pursuance Of law, and these they refused
TO receive and consider, although in Radical
parishes they had acted Oh secondary evil
lence.
This case is but one OF many such Appli-
;atlon was made by candidate for man
Janus to compel them to receive and compile
hese duplicate original returns from DeSoto
o the only court competent under existing
aw to grant the writ of mandamus. The
udge Of this court, a creature of the usurping
state Government, and member of the ia
nous Lynch Returning Board of 1872,
laving received the judgeship as reward ,
or his services on that occasion, refused the
nandamus
During the session Of this Returning Board
'e have seen the clerk accusing member Of
rauds on the election returns, and the mem-
er IN turn accusing the clerk. We have
cen evidence and documents ON the Demo-
ratio side stealthily abstracted and Republic
an cross-marked affidavits stealthily inserted
nd acted on, and the election returns them
elves altered and forged in the interest of
be Radicals weeks after the election.
There is no redress through the courts, be- L
ause those to which alone application can be ,
lade are but the creatures OF usurpatiOn,
hose existence depends upon n continuation A
+ Radical rule in defiance OF the expressed
'ill of the people. These returning officers
ave been now for seven weeks dallying with
he liberties and rights of the people of an
ntire State, apparently waiting until an OPP
ortnnity is offered for them to consummate l.
heir contemplated ,illainy by promulgatiDg y
,adical majority as elected to the Legislature .
hey hope to do this with impunity, because
ne State-House where they sit is garrisoned
18th Kellogg standing army of metropolitan
oiice. with several companies of the army OF
ie United States within fifty yards. and the T