The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-12-31

& jttksaf 4 II if4i&s = kt5aRaE al glGu 1l II
| the, Conservative majority in. Louisi-
ana was permitted to rule, as stated by
our enemies and blythe President in
/ his message, We know to .be-disproVed
! by the fact that during, the four; days
| elected Government was in ,tiIidisput-
ed power With "a large force at it's
command, Rotaa negrolwasi htlFtj not
an act Of violence was acommitted !;
and, Notwithstanding great previous
PROV ocation, not a right Of any citizen
violated. .noa
Having failed in all our appeals to
justice and the patriotism Of the Pres
identaEd Congress, we now, asa last
resort; appeal to The source of aIIpow-
er, the people of the whole country,
whose moral influence we invoke in
the hopeiofaawal2ening thak Justice to
our wrongs and sufferings w hich is
accorded to brave and Tree people
struggling for liberty, In confidence
that a Virtueus pnblicI sentiment may
compel the unprincipled men who are
preying upon the vitals of the State to
let go their hold. We hope itlmay re-
act upon the Executive and Congress,
and compel them to grant us thRt re-
lief which neither their sense of JUS
tiee nor regard for}the fundamental
institutions of the ecOnntrY has been
able to effect. !. We, make this appeal
in advance of the final contamination
of the great wrong about being per-
petrated upon the people, asiwe are as
positively assured of the intention of
the Returning Officers to defraud the
people Of the fruits Of their political
victory as ifithes act had been already
consummated.4tfjzff{, zff{,. 4o 4sfff sge
We are not clamoring for party pur-
poses that one set of men should be
substituted for another as public Off
cials. Our repugnance to Republican
rnle iu Louisiana is not based alto
gether upon the fact of its being a :
q Valued as great princi-
plies are. and grosslyias they, have been
violated, yet it is not for that rsason
alone that the people OF LouisianE are
clamoGing for relief. The people de-
mand that those elected by them shall
govern, SO that they shall be relieved
from 'oPprsssioif grown iatoIersbIe;
that taxation, which has; become con-
fscation, may be Iightened that the
hideous and widespread poverty; and
distrust may be removed, and that
they may be permetted to live by
honest industry that honest govern
ment for protection may be subsitut-
ed for systematized robbery, ro7af
For these reasons we, the dowutrod-
den people of once free Louisiana,
now call upon the people of the free
States of America ii yoa would your
selves remain free and retain theright
of self-go ovelinment, to demand; in
tones that can not be misunderstood
or disregarded, s that the 9shacki5s be
from. louisiana and the pow
er of the Ulnited States army sbe no
longer, used to keep horde Of aaYen-
turers in power ,si-;,gtl,,u ~
aiIgB r. R, FpRMAN, Chairman,
Ii. .5i-rW,eC. RAYMOND, .,a,ft i sffz
sfi " ARCH, MLTCHELL., s,nsUttuf
r. @. ZACHARIE, Commissioners.
New Orleans; DecO22, 1o74JiF
Rooms OF THE OoMMrFTEE 6FiSEvERrY,
NEW ORIE4Ns, Dec. %, i4S74 10
) At q meeting held9 this evening,
DecembeF D, 1874.ithe foregoing ad-
drcss was read and unanin4onsly af-
frmed. u r.. H. MARE, Chairman,
JOSEPH w. ,CoLLINsi Secretary.