New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-22
1'he Trouble Mt Bayou sara.

roughly responsible. gives us an insight
into the recent troubles in West Feliciana:
War in a terrible aspect has stared us in
the face since Tuesday night. Our private
homes have been Invaded by armed White
Leaguers. our lives hang ging on q thread.
with no meanr 0! relief until the troops ar.
rived last night. Great God. is this free
and civilized country! Have we Repub'
!icans 40 rights ":.ich the White Leaguers
are bound :. respect! Let the loyal North
answer This query.
The rope witt. .i.ich the Republican Off.
cial. were tO hs.. u en hung was brought
to the courthou.', yesterday. and had 1t not
been for the kid offices OF one single
White Lacquer. ". w. Leake. every load
ing Republican OF the parish would now be
dangling from a iamp-post or limb.
The following account OF the difficulty
we obtain from the advance proofs of the
Dumn Leado'. which have been kindly
placed at our disposal:
On Wednesday night. tho sixteenth In.
slant. our little villages bayou Sara and
St. Francisv;ile,. were awakened from
deep siunber by u band IF mounted armed
white men who. i. is stated, were patrOlling
the streets to prevent an armed band OF
colcred men who were mOmentariiy ex.
pected. and who it was stated had made
threats that they were coming IN to burn
the towns. The patrol marched up and
down the streets al: night without inolesta'
tiOn, and without perceivlng even the shad.
ow of an armed colored man. much less OF
band.
AT daybreak they marched to the court.
house yard, where they established their
headquarters for the day. and stacked their
arms AS they used to in camp. when the
'.boys in gray" started out in the late war.
Their warlike appearance was indicative OF
a mysterious movement being on foot. which
for reasons best known to themselves. was
not carried into etfect-but which only
awaits general orders to be contaminated.
At 8 A. N. Thursday morning Parish
Judge HaralsOn appeared on the scene OF
action. and upon affidavits OF w. w. Leake.
parish attorney. issued write OF arrest
against five leading Republicans OF West
Feliciana. on the pretended charge OF rails
ing an armed fierce Of cOlored men to burn
the towns. The writs were executed on two
OF the parties charged with the Ottense.
Quite number Of witnesses were at once
subpunaed and appeared in court to testify
their knowledge i'll the controversy pend.
ing, which was in form and substance that
i, was the first time they had heard of the
case. that they had hot cOnversed with the
accused for nearly month, and therefore
could know nothing about it.
This somewhat annihilated the lnsur.
gents. many Of whom left tor their homes
N disgust. There being not a shadow of
proof, not even to infer presumption or
possibility Of guilt; the judge discharged
the accused. and the crowd, which consisted
OF about 100 men. dispersed: it WAS sup
posed 20 retire I" ti,cir peaceful homes. AS
night approached, however, squads Of
arme! :n.n could ~. seen marching through
the streets. most Of whom wendef their
way toward the courthouse. Between
ntne ar. =" O'Clock. quite a large pnDi''
ha.! Going, gated together. amt - me- c'.th
m.nced drilling and marching thr''nsh she
plincipa: streets. as soldiers. A l,ttl,. later.
orders having been received quite \ large
crowd marc'.! toward she upper Par! O1
st. Tcanoi -: ID barricad.d themselves
behind H. -;". Jugs fence to await the
The coiored po.iie having heard what
had transpired during the prec' ding day
ard night, and tina. IL. "bl"sr OF the lneur.
gents vas to arye>' :. ..a."' Weber ON some
frivolous pre:eN,. and w"en once IN their
clutches. to ma, :es o. han. him 1.-THE rope.
it was said. being III readiness 70 carry Cu.
this pregrammel. A few, say fifteen or
twenty. ,nen came into town at about a
quarter past ten O'Clock. and were fired
; into by the white ner stationed behind DR..
T, Stockings fence. Fortunately. but one
shot took effect. and that was on the person
OF peaceable and respectable colored man.
the Rev. j. X. Watson. who came i'll town
without arms with others for the purpose Of
giving helping hand to protect persons
and property. No dieplay Of any kind or
nature was made by the cOlOred people. at
any time before or since this shooting. All
of them are in the cotton field picking cot.
ton, and are not even prepared to protect
their persons against personal violence.
What are the real intent and purposes Of
this armed force Of white men is impossible
20 conjecture. At the time Of our writing.
Friday evening. all the leading Repub.
:cans are b, ing arrested and placed under
guard ~ ~. courthouse. upon what charges
or tor Ma pnrpOsc We are unable to say.
The iacts -. the case are that the colOred
people are unarmed. pursuing their avoca.
tion !incst of them picking cOtton,; have
made 20 demonstration OF a warlike char
acter whatever, and are not likely to do so,
unless disturbed.
Thc whites are al! armed. patroling the
parish. cheering McEuery, and doing just
as they please. without a shadow Of law Or
authority. In time # peace, and in a COM
munity where the lives and property Of on.
people are at stake, we need no armed
forces. Ii trouble comes out OF this demon
straton Of armed white men. let Messrs.
Powell. Mumford. Stirling. Gastrel and
others be held responsible TOR it. We will
SOuch IOC our cOiOreu people, tudI IL tHey
are not mOlested they will not disturb this
or any other peaceab!e community. In the
meantime our advice to all. white or col.
ored. is to disarni. disperse and return 30
their peaceable homes. pursue their regular
occupations, and ali will be right.
AT about ! p. NJ. yesterday twelve sol.
,liers. with two officers in command. arrived
here from Baton Rouge. We are informed
.ha; their presence here was requested by
Messrs. ieake. Powell and others to help
them uu. down riot or prevent the burn.
iny .: the towns by the colOred people,
wnicn was inevitable. We are strongly
;uclined to the eplniOn that no threats Of
that kind or nature were made by the col.
orsd people, and it is evidenced they did
not do any such thing. because since the
whites have been under arms patrollinR the
c."ctry and threatening to kill Republican
leaders they have remained quietly at
h",ne and worked their crops. But the
fac: OF the whites making warlike prepare.
:ions Just after the capitulation OF the
legitimate government OF this State and
threatening to no longer submit to Repub.
ilcan rule and to make the Republicans re.
sign the offices that belong to them by
virtue OF the large majorities by which they
were elected. is certainly enough to make
any and all !oya; Republicans excited and
uneasy.
II the truth was known the hundreds o;
whites who are parading upon our streets
thoroughly armed are no: doing so simply
70: the purpose OF arresting two or three so.
called !awless men. They have had long
and deep laid plan in contemplation. and it
Ii no: astonishing to US that tn ese moments
of political excitement were selected for
tie siIne to consummate it. Let us not.
however. wander away from our subject.