New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-12
MSERABLE PLEA.

Committee Of Seventy made 1t much
worse by setting up miserable defense
in their behalf. We find in the Picayune
and other White League papers of less
note a statement, published by order of
the Committee Of Seventy, illustrated by
blazing headlines. promising ''startling
developments" ETC., which, upon invest.
igation, proved to be a copy Of a letter
riAed from the dead body of one Of the
victims Of the late massacre, and the
testimony Of several ightened negroes.
extorted from them just before they were
shot by order of ''safety committee" OF
citizens of Coushatta.
The letter in question, It IS alleged. was
written by Senator Twitchell, then and
now in this city, to his brother, since
murdered at McFarlane place. As it is a
proper letter and does not contain sim
gle idea, line or word that any one can
take exception to we wonder that the two
nquisitorial committees allowed it to be
made public. The following is q copyi
NEW ORLEANS, La. August I. 1874.
2. s. Edgerton. Sheriff Parish Of Red River. Louis.
lana
ireceived your letter this morning; have
seen the Governor and United States mar.
shall; as soon az some overt act has been
committed United States marshal can be
sent up there, and he will doubtless take
United States troops with him. will ado
wise you in case demand is made for your
designations to be certain first that VIC.
lence is to be used in case yau do not, and
then to save your life, resign.
Natchitoches matters are not settled yet.
ern the State. M. H, TWlTCHELL.
This letter was written at a time when
the lives Of all the Republicans. especially
officials, in the Red river parishes were in
great danger. Guerrilla parties toamed
about the country, armed for murder. and
there was no place to look to tor protec.
ton. Letters were sent here earnestly
imploring help. but the State authorities
had not the means at command 10 put
down the new rebellion that had broken
out and spread over so many Of the par.
fishes like an evil epidemic. In answer to
an appeal Of the kind. Senate. Twitchell
assured his brother tina. if the enemies Of
law and order should proceed to extremi-
ties and commit an overt act it would Re
be the duty of the marshal to send up q
deputy with an escort Of United States
troops; also that Governor Kellogg was
determined not to allow mob to govern
the State.
Now, there may be something very in.
cendiary in this letter. but no: being
White Lacquer, Democrat. or anything
else "opposed to the Kellogg usurpation.'
we can not see it. To hang the brother
of the author, and then publish the letter
as a justification is barefaced efrontery.
As for the so-called testimony extorted
from the frightened colored prisoners, it
is weaker as reliance for defense than
Senator Twitchell's letter. The whole
country was in an uproar. Threats We're
openly made in the newspapers and every.
where else, against all Republicans. white
and black. The White 1eaguers were all
well armed, thanks to the contributions
from the timid merchants of this
city. A conspiracy to drive Republican
officials out of Coushatta was known to
lie ripe for execution. The few white
men once disposed of, It was believed the
timid and ignorant negroes would fail an
easy prey. As war had thus been declared
upon the Republicans-a war. too. of ex.
termination-there was necessity for
making some show Of resistance We can
not suppose the 'committea Of safety"
that lately usurped judicial functions in
Coushatta, nor their apologists here the
Committee Of Seventy expected Repub-
leans to sit down quietly and submit 70 |
murder and outrage whenever it suited
heir unrelenting foes to put their savage !
designs into execution. However that
nay be, a prina facse case is made out
hat some twenty-five or thirty cofored |
people assembled at Twitchell's house for |
that a prowling party Of
scouts went out from the White League |
lamp, and came SO near to Che hostile !
ines as to challenge the fears of two U [
hree OF the colored pen On the out.
ook. The result was the discharge
# guns and the wounding Of an ssmed
nan named Dixon. Wa have nor J
earned the extent of tho injuries he se-
'eived, but suppose them to be less Than
atal.. The whites Of Coushatta were In
10 possible danger from these frightened }
people, whose only object in life waste
protect themselves from the cruel and
brutal assassination which they well knew
" tradition was in store for them if they
yer fell into the hands Of their pursue1s,
Neither the murdered white por co1ored
nen had been guilty of an offense against
heir White League neighbors They
we're attempting TO exercise the rights
,uaranteed by the Constitution to Gall
liberty and the pursuit Of
lappiness. Even threats to destroy the
Vhole white population, such as they are
'asely charged with having made, would
lot constitute crime punishable with
eath-would not justify the indiscrimi-
ste massacre,of the innocent ard guilty
Ike. And no crime which they could
erpetrate would justify theis assassina-
ion when helpless prisoners. 1
The civilized world will learn with hor.
Or that men claiming to be the most re.