The New York herald., 1874-09-02
History of the Disturbances In
Kentucky and Their Causes.
A STORY OF PRIVATE FEUDS.
Rae, AntipaIhiss and Political AntasOnisms
Not Elements in tho Conflicts
LOOSE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
Pistols and Whiskey the Keys to
the Situation.

LOUISVILLE, August 90, 1874
whoever expects to ind race issue In the
recent troubles in this State will be disappointed.
Neither in Garrard nor in owen county have the
disturbances sprung from antipathies between the
Whites aud the blacks. Even political differences
In the party sense had little to do with the out
breaks, and In both cases the men engaged In
the disturbances were whites. do not know that
this is significant OF the political condition ell over
the South, but 1 do know that In Kentucky all
earnest aud right minded democrats discounten-
ance any attempt at associating the recent con-
nicts with any such idea as war OF races, and
deprecate the tenor Of the nrst dispatches which
were sent to the Northern press In both Instances
the trouble arose from private quarrels. and the
universal opinion here Is that 1t is absurd for
either party to champion the ieuds OF individuals
or endeavor to give them political importance.
THE GARRARD COUNTY CONFLICTS
In Garrard county. where the first lighting took
place. the whole trouble sprung from private
quarrel Mr.. f. d. Kennedy is the Circuit Clerk OF
the county. His OF office is about TO expire,
Tor though candidate for reelection ne was
beaten by John K. Faulkner at the late election.
This deleat- proved great DISAPPOINTMENT to MIN.
but the only responsibility the negroes had in the
matter was in not voting Tor him. 1t Is to be as
sumed, suppose that the blacks had q perfect
right to vote for his opponent if they chose, but
Kennedy thought otherwise. and strutted about
the town Of Lancaster with q loaded pistol IN his
hand threatening to kill any of the negroes who
might come in his way. He Jailed to meet any or
them. however, but in their stead he came across
william Sellers, white man. who is regarded as
leader Of the blacks. Sellers Is a member OF the
Kentucky Legislature, and native OF this State.
He has been taxing very active part
In politics, and naturally enough Kennedy
attributed to Sellers the failure OF the negroes to
support MIN. The two men chanced to meet after
dark, as have already intimated while Kennedy
was in his threatening mood, and scufie ensued.
Both were armed, and in the fight Sellers shot
Kennedy, but only stunned him. This happened
on Friday the 7th inst. and nothing further 0c-
Cured till the following Monday. In the mean
time however, Sellers remained In his own house,
while Kennedy, recovering from the effects OF the
pistol shot absented himself for day or two from
the village. Then followed the more wariike and
tragic parts Of this
DRAMA OF KENTUCKY LIFE.
The sequel shows that the Northern democrat
accustomed to attribute all the woes OF the South
to negro or carpet bag governments. would hardly
expect In the sternly democratic State OF Ken
tucky an enforcement of the law as
feeble as IN either South Carolina or Mississippi.
Instead of arresting both the parties, and pre-
venting any further breach OF tho peace
! by holding them for trial, each was allowed
| to gather about him q party OF MS friends
and make private war upon the other Kennedy
intrenched himself in the Court House, posting q
guard at window which commanded the en-.
trance to Sellers store. This guard, consisting oi
ave or six men, continued to occupy the clerks
once for about fortnight In the meantime
Sellers gathered a stu larger force in his own
house. Menaces passe between the two garri.
sons from day to day, and the whole community
was greatly excited over the condition OF AFFAIRS
The negroes up to this time had had nothing to do
with the trouble between these two men. They
we're not free, however, from the impression that
In some way it concerned them, and IL was only
necessary that they should be abused by the one
party and urged on to acts OF violence by the
other, TO induce them to take part in the nght.
Both these things occurred. and on the night o
the 18th party OF blacks attacked the Kennedy
guard. The nght was kept up for sew era
hours, curing which four of Kennedy!
friends were wounded None OF the negroes
were hurt. day or two afterward part!
OF negroes fired on Kennedys house. and about
the same time some OF the blacks attacked two
white men-Cooley and Yearkey--lriends Of Ken
nedy, wounding the latter. Then Kennedy's hous,
was set on fire, but 1t was not seriously damaged
ploy. 1t was at this point that
THE 'wAR OF RACES" BEGUN.
IT. the beginning, as we have seen. the dim culty
was nothing more than private quarrel between
Kennedy and Sellers. would have stopped with
this had the officers Of the law done their duty
: But neither OF the men were arrested, when botf
should have been held for trial, and each was al
lowed to gather party Of his friends about hin
for protection against the other The nrng upor
Kennedys friends, before referred to. was the
directT result Of violence and abuse OF the negroes
by Sd OF his party One Of these was Eb. zoo
ley, aSon OF Kennedy who went about the streets
the whole day, in company with three Other
persons. abusing everybody who voted agains
his reputed iatner, and even striking some 'of tht
blacks. This incensed the negroes, who resolved
to Kill Cooley, but only succeeded In wOundini
Yearkey. rne firing OF Kennedy's house, which
followed this attack upon Cooley proved sigma
once took possession Of the town. For the mex
three days there was perfect reign OF terror II
and. many Of them were vicious and threatened
the lives OF all the whites. Kennedy left the VII
lage the same day for lear Of his life, but returned
the next day with about hundred armed mel
serted the town and took refuge with detacn
while the negroes took possession Of his house
and fortified themselves there. The people
s19r a1 ss lasa'SySSsa as aeSss asas
s!Ss mssHs!ns is ikssnnsdys party v xsfs e. hbi@sSsrloj @
The whites, though fewer in numbers, surrounded
the negroes and drove them from every house bu
Sellers. Here the blacks were called upon to sur
render, but they stubborDy refused, and the house
was SET on fire. Every man In the building would
have been burned alive but for the interference a
this point OF the United States troops, who put
end 10 the riOtous proceedings.
~ THE LESSON OF THE FEUD.
Naturally enough 1t Is din1cult to draw politlca
moral from feud which began IN private quar-
rel between two white men and ended In q soon
nict OF races between black and wnite. As mat
ter OF course great differences Of opinion prevail
as regards particular acts even among the people
OF Lancaster. Many persons regardless OF politics
Justified the course OF the negroes and desired u
see Cooley and his friends driven from the town.
'S0me OF our people," says the Netcs OF las
Thursday, sanctioned the burning OF Sellers
house; others did not Some condemned the IN
terlerence OF the troops; others did nOt.u On,
thing however, Is certain anu that 10 that as s0Ol
as the United States troops were replaced by Stat