The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1874-10-31
W r.

AOuA0Soun NAA0AS lIOu d UUaC0 OI &c
tual war only in the one circum-
stance, that one side is passive and
entirely passive, while the other is
all aggressive. The echoes of the
clatter of horses feet and the ride
clash of sabre and carbine resound
through our pine forests which
have known no enemy to be con-
quered nor seen any foe to be sub
|jugated. Ourriver bottoms:and sun
ny glades awake to the hostile call
of the bugle and the merry chirrup
of our feathered songsters is hushed
at the rattle of the drum and the
piping Of the fife. On all sides,
around us, above and below is seen
and heard all the notes and prepa.
rations for bloody war. The tramp
of soldiery, the clash OF arms, the
neighing of steeds and the rumble
of wheels all betoken war! war;! !!
The arbitrary arrests of peaceful
citizens, the incarceration of men
who have committed no crime and
the merciless hunt of other men
who have been tried and acquitted
of the charge of murder at Colfax,
all this and more, proclaims the
rule of force and announces the
forced submission of the civil to the
military government.
We pause to reflect, and the en-.
qniry forces itself on our mind
Why all this military parade For
what is all this unnecessary perse
cution ? What crime have we com.
mitted that we should he thus over
ridden by the iron heel of a despot.
ic powerg
Six men were killed at Coushatta
it is true, and killed under circum
stances which do not satisfy us Of
the justice of their death, but that
was no matter for the concern of the
United States authorities. A radi
cal District Judge, Fl. G. Myers
was and is Judge of that District.
the men who did the killing could
have been arrested by the Radical
sheriff of the parish and would have
been most probably tried before q
negro radical jury. What better
chances of conviction could be de
sired. The State courts were open
and if the criminals were not pun
ishel it is no fault of our side but
the blame must be laid at the radi
cal door. Why hunt the Colfax
boys? Seven of their companions
have been tried and acquitted of the
crime charged against them, and in
a United States Court by a picked
jury. This settles that matter un
til the Supreme Court of the United
States decides the appeal upon the
Constltutionality of the Ku-Kluz
act. The citizens Of Shreveport
who were arrested, committed nc
crime in refusing to employ any
person of whatever color or condi
ton, who should vote to tax theil
property more than it was worth
and any law which makes such &C
ton q crime or attempts so to do is
opposed to the very first and funda
mental principle of the Constitu
ton which guarantees to every one
the undisturbed pursuit of "life
liberty and property" Cosgrove
the Editor of the Natchitoches YIN
dictator committed no crime in writ
ing able and vigorous editorials fol
his paper against the unblushine
corruption which had levied a tai
of 70 mills upon the property of the
people Of Natchitoches.
This and this only, is the heaG
and front of our offending in North
Louisiana and yet our people arc
being dragged from their homes
business is being stopped and oul
country overridden by a hostile
force. The game is too thin and
too easily understood to deceive
even the most obtuse. All this
parade and persecution is to dis
hearten our people and to draggoon
the negroes to the polls, many o.