New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-01

IS now Tree, and may attempt 10 exercise
ne rights, duties and p-erogatives OF a free
| man!
After the coiored men OF Bossier parish
saw, and become thoroughly convinced,
that their young masters"-and some OF
their old ones, as well-were organized
for their destruction-organized in Sc
cret conclayes. and united in open def.
ance. in the broad high: Of day, for thei:
control. according to their own will and
; pleasure they strai .htwav inbibed the
example. SO !ar as TO attempt 20 procure
themselves some arms and organize as a
have ever heard charged. il. secret. mid.
night conclaves. Or with any purpose OF
aggression.
| In Sel TENDER. 1868. Tie colored men OF
Bossier Point had a meeting OF This charac.
ter. in the light OF day. when and where
they me: with arms n their hands to dril!
and consul: together peaceably, in spirit
/! and fos the purpose of fprotectior-as
in the exercise o. The prerogatives Of free
men they had a perfect RICH: to do: the
more especially SO when their rights were
both secretly and openly threatened. and
in many instances had been already def
antly invaded.
| thus state the ease and issue openly.
fully and fanny, and. if need be deiiarty:
for profess to be one OF the few men upon
this treacherous and wicked earth who is
neither ashamed nor afraid to do justice to
all men, under all circumstances. and per.
! haps the more readily SO to :he weak and
| oppressed.
Wen, these poor threatened and fright
! ened negroes. following the example OF
! their white nei ghbors-whom they had IN.
der the lash been taught to initiate in some
things at least-commenced to arm them.
selves: not to murder and assassinate. how.
ever. for Republicans white or black never
murder men for a difference Of political
opinion. but if possible 10 save themselves
from such calamity.
But this was pretex: enough for those
who naturally craved the blood Of these
| poor creatures, since they could he 10
longer bough. and sold like sheep il tie
| shambles.
They were captured, taken to Bellevue.
| the jail filed with them-and how much or
in what manner or to what degree tortured
may well be imagined-and under some
form Of legal trial. a score or 80 were sen.
| fenced and sent off to the State Penlten'
.iary: the mos. OF whom however if no.
T.! al! were soon rarioned or. by Governor
| Warmoth. which was abou: the hes: and
!! most just thing he ever Gid officially.
Some half dozen however had ESCAPED!
ar,es: and fed 70 The parish .; Natchi.
| toches. here they were yecaptured and
I! brought back 20 Bossier. and in cold blood
while prisoners shot on the banks OF Red
| river, and thrown into tina: stream as food
for catfish. gar. and aliigators
! These scenes passed Off very well. a'.'!
We're thought a very good thing by many
in tina: locality; and SO the good work OF
.tamirg the negrc' having thus fairly com.
mercei. j. was though. best not 20 allow i:
10 stop TOO suddenly. Dossier Point having
thus been cleaned ont and Iuiete.-:hUs
et..csualiv 'tamea' fer enc campaign at
!east-lLe upper .iyer portion G.: the parish
must be attended 20 IL like civilized and
| Chr;s.ianizec: mamie: and style. and At
| once.
! 81. in The October following, no: one
month after this frs: outrage occurred. an
othc: ana even still worse one commenced
| ard was consUmmated, with scarcely any
! trouble or difficulty at all. in the river
region .! Bos,ier parish wing immediately
opposite and above Shreveport.
! \ citizen o: arkansas. having been 20
! Shreveport: with his wagon and team. was
on his way taci. along the road which leads
w Red river :h:ougi. the :ich bottoms Of
! Hossier parish. in the direction of Wash
: ington. Arkansas. T.i. citizen. as lie passed
along. made il hi. business and pleasure 20
hail every gro lie saw and demand o: Linn
- know !. he was :. ID Radical. For
some distance the negroes evaieI and re-
fused 70 answer him. Dut finally meeting
with one a little Drawer and more disposed
"a defend his rights an. speal. his thoughts.
he replied that he was :. Radical. This
citizen o! Arkansas Immediately opened
fire or tits Uaofen.ling freedman and
wounded him. The coIor.t men IN zinc
vicinity :heu followed and captured this
man and tied aim. bG: did not hur; him. Some
willie citizens of 30ssier chez. came 20 the
rescue. anu procured the release Of the
offender. with the promise tina. il he had
done anything wrong he should oc arrested.
81 the negroes le. him go witt. This under.
standing. !u: as ne proceeded on his jour
nev home. SO Ear from he;n: arrested. :c
spread She news and gathered lis clans.
both from the adjacon: HeighbOihooi of
Boss;er parish and from Arkansas. They
game armed and Infatuated, and what fol!
lowed il s:ckening 70 contemplate. Leading
Republicans Of tina: parish declare that a:
least 800 freedmen were murdered and assas-
sinatea outright. III IN. AMOS: sieck!D. and
bartaEous manner. !hey He:e hunted
down on all the adjoining plantations and
murdered Unfortunately. They were
huddlei together and driven in crowds
headlonc into Red river. am. then shot
dead IS they swan. Cor thei. lives. Some
good and humane white citizens o: the
neigh bo.hooi hearing OF she ,li..ustn.
scene tina. was going sn. fastened 20 the
v.scue; but they no sooner put IN an ap.
reayancc in behalf .: mercy than they had
themselves 20 fee for their own .!vcs.
The negroes in all this transaction killed
but two white men. Bue Twin not dwell
upon The contemplation Of this mos. dis.
gus.!ng and disgracefui affair. vii! only:
state that have recently been told b. q
prcmineD. Democga. q: .ha: locality .ha.
this mos: :nhuma:. massacre III, lad .ie