Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-10-12
NO. 236.

and drays, driven through the Streets gathered
the dead the dying and the wounded in promiscu-
GUS loads, policeman in some cases riding in the
wagon seated upon the living men beneath him."
CReports of committees, House of ofRepresentatiyes
secend session, Thirty ninth Congress, page 1O)
Senator Morton-That is a very brief descrip-
ton of a massacre IN the city of New Orleans in
the middle of the day in August, 1866, fmen who
had simply assembled to hold convention.
Among others killed were Mr.. Dosty, white man
of distinguished talents and character, and many
others eminent in their professions, and who had
done service IN the armies of the country.
1000 REPUBLICANS KILLED in Two MONTHS.
Time passed on. In 1868 Louisiana was recon-
structed under the acts of Congress. The first
election OF State officers was held in the month of
May, 1868, by the General of the Army It was
conducted under the authority of the Government
OF the United States, and was confessedly fair
election Nobody denied it. The Republican
State ticket was elected by over 26, 600 majority
There was majority of colored men in Louisiana.
and there more blacks than whites there to-day
and there were thousands Of white Republicans in
addition as there are to-day. The colored men
voted the Republican ticket solidly. We carried
| the State in May by $4,000 majority. Afterward.
IN the summer, the ku klux were organized in
Louisiana, and between the lst Of September and
the first Tuesday in November, only two months,
they had killed and wounded over 900 white and
black Republicans in that State. committee
was sent down there by Congress to examine into
the condition of affairs, and, will read to you q
short extract from the report Of the Committee on
Southern Outrages: 1.-The testimony shows that
over 1000 persons were killed, wounded, and
otherwise injured in that State within few weeks
prior to the Presidential election that half the
State was oyerrun by violence; midnight raids,
secret murders, and open riot kept the people in
constant terror, until the Republicans surrendered
all claims, and the election was carried by the
Democracy. The parish of New Orleans contained
29,9l0 voters, 020 blacks. In the spring of 1868
that parish gave 1878 Republican votes. In the
a of 1868 it gave Grant LIS falling of Of H.
l93 votes Riots prevailed for weeks, sweeping
the city OF New Orleans and filling it with scenes
of blood, and Ku-klux notices were scattered
through the city warning the col0red men not to
vote. In Caddo there were 1887 Republicans.
In the spring of 1868 they carried the parish. In
the fall they gave Grant one VOTE Here also there
were bloody riots"
IHE RIOT IN SAINT LANDRY PARISH.
But the most remarkable case is that of Saint
Landry, planting parish on the river Techc
Here the republicans had registered majority of
lo1l votes. In the spring Of 1868 they carried
the parish by 6IS. In the fall they gave Grant no
vote-not one-while the Democrats cast 4,7S7,
the full vote of the parish for Seymour and Blair.
Here occurred one of the boodiest riots ON record
in which the Ku Klux killed and wounded over
700 Repui licans, hunting and chasing them for
two days an nights through fields and swamps,
Thirteen captves were taken from the ail and
shot. pile of twenty-five bodies were found
half buried in the woods. Having conquered the
Republicans killed and driven off the white Lead
ers, the Ku-klux captured the masses. masked
them with badges of ;ed flannel, enrolled them in
clubs, led them to the polls, made them vote the
Democratic ticket, and then gave them certificates
ofthe fact. Over 1000 men, according to this re-
port, We're killed and wounded within sixty days
before the Presidential election of 1868, and the
committee expressly say they did not go over
nearly all the State. They did not get nearly all
the cases.
TIE RESULTS UPoN THE VOTE.
Now what was the result The Republicans
had carried the State in May by $4,000; The Dem
ocrats carried it in November by Al 900, making
change of 81 900 votes. To show you in detail
how it worked will give you the vote IN some Of
the parishes. At the spring election the Republi-
cans polled 62S votes in the Parish of Benville in
the fall election but one. In the Parish of Bossier
they polled ~ votes in the spring; in November
one vote. In the Parish of Caddo they polled
LIZ votes in the spring; in November one vote.
In Claiborne Parish they polled 7l9 votes in the
spring IN November two votes. In De Soto Par
Ish they polled GAG votes in the spring. in Novem-
spring in November none. In Lafayette they
pollcd 743 votes in the spring; in November none.
In Morehouse they polled 547 votes in the spring;
IN November one. In Sabine they poled 1876 votes
in the spring; in November two In st. Bernard
they polled 52i votes in the spring; in November
one In st. Landry they poled 2,5l4 votes in the
spring; in November none. In St. Martin they
polled l,O37 votes in the spring; in November
twenty-five. In Union they polled 2S7 votes in
the spring; in November one. In Verrniilion thew
poled 1873 votes in the spring in November none.
In Washington they poled l45 votes in the spring;
in November none. have not time to run over
the whole list. Louisiana is Republican State as
certainly as Vermont or Massachusetts. After
these murders of 1868 they quit killing negroes in
droves and crowds, but in lonely fields and forests
the solitary shooting went on.
Gov. WARMoTH-THE COALITION
Now come to another chapter in this history.
The Republicans had elected Gov. Waimoth in
looo. lie was young man of good character at
that time, and of great promise. He is very
brilliant, a magnetic man. He turned out to be
very corrupt. lie was engaged in all sorts of
schemes. You have heard Of the celebrated
slaughter-house act in which he was partner; of
the Levy bill and the Gulf Canal bill. Inall these
schemes his partners were leading and wealthy
Democrats in New Orleans who furnished the
moncy-bankers, capitalists, and insurance men.
They were the Directors in these institutions. In
lS'l the Republican party sloughed Warmoth oil.
They could not and would not carry him longer.
Gen. Grant refused to see him in Washington; the
Administration cast him off, Then he went to the
Democratic party. He went, they said, to his own,
and they received him gladly, although he had
been held up by the Democratic press throughout
the nation as the worst man in Louisiana-as the
man who had ruined it. Yet, when he left the
Republican party, the Democrats took him, and
they formed coalition. That coalition was the
beginning of the troubles we are now discussing.
Ohuet thc law OF LOUISIANA, as 1t then stood, the
Governor had the appointment of all the election
oicers IN the different parishes that the whole
of the machinery of the election was in his hands,
1t IS matter OF proof taken before the committee
at Washington, and is proven on the record by
numerous witnesses, that the Democratic polit-
clans of Louisiana made a coalition with Warmoth
upon the express understanding and estimate that
his control of the machinery of the election was
equal TO 10000 votes. They believed that through
him they could carry the State; without him they
knew they could not do it. They made this con-
tract with him: He was to carry the State for
the Democratic ticket, and they in turn were to
elect him to the Senate of the United States.
THE ELECTION IN 1872.
The Democratic party went into that election
IN 1872 relying wholly and entirely upon fraud for
their success. That is the way they do it here
Laughter-"Good. Good"'l Gov. Warmoth
tried TO carry out his part of the contract, and did
carry it out to the best of his ability. He succeed
ed in bringing in returns, many of them forged
and altered in New Orleans, showing that John
ID. McEnery, the Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor was elected over kellogg. This matter
came before the Senate, and was referred to the
committee Of which am chairman-the Commit
tee ON Privileges and Elections. We examined q
great many witnesses, until we had taken . vol
ume OF nearly 200 pages of testimony. The ma
lorty OF the committee made report, from which
dissented and made another. They reported
WI