Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-10-02
extract from the address, to show the
utter helplessness of these people

extract from the address, to show the
utter helplessness of these people:
There remained for the people of
Louisiana but one hope of relief, and
that hope for partial relief only. The
Gubernatorial term is four years, and
the present term expires in January,
1877. The State officers hold for the
same term, and the Senators hold for
four years, one-half being elected
every two years. At the election in
November, 1874. a State Treasurer.
the members of the House of Repre-
sentatlves, and half the Senate are to
be chosen, with the addition of mem
bers of the Senate to fill such vacau-
cles as may have occurred by deaths
or otherwise, SO that the utmC a. which
we could have hoped to obtain by the
| election would have been State Trea-
surer and ma jority in the Legisla-
ture. The constitution of Louisiana
subjects the Governor to impeach-
ment, but the concurrence of two
thirds of the Senators present is req
uisite to the conniction. AS half Of
| tho Senators hold for the same term
| as the Governor, the election by the
opponents of the Kellogg usurpation
OF every member of the Senate to be
| chosen in November would still leave
Kellogg and his colleagues in
power: and the people subject to
continuation of this usurpation until
the constitutional expiration of the
term in January, 1877. Partial as was
the relief thus to be hoped for,..the
people of Louisiana determined to
avail themselves of this election as the
last peaceful mode of obtaining even a
fp00 ont of fhnfr ,<xl, -
| however feeble, in their government.
In proof of this determination we refer
to tho proceedings of the State Con-
vention. lately held at Baton Rogue,
| the formation of political clubs in every
ward of the city of New Orleans, of
every parish in the State, and the
eagerness manifested by citizens to
have themselves registered as voters
The existing registration law, the pas
| sage of which by the Legislature, in
the form which it has been promul-
gated, has been questioned and is not
generally believed, gives to the Super
visors of Registration supreme power,
| so that they may refuse to register
citizen or strike his name from the
registry at their mere will and pleas
ure. and no court can or dare, under
penalty of fine of $500, entertain any
| application to enforce the right of the
voter to be registered as such. To
execute this law, Kellogg appointed, as
Supervisors of Registration, his politi
cal adherents, many of them persons
| of disreputable character, and thus
this tremendous power, this machinery
| which had been devised and created
for the especial purpose of de
feating the popular will, was
delegated to the mere tools and in
struments of the usurper and the re-
suit of the election was secured beyond
| peradventure in advance of the cere-
mony of casting votes. Seeing the
| impossibility of obtaining q fair ex-
uncontrolled manipulations of the
usurper, and his appointees, number
of citizens, representing the respect
able and influential of the population
of New Orleans, called upon Mr.. Kel-
logg and requested him to select from
such names as they might furnish,
| Supervisors of Registration to act in
conjunction with those appointed by
him, so that to both parties might be
| secured a perfectly fair registration
and election, which he had declared it
to be his purpose to afford. It is al
most needles to add that this request
was treated with Indifference, and the
| fraudulent registration was continued
under the original appointees. It was
difficult for naturalized citizens to OBJ
tain registration, and many white per-
sons clearly entitled toregistry were re-
fused arbitrarily, while the colored peo-
pie were furnished registration papers
on which, in some instances, they
could vote in several different wards,
and colored crews of steamboats, tran
silently visiting this port were permit
ted to swell the number of voters. 10
test the power of Supervisors to refuse
ly entitled, who had been refused, ap-
piled to Judge Hawkins of the Superb
or Court, the only Court having juris-
diction to grant such writs, for man
damus to enforce his right. The writ
was refused upon the ground that the
Courts are especially prohibited by
the Registration act from interfering.
Thus the people of Louisiana are left
without the hope or possibility OF q
fair election. In proof of this we in
vite attention to one paragraph Of the
secret circular of instructions issued
by the State Supervisor to his subOr-
dinates in the Parishes.
You are instructed to use your ut
most endeavors to cause a full regis
tration of all Republican votes in youl
Parish. and to especially encourage
and assist the registration of white
Republican electors. For this purpose
you will keep your Office open at the
: Court House for as short period "a:
? necessary, and then remove to the 10
calities most thickly populated by col
ored voters, and give such notice II
advance, of course with the creates
caution, as will facilitate their presence
at the time of opening of the books.
Look further at the registration il
this city. With only 10000 negr'
+, votes in it, over II, 900 have been reg
3 istered within Is days after the open
4 ing of the registry Offices. In the Sev
, enth Ward, over 700 negro voters hav
been registered, a number create
than the negro voters in the ward
4 One negro was found having in hi
: possession 81 certificates of registry
o which he had obtained himself by reg
istering so many different times in va
, rious wards.
: AS part of the history of the times
t and in proof of the hopelessness of on
y condition, we insert here an appeal t
, the President of the United States b
/ the Committee of Seventy, sent to Lli
: by telegraph on the 9th of September
e 1874, of which no notice bas bee