The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-06-19
THE GRANT PARISH TRIAL.

three of the number, viz: fiadhot,
Cruikshank and Irwin, with an ac-
ouittal of the remainder, who were I'M
mediately arrested upon other charges,
and subsequently released upon their
own recognizances. In rendering their
verdict OF guilty, the jury recommended
the prisoners convicted to the mercy OF
the court. The punishment affixed by
law is not to exceed ten years impris-
onment and 1000 fine.
Such, in brief, is the result of a trial
unparalleled in the history of jurispru-
dencc in louisiana. Whether we con-
slider the enormity of the provocation
given by the colored people of Grant
parish, the character of the real issues
at stake or of the witnesses offered by
the prosecution, who were either de-
standing, or negroes wholly ignorant OF
the responsibilities resting upon them
or whether, passing these points by, we
come to the manner Of the judicial i'll
vestigation itself, first developed by
the summoning of the jury, and after
wards by the rulings of the court, we
are bound to conclude that the trial of
the Grant parish prisoners was con-
Quoted in II spirit of illiberality and
partisanism unknown before in the
courts of this country.
Happily, however, for the future
welfare of Louisiana, the result of this
trial can have no effect in sitting the
settled convictions of the whites Of this
State concerning their natural rights.
Firmlset as the everlasting hills, is tho
feeling in every white mans breast in
Louisiana, that no inferior race
shall rule the destinies of this people
by force, as was attempted in the parish
of Grant. Life is not so sweet as to be
purchased by basely surrendering our
birthright to those who were our
slaves not ten years ago.
The men who, in Grant parish econ.
spired'' to protect their homes, their
property and their families from the
brutal instincts of the ignorant blacks
and the devilish teachings of white
leaders who are lost to every feeling
been hanged, and would have been
condemned by all whose opinion is OF
real value, had they not made the offer
even of their lives to uphold the supe'
riority of their race and the sanctity OF
their homes, and to defend their help
strained violence and barbarism of the
negro mob. We applaud the effort of n
single individual who darcs defend
himself against the ciamor and turbu.
lence of educated white men who at
tempt his undoing. What cowardly
crnvens the white men of Grant parish
would have been, had they submitted,
without resistance, to robbery, pillage,
revolution and the certain prospect OF
crimes too outrageous for the public
prints!
AS we have said in n previous issue,
the result of the Grant parish trial will
not alter the settled convictions Of the
white men of Louisiana. Ignorant
negroes may rule the whites, but it
must he done legally and fairly. We
will not submit to be insultcd and de-
spoiled by negroes, not if all the courts
in ChristentlOm unite to sustain the
cnormity. And we again warn the
negroes, and more especially their
white leaders, THAT, when their preten.
sions and absurd assumptions are car
ricd to the point where endurance can
last no longer, there will be war of the
most sanguinary character, in what
ever parish the attempt is made. TO
men who have lost their all, and know
that their substance has gone to enrich
the unworthy and dishonest-to men
who have faced shell, shot and balls,
and arc imbued with ineXtinguishable
spark of manhood-there are no terrors
in KukluN laws, and Grant parish
trials, when the question comes of SUI
pre,nacy of the black man over the
white.
There has been no issue of the TELE-
cp>p,r Siuca tho Doth nit The Mon