Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-10-12
Speech Of Senator Morton in
Indianapolis.

Aes HSAASs
From the speech of Senator Morton, delivered in
Indianapolis Ind, on Friday evening the 25th ut.
we quote the following IN relation to the difficulties
IN Louisiana.
| now come to the condition of Louisiana.
shall speak Of that more particularly than any other
State, first because it just now attracts the public
attention, and next, because have had more or
less connection in Congress with what Is known as
the Louisiana question. On last Monday there
was an uprising of the White League all over the
State of Louisiana. In one day they took posses
SION of all the offices, turned out the Governor in
the City of New Orleans, and captured the whole
machinery of the State Government. For some
months past the Democratic newspapers in the
North have been engaged in denying the existence
OF these White Leagues. They said they were the
invention of carpet-baggers and scalawag Repub-
licans. But they cannot deny it any longer The
White League exists not only in Louisiana, but in
other Southern States presume in all of them
tonight, and, for aught know, in Indiana it is
but another name for the ku-klux organization,
and is in the nature of the Sons of Liberty, that
once existed in Indiana. They rose in nsurection
in New Orleans. We are told that thirty men
were killed and fifty or sixty wounded. Some
three weeks before that, in Red River Parish, in
the northern part of the State-a strong Republ-
can parish-they notified the Republican officers
to resign. Armed men went to them with this
threatening notice. They refused to resign. The
Sheriff and others, that if they did not resign they
would be killed. They believed it and then agreed
to resign, provided their lives were protected
Their enemies made that contract with them, and
they resigned. For safe keeping they were put
into Coushatta, the little county town of Red Riv
er Parish. Parish, you will remember, is the name
there for what we here call county. They were
then taken out, against their wishes, to be con-
Quoted to Shreveport, and while on the way they
were murdered-six of them-in cold blood, to-
tInnx N, ttnt
with them. 1t was deliberate and atrocous muir
der OF men against whom there was no charge of
otlense. The first story telcgraphed here was that
they were killed by band ofTexans; but that was
nearly hundred miles from Texas. The people
of Texas did not care anything about it they were
engaged in killing in their own State.
THE KELLOGG GOVERNMENT.
Time passed on down to last Monday, then this
killing took place in New Orleans. The Govern
ment of Kellogg was overthrown. want to say
few words about that government, 1t has been in
operation nearly two years. 1t has been recogniz-
ed on five different occasions by the President Of
the United States as the lawful Government of
Louisiana. 1t was recognized by the Hocse If
Representatives at Washington by the admission
Of a member Of that body who held the certificate
of Gov. Kellogg to his election. Ii has been rec
Ognized by the Senate of the | nted States on two
occasions by the refusal of the Senate to pass bill
providing tor new election. That Government
wa, a, completely recognized as the lawful Gov
ernmcnt Of Louisiana rs Is the Government of the
State Of Indiana TODAY. The courts Of Louisiana
had recognized it, The Supreme Court of that
State i, "a very respectable and learned tribunal.
The Judges were elected in 1865. The ChefJus-
tee, Iudliu", Is native of Louisiana, was aeon
federatc during the war, is man OF learning and
ability, but like Col. Hays, he accepted the situa-
ton when the war was over and became Repnb-
lican. That court is above suspicion. One men,
Der resigned two years ago, and the vacancy was
filed but three of the four Judges were elected
in 1865, and had no connection with the quarrel.
They were as independent of 1t AS we are here.
Yet that Supreme Court has in divers cases recog
nzed Gov. Kellogg the lawful Governor, and
the Kellogg Legislature as the lawful Legislature
of Louisiana. So. too, of the subordinate court.
Last winter and the winter before that, the Legs-
laturc passed more than 200 laws, now in opera
ton, and enforced by all the courts. Every par
sh officer, every Justice of the peace, in Lousi-
ana had his commission from Gov. Kellogg, and
recognized him as the lawful Government Of the
State. Yet under the pretext that he was not
elected this revolution took place and this blood
shed, not only at Coushatta and New Orleans, but
in many other places during the last two years.
THE STATE A VAST SLAUGHTER HOUSE.
To understand the condition of Louisiana you
must go back eight years. Louisiana has been a
vast slaug ghter-housc. Murder has been commit
ted on nearly every plantation. The streets, the
woods, and the by-ways have been slippery with
blood. The Democrats have had control of the
have filed the ears of the people with stories of
corruption and fraud, while they have carefully
concealed the pools Of blood that ale to be found
in every part of the State. propose, very briefly
to revive your recollection Of the history ofLous-
lana for the last eight years, and you will then
better understand what has Just taken place. You
will remember that in August, 1866, massacre
took place in New Orleans. The Republicans
were holding convention in the Mechanics In
stitute, which IS in the very heart of New Orleans,
ba h,lil, tbapa and sod Statn
They were holding convention topropose amend
ments to the State Constitution, to be submitted to
a vote Of the people of the State for ratification.
The then State Government ofLonisiana, that had
been organized by Andrew johnson through some
of its subordinate officers, gave that convention
notice that it must not assemble. 1t was for an
innocent purpose; 1t was lawful. They had Just
as much right to meet as you have to come here
to night, and they did meet at the hour of noon in
New Orleans They were at once surrounded by
a vast crowd, composed largely of the Police of
the city-a ferocious armed mob. They were
fired upon, and the Police and mob followed them
up stairs, when they jumped from the windows,
and were shot there and on the streets-every-
where. More than two hundred men were killed
and wounded in less than thirty minutes. The
next winter the House of Representatives sent
committee down there to investigate this horrid
butchery. l will ask my friend to read to YOU
from the report the committee.
THE MASSACRE IN AUGUST, 1866.
Gov. Baker read follows: 1.-The committee
examined seventy-four persons as to the facts of
violence and ooodshed upon that day. 1t is in
evidence that men who were in the hall, terrified
by the mercless attacks of the Police, sought safe
ty by jumping from the windows, a distance of
twenty feet to the ground, and as they jumped
were shot by Police or citizens. Some, disfgured
by wounds, fought their way down stairs to the
street. to be shot or beaten to death on the pave
ment. Colored persons at distant points in the
city, peaccably pursuing their lawful business,
were attacked by the Police, shot, and cruelty beat
en-. Men Of character and position, some ofwhom
were members and some spectators of the conven-
ton, escaped from the hall covered with wounds
and blood, and were preserved almost by mira
Gle from death. Scores OF coored citizens bear
irlghttul scars, more numerous than many soldiers
of dozen well-iought fields can show-proofs of
fearful danger and strange escape; men were shot
while waving handkerchiefs in token of surrender
and submission; white men and black, with arms
uplifted, praying for life, were answered by shot
and blow from knife and club; the bodies of some
were pounded to a jelly;' colored man was
dragged from under street-crossing and killed at
a blows men concealed in out-houses and among
piles Of lumber were eagerly sought for and saugh-
tered and manned without remorse; the dead
bodies upon the street were violated by shot, kick
and stab; the face of man .just breathing his
last was gashed by knife or razor in the hands
of woman an old gray haired man, peaceably
walking the street at distance from the institute,
was shot through the head; negroes were taken
out of their houses and shot; policeman riding
a hupUv deliheratelv freJ his revolyer from the