New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-31
Military 0usrages.

four years. Ono vote accomplished all
this.-CAicago Inter Ocean.
Military 0usrages.
About these days the agents Of the Asso.
ciated Press in Dixie are serving up stories
Uf outrages and terrorism in some parts of
the southern States such as are calculated
to fire the heart Of granite bowlder. 1t
harrows mp ones soul nightly to arise
from peaceful couch in the morning and
learn from the newspapers how the mill
tary are making arbitrary arrests;how they
are dragging innocent Democrats from
tneir beds and forcing them to ride about
the country all night to terrorize other
Democrats; how ''no Democratic citizen is
allowed to sleep all night" how the white
people are fleeing to the woods and swamps
to escape from = brutal soldiery; aud how
not halt of these poor terror stricken Can
ing election. 1t makes ones blood boil
with Indignation to read these stories OF
bastard y outrage. 1t makes one feel like
arrayibg himself in q sheet and paper hat
four fl ct high and going cunning for mig
gers, and Radicals, and soldiers, and all
that sort of thing.
But ones indignation falls considerably
below boiling point when he learns that
some of these stories are sheer fabricati0ns,
and considers that others are utterly i'm
probable. A few days ago . dispatch from
Montgomery, Alabama, stated that large
numbers If men living in that vicinity had
been summoned to appear before the United
States Court in Huntsville, ON the extreme
northern border Of the State, early in No
vember; that from 500 to $40 warrants had
bsen issued for tho arrest Of men in dis
tricts where no disorders had been reported;
and that large numbers of deputy marshals
had been appointed, although the State was
never more quiet. There is story we'll
calculated to stir the ire Of every man who
cares for freedom and fair play. But now
comes one A. r. johnson, who calls himself
''ffty year.old Democrat" and prOnOunces
the stOry false as 3 whole, and in all its
parts. 1.-The man who wrote it, and the
stupid brain that conceived it" he Gays,
"knew well at the time that he was writing
wiliful and malicious faieehOod. q COW
s.r.lly lie." After reading this emphatic
contradiction Of the Montgomery story, tho
blood of she patriotic citizen coOls percep-
tibly.
The place where military eutrages do
most abound Just at present is in Northern
Louisiana. Malicious persecution" is going
on in that quarter extensively. An im-
nense number Of ''gentlemen" have been
arrested in Shreveport, and are now ''lan
gushing" around town ON bail. It il awful.
Men arc seized and put iu irons ''withOut
time to consult their fxmilies,' or change
their shirts. High-toned gentlemen are
handcufFed and thrown into Jail in company
with ''niggers." Cavalry are moving up
the river Arresting men az they progress,
and CONSERVATION prevai's generally. White
men have taken to the brush, and the "ng-
gers" have cOngregsted III the town, leaving
the cotton unpicked. There ia general in
dignatiOn at the arrest and harsh treatment
Ot tho prisoners, all OF which is without
warran5 and for political effect, of courss. .
OF coursef But stop n moment. A mum
Der Of ihe arSeste were made At C1ushatta
for q reason which need not be stated.
Every body knows how the ''gentleMen" - of
Coushatta organized themselves into o mob
and ousted aud murdered the duly elected
officials of the parish, and arraigned some
| twenty five negroes before the bar of Judge
Lynch. 1t il for this harmless little perform
| xnce that the Coushatta "gsntlemen" have
| been arrested. In good many other To-
caiities the duly elected officers have been
| deposed by moss OF gen.lemen," and al
. escape with theis liver by q vigorous exercise
! ot their legs, the "gent!emen" have been
/ arrested. or are avoiding arrest by. hiding
in the woods. 1t is outrageous. The nu-
| lnerOus arrests are neither 81 arbitrary ner
| - much .uveloped in mystery as the press
| agents represent. They ale explained by
| the following. which appeared in the
| Shreveport Times OF the twenty third.
| signed by SOME two hundred gen.iem+n:
I'VE. the u.dersig ned. agree to use every
| endeavor to get our en' .,l.yes to vote the
! peoples ticket at the ensuing election; and
| il. the event Of their i.fusa! so to do, ni in
| case .l.-y vote tho Radical .ickst, to refuse
to emplOy them at The expirstloH OF theig
present contracts"
The Times represent. that the effect OF
! this agree'nent was e. ""pen she t.;ts" OF
| the i..grUes, many It whom decided ''tn
! vote with their nes5 if,ends-ths white
| people," That the arrest ly the military Of
| persons @ho signed and carried "us tins
! agreement was nOt exactly an npwsrran'ed
or arbitrary act will s.ppaar from the fol
! lowing extract from ALI act u: Congress
passed in 1870:
| ".lf any persnn shalt prevent, hinder
control or intimidate any person from ex
ercsing the right Of suffrage ~ whom the
right OF suffrage is secured or guaranteed
| By the fifteenth amendment to the consti
! ton Of the United States, by means OF
| bribery, threats or threats Of depriving such
| persons of employ ment or occupation. or oi
I ejecting such persons iron rented houses
lands OR other property. or by threats OF ra
| fusing to renew leases Or contracts fol
l VA Wy ShiSo'S ia ~" W
| or family. such person 80 offending shall o.
deemed guilty Ot u misderneanor, and shall
on conviction thereof be fined not iese thar
$500 or be imprisoned not less than ont
III IN h and not more than ono year, or both
| at the discretion of the conrt"
Now whatever we may think o. the con
stltutioBal right of Congress to pass suob Al
act. there Can be To DOUBT either of its cub
etantial justice. or OF the duty Of the Presi
dent T.. enforce it 80 long as it is on th'
| .,atn,e book. II is made 'hs duty Of th'
President t. employ the military or nava
tnrces of the United States Ia assisting
| United States marshals, when necessary, II
| making arrests under this act. The E0rt
| finds fault with him. or with the Attoroe.
General, foy not abeying the sonrreent.
| amendment. But II is nos the nusiness q
! The President or he Attorney General to di-
regard an sct Of Congress, cr to pass upo
ir rcous,itutioaaEty: 1t iS their business I
.nio,e tho set 40 long % it stands an.epes
1 ID. y. uniii .he courts have decided it t. b
unconstitutional. This The World know
, perfectly we'll. Tais ali tha bowler. abol
nA!i.!y outrages ought 20 knew. If shs
don't. Eve. NJ A. II. Stephens. inco-v
; sihle Bourbon 80 hs is. tells them IN.
.!,eir how iiog- against Gran: 10. h.. cours
;n Louisiana are vi ct.!, sense'ess. He ;.'
+. ,hem shAr instead OF vsr ing their wsat
!. ! so ths he I'd ot th. man who is simply aCi:
his Gu,y in exec ting the laws it xvCld