The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-11-05
THE CONDITION OF SOCIETY IN
LOUISIANA.


OMIFNVt1 go NfA' AANNfiftNfN 70 f@-3'tN'f
We have received paper in relation
to affairs in Louisiana through the pastor
of well-known church in one of the
Hudson River towns. In his note to us
he says: "The writer of the accompany
ing document some ten years ago, or
more, was a member and an elder in the
church of which was then and am now
the pastor. l know him to be calm,
moderate clear-headed man, whose rep
resentations on any subject within his
knowledge would be received by me with
unquestioning reliance" The document
is as follows
The political condition Of Louisiana TOR
two years past has excited more than or
dinary attention and interest throughout
the country, and, according to the lean
ings of newspapers and their correspond
ents for or against the administration at
Washington, so have been the statements,
and consequently the opinions resulting
therefrOm.
It has appeared to me desirable, in the
interest of truth, and a just appreciation
of the condition of things in this unfort-
innate state, that a candid observer resid-
ing in one of the country parishes "a par
ish being equivalent to county,, who
has earnestly endeavored TO get at the
truth, should give some of the results OF
his investigations and observations.
First, il may be well TO state that l was
a Whig so long as that party existed, and
when the Republican party was formed
was one of the first to join it, and have
continued a Republican in national mat
ters to this day.
| not only voted twice for General
Grant, but did some work for him, never
looking for Office and never holding but
one. that of Overseer of the highway
with emoluments to the amount OF fOul
dollars per year.
| have resided in Louisiana one year
and am planter; have spent all my lite
previously at the North, and cast my
first vote forty years ago. My convictions
now are emphatically against the so
called Republican administration of TIN
state, and | insist upon it that while the
name is Republican, the thing is an odiou'
despotism, and that the Kellogg party.i,
running the government, from Goyerno
down to constable, in the interest Of Of
ficeholders, and using the black popula
ton to get and keep place, and reversing
the saving of Chief-Justice Taney so a.
to be, practically, the whie man has ~
rights which the black man is bound to re
spect.
1t is significant fact that every north
ern man whom know of, who has set
tied in the country as a planter or bust
ness man since the war, is of the sam
opinions / have expressed above, AM
every man of them was and is a Repub
lican, and many of them were officer
and soldiers in the Union army.
The course of the powers that be- II
the Kellogg interest, haa been such as T.
exasperate the white population beyon'
endurance, and recent events in Ne'
Orleans show that this condition q
tnlngs cannot stand one hour without tn
support of the general government. Tn
charge is brought in the Republican
newspapers that the whites in Louisian
, have commenced a war upon the right
of the blacks, and that the White Leagu
is the offspring of such a crusade. IN
reverse of this is the actual fact. TIL
| contest was begun years ago by tn
blacks, under the leadership of unscruI
; ulous Office-seekers from the North, an
the blacks have been persistantly taugf
I that if the old white residents OF tn
state get the political ascendency the
! will take away all the rights of the black
and reduce them to slavery. This is n
: figment and is well known in South
, western Louisiana, the section of III
E residence,
/ have made inquiries Of intelliger
1 blacks, and as | am known as Il Ianke
/ they are more free to give me inform'
! ton than they would be likely to CIV
= southern men.
! At one of the parish gatherings
f blacks not far from my residence,
. 1872, one of the white ofliceholding orr
tors begun his speech by cracking
D heavy whip, and saying, that is VIII
, these whites want to do 10 you the
I want to make slaves of you again.
, My acquaintance confined to the pa
ishes of st. Mary, st. Martin, st. Landr
{ Vermillion and Lafayette, and hay
. taken grert pains to get at facts tro
I northern men who have resided III the'
parishes from three to seven years. II
!. whole influence of the carpet-bag polit
= clans and Officeholders, together with Il
o black preachers, has been against Il
4 whites, and to prevent the blacks fro
j Joining the whites in any attempt to T
. form the corrupt administration vii
= which this state has been cursed I
years past. ,l.,
No effort is spared through the orgal
n of these men to excite the sympathy
northern Republicans in favor OF u
q poor negro, whose untutored mind set
i slavery in the ascendency OF the Whit
/, The fact is, the respectable white po
y ulation OF the country parishes is We
nn N friendly to the blacks The labor OF d
~ blacks is necessity, and it requires
"A great amount of common. sense to knt
# that they cannot be oppressed cOnsli
q emily with the prosperity of the plantl
Z, interest but the whites are unit in &
y. determination that they will not be u
m pressed by the blacks and their unscru
~ uIous leaders.
= One present source Of evaporation
,o the Registry law passed at the last 81
4 sion of the legislature, and which virtui
10 lv gives the result of the election to Z
Governor, as he has the appointment
= the Supervisors of Registry, and the
y seems to be nothing to prevent the
"a from giving Just such a list M suits the
a. a. A copy of an alleged secret circul
"a from the chief office TO the supervise
~ was published few days since in I
New Orleans papers which substantial
9 instructs them to see that their lists
~ - registry are so made up as to give 4
~ ~ majority to the Republicans. The pc
as pie believe such Il circular to have De,
issued for the reason tnat, 50 far as q
!, registry has proceeded, the blacks !