New-York tribune., 1874-10-20
THE LOUISIANA CONTEST.
INTIMIDATION AS LAST RESORT TO CARRY
THE ELECTION.


ELECTION-wHITE VOTERS TO BE INTIMiDATED
BY THREATS OF WHOLESALE ARRESTS - THE
MACHINERY OF TIE FEDERAL COURTS ALREADY
IN ACTIVE OPERATION-THE NEGROES REFUSING
TO REGIsTER-CALIs FOR FEDERAL TROOPS TO
COERCE THEM TO VOTE THE RADICAL TICKET
THOUSANDS OF WHITE VOTERS TO BE ARRESTED
ON THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECrIoN-A COM
PREHENsIvE PLAN OF INTIMIDATION AND FRAUD
EXPOSED.
New ORLEANS Oct. 19.-There is to be-
lieve that Marshal Packard and the other managers
of the Republican party in this State have deter
mined upon extreme measures for stemming
the tide which seems to have set against
them of late. The programme involves
neither more nor less than the intimidation
ofswhite voters by threats of wholesale arrests
and by actual arrests of prominent Conservatives IN
various parts of the State This will have one of
two effects either to provoke tho people to resist
ance and bring on another revolution, or TO keep
many from further active campaign work through
fear of prosecution for real or imaginary
offenses The machinery of the Federal
courts has already been put in vigorous
operation. While the people do not object
to flair trial of those engaged in the Coushatta
affair they view with alarm any movement initiated
by District Attorney Beckwith aud Marshal
Packard. Both of these Federal officials were
SEIZURE of the State House by Federal troops Their
views of Justice strangely coincide with
the political interests of their party. A large
number of arrests have been made and others
are contemplated. Great alarm and excitement
prevail IN the Red River parishes. The arrests arc
viewed as political, from the known yindictiveness
of Beckwith and Packard and the supposed secret in
structions from AttOrney-Gener Williams, to use
the Federal Courts for the purpose of carrying Lou
siana. Past experience proves that any cltzen,
however innocent, can be dragged from his home
upon a warrant issued by corrupt partisan United
States Commissioner He is then kept in prison AMI
tried by packed jury in the Federal Court.
The immediate object of this sudden move by tho
nstrumentalty of the corrupt Federal officials, ~
to create disturbances in the parishes. to influence
elections at the North and the election in this State
on the I'd of November. Apropos OF this new move
of the usurpation, the following statement was
made to-day by prominent man in the Conserva-
tive party who has the best possible information as
to the spirit of the campaign, and who is entirely
worthy of credence: Trustworthy adylces lead us
to believe that Packard. Beckwith IL 20. have
finally matured their plans for controlling the ensu-
ing election. Notwithstanding the fraudulent regis
tration of many negroes and the refusal to register
of large number of whites, especially natural
lied citizens, without assigning any cause,
the books of registration show more than
10000 white majority registered up to date
in this city, Communications from Radical
Supervisors in the county report majority OIL
whites registered in all the parishes except carroll,
Madison Tensas Concordia, st. Charles. st. James,
ST. John the Baptist, Plaquemines, and two or three
Others. Even in these there is large decrease In
the negro registration as compared with that or
former years. In the Florida, the Teche, the Red
River parishes, and in all North Louisiana tho
| in
gsted with the carpetbaggers refused to register,
and a considerable number of those registered have
ayowed their determination to vote the Peoples
ticket. On this account the Supervisors in the
country report the intimidation of colored men by
the whites and request that detachmens OF Federal
troops be sent to different places to oyerawe the
Conservatives and c0erce the negroes 10 vote the
Radical ticket.
The Republican party in this State has lost its
esprit de corps. The rank and file have no conn
dence in their leaders, and serious aud bitter feuds
| exist between many prominent colored men ana
Kellogg Packard, who has never won single
victory since he has been elevated 10 Radical
leadership in this State inspires no hopes
of success. The whites, on the contrary, are
united as one Their ranks are being con-
staptly increased by desertOns from the enemy;
they have but one ticket, set OF candidates. ana
are determined, if given fair show, to win crush
ing victory at the polls 1t is in view OF this con-
diton of affairs that the usurpalon has determined
to put into vigorous operation the ku-kiux
act Already warrants have been issued for the
arrest of leading Conservatives in the county
parishes and United States deputy marshals, accom-
panied by squads of United States soldiers will soon
be dispatched TO execute them. On Saturday
deputy marshal with company OF United States
soldiers started for Rapdes Parish to arrest several
I'M he
Affidavits are to be made and warrants of arrest
issued against thousand prominent White
Leaguers in this city the day before the election.
By this means, Marshal Packard hopes to deter the
whites from going to the polls, so that his COM
missoners can the more easily stuff the ballot
boxes on election day. large number Of
parishes are to be thrown out by the Re-
turning Board because of pretended violence
and intimidation exercised by the whites
against the blacks. The Republican State Com
mittee have determined to break up the Advisory
Board disregard their plighted faith and refuse TO
give the Conservatives any representation on the
Returning or Canvassing Boards la execution Of
this plan, DR.. Bonzano, Superintendent OF the Mint,
appointed by Grant, who was chosen as
| umpire in the Advisory Board few
days ago. peremptOrily refused TO serve
any longer. Marshal Packard's successor has
not yet been selected and the peaceful solution Of
previous difficulties solemnly agreed upon by both
parties is to come to an abrupt termination by the
punic faith of the Republicans. Letters to the
Democratic Committee from the country have been
intercepted and hence their political information is
chiefly derived from Radical sources.
ARREST OF THIRTEEN PROMINENT CITIZENS OF
COUsHArTA IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF A SOLEMN
COMPACT-GREAT EXCITEMENT PREVAILING.
COUsHATTA RED RIVER PARISH La, via SHRFvE-