The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-14

Isweeping away Ill restraint of law and ordel
Doubtless the Judge of this Court mad
grave mistakes, but the law allows the Char
cellor great latitude, not only in punishin
those who contemn his orders and injunt
tons, but in preventing consummation of tn
wrong which he has judicially forbidden.
Whatever may be said or thought of thos
matters, it was only made known to me tina
the process Of the United States Court wa
resisted, and as said act provides for the us
of the army and navy when necessary t
enforce judicial process arising Hereunder
considered it my duty to see that sucl
process was executed according to the judg
ment of the court, resulting from these pro
ceedings. Through various controversies AM
complications, o State administration wa
which in the discharge of my duty, unde
Sec 4, art. of the Constitution, 1 have re
cognized as the government of the State.
| It has been bitterly and persistently alleged
that Kellogg was not elected. Whether ht
was or not is not altogether certain; nor is il
any more certain that his competitor, Nc
Emery, was chosen. The election was a gi
gantic fraud, and there are no reliable returns
of its result
Kellogg obtained possession of the Office,
and in my opinion has more right to it than
his competitor. On the Goth of February,
1873, the Committed on Privileges and Elec-
tons Of the Senate made report, in which
they say they were satisfied by testimony that
the manipulation Of the election machinery
by Warmoth and others was equivalent to
twenty thousand votes, and they add, that to
recognize the McEnery Government would
be recognizing q government based upon
fraud, In defiance OF the wishes and intention
of the voters of the State.
Assuming the correctness of the statements
in this report, and they seem to have been
generally accepted by the country, the great
crime in Louisiana about which so much
has been said, is that one is hold
ing the Office Of Governor who was
cheated out of twenty thousand
votes, against another whose title to the Office
is undoubtedly based on fraud, and in def
ance of the wishes and intentions of the voters
of the State. Misinformed and misjudging as
to the nature and extent of these reports the
displace by force in some counties
of the State, the appointees of the Governor,
and on the 18th of April, in an effort of that
kind, butchery of citizens was committed at
Colfax, which, in blood thirstiness and bar
barity, is hardly surpassed by any acts of
savage warfare.
To put this matter beyond. controversy, 1
wrote from the charge Of Judge Woods. of
the United States Circuit Court to the Jury
in the case of the United States VS.. Cruik-
shank and others, in New Orleans, in March,
1874. He said in the case on trial. There are
many factions in controversy. proceed to
state some of them in the presence
and hearing of counsel on both sides, and if
state as conceded fact any matter that is
disputed, they can correct me. After seeing
The IF tho 6iffs nr,1tx
IN attempt ofwhite persons to drive the parish
Judge and sheriff, appointees}of Kellogg, from
office, and their attempted protection by
,olored persons which led to some fighting, in |
which quite a number of negroes were killed |
The Judge states, most of those who were not |
zilled were taken prisoners. Fifteen or six !
cen Of the blacks had lifted the boards and |
AIKEN refuge under the floor of the Court.
House. They were all captured.
About thirty-seven men were taken prison.
rs; the number is not definitely fixed. They
we're kept under guard until dark They
vere led out, two by two, and shot Most Of
he men were shot to death; few were
rounded, not MORALLY, and by pretending to
'e dead were afterwards, during the night,
bic to make their escape.
Among them was the Levi Nelson named
n the indictment. The dead bodies of the
egroes killed in this affair were left unburied
ntil Tuesday, April 18th, when they were
ur1ed by deputy marshal and an officer Of
be militia from New Orleans.
These persons found tfty-nine dead bodies
hey showed pistol-shot wounds-the great
Majority in the head, and most of them in the
ack of the head.
In addition to the fifty-nine dead bodies
)und, some charred remains of dead bodies
ere discovered near the courthouse. Six
cad bodies were found under warehouse, all
not in the head, but one or two which were
lot in the breast
The only white men injured from the be-
ming OF these troubles to their close were I
adnot and Harris, while the courthouse and [
$ contents were entirely consumed. |.
There is no evidence that any one in the {
owd of whites bore any lawful warrant for
10 arrest of any of the blacks II
There Is no evidence that either Nash or t
azabat, after the affair, Rad demanded their ]
ices to which they had set up claim, but I
egister continued to act as parish Judge,
I'd Shaw as Sheriff
These are the facts in this case as 1 under
and them to be admitted To hold the a
ople of Louisiana generally responsible for '
ese atrocities would not be just, but it is s
mentable fact that insuperable obstruc- c
ms were thrown in the way Of furnishing
eSo muIOeEeIS, ana the SO-caueQ COnServa- e
res papers of the State, not only justified S
e massacre, but denounced as Federal t
ranny and despotism, the attempt Of the C
aited States officers to bring them to justice. n
Fierce denunciations ring through the
untry about the effect of holding an cleo b
N and matters in Louisiana, while every Fl
e of the Colfax miscreants goes unwhipped n
justice, and no way can be found in this Fl
asted land of civilization and Christianity n
punish the perpetrators OF this bloody and il
,nstrous crime. t,
Several Northern young men of capital and t.
terprise had started the little and flourish
: town OF Coushatta- Some of them were a
publicans and otice-holders under Kel- o
e. v
They were therefore doomed to death. Six "
them were seized and carried away from p
cir homes and killed in cold blood. No
e has been punished, and the Conservative O.
ess of the State denounced all efforts to Il
It end, and boldly justified the crime. IL
Many murders of like character have been q
nmitted in individual cases, which can not VI
re be detailed, for example: tt