The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-29

{
Journal, writing from New Orleans under date
of October 18th, gives full and detailed &C
count of the poisoning of DR.. Saunders and
the subsequent killing of John Gair and Babe
Matthew'S His letter closes as follows:
/ Of course, deed of this nature appears
shocking to people who live in a country,
| State or city where the law is administered or
Justice rendered to all alike, and there is no
| doubt that if the people of Louisiana were as
sured that justice would be meted out to
! those who have violated the law, scenes such
as l have Just described would not be enacted.
But what is the condition of affairs in the
parish where Gair belongs? And why did not
the people allow the law to take its course?
The answers to these questions will show to
what a deplorable condition Louisiana has
been reduced uuder Kellogg's ruinous rule
and establish the necessity tor immediate re-
lief and at the same time show why the
people are forced to occasionally take the law
in their own hands.
The parishes of East and West Feliciana
probably comprise the most beautiful por-
tons of Louisiana. The climate Is salubrious,
the soil generous and productive and finely
watered, and the district needs nothing to
make it prosperous and great but an honest
and economical government, careful and jus.
in the bestowal of its power. But these two
parishes have been particularly unfortunate in
the personnel of their officer, most of the
offices being filled by rapacious and ignorant
negroes In fact, they have been bound in
the chains of despotism, and turned over to a
band Of ignorant robbers, who have not failed
to despoil them. Prior to the war they paid
a nominal tax on anIissessment of So per acre,
but since the introduction of Radicalism the
n 90 oce TO bav va haan jncreaSa0 in MANY in.
stances t, $50 per acre, and the tax to 300 or
400 per cent. In addition to this, the most
important judicial positions have been filled
in many instances BY illiterate negroes, and
in others by unprincipled white men, untu-
tored in law, ethics, or anything else.
The juries in almost every case are COM
posed of negroes-not the ideal negro of the
Northern eynancipationist not the poor,
do Tn-trodden black that supposed persecu-
ton and martyrdom have invested with
brilliant halo of romance, but the real, greasy,
Ignorant vindlctive pupil of Radicalism, who
has been taught by his itinerant master, the
carpet-bagger. that it is no crime to pillage or
murder white man. [ have been credibly
informed by gentleman from East Feliciana
that cause came on for trial not many days
ago in this parish, wherein white man at
tempted to obtain the conviction and punish
ment of negro for stealing his cotton. The
culpIlG mauo uo attoupt dt ueuldl VI Ills
guilt, but put in q defense that he was black
and the man he robbed white. The question
put before the jury was not whether the rob-
berry was really committed, but whether i.
was a violation of law meriting punishment to
rob white man.
And this is by no means an isolated case.
There is not a corner in the State where you
can obtain verdict against negro before
negro jury. I should probably except the
city of New Orleans, where this has been done
in few cases. but outside of the city it is alb
solutely impossible.
1t was before a jury of negroes that G !ir
was to be tried-a jury composed of the very
men who looked up to him as an oracle, aud
under the direction of q judge who more than
likely obtained his appointment through the
instrumentality of Gair. The result was
plain. No matter how direct and overwhelm-
ing the evidence might have been, an un-
qualified acquittal was assured before the
case came to trial Consequently the citizens,
knowing only too we'll the negroes passion
for imitation, and not knowing VIII might
fall the next victim, determined to make an
example of Gair and his sister, and their res
olution was carried out in the manner 1 have
described. The fact that Gair was colort d
man, and had at one time been prominent in
politics, will be seized upon by Packard and
his followers as pretext for magnlfying the
execution into fresh evidence of the lawless-
ness and rebeIlious character of the long
suffering people of Louisiana. But have
conversed with several of the most respect
able citizens of Clinton, who unite in the as
sertion that the execution of Gair was not in
any way connected with politics, but was de-
termined upon as the only method TO prevent
frequent recurrence of the crime committed
by him and his sister.