The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-17
FRANKLIN. La. Aprn q. 1875.

CRIME UNPUNIsHEp
asked Governor Kellogg what was the real con-
ditlon OF the state in this respect ana he
gave me q long ana deplorable catalogue
Of disorders. Parishes which refuse TO pay
taxes; others where the judges have been
driven away; others where murders have
been committed, and SO on. Other radical
politicians spoke rather boastiuly OF these things
as the New York ewsboy took pride in his sore
Toe. They related 10 me by the half hour melan-
cboly Instances OF crime aud outrage, most OF
them dating back to 1866. What they did not tell
me was some such story as this, wnicn neverthe-
less Is true In the parish OF Paquemine, which
ties under the Governors nose, along the Lower
Mississippi, below New Orleans thIrty-three muir
aers have been committed since 1868. or
these thlrty-one were OF blacks by blacks, one
Df a white Dy white, and one OF =
white man, Northern man, republican
ana an Office holder. the tax collector OF the
parish THIS man was shot by c0lored man Tor
seduclng his sister and turning the young girl
odrift with her baby. OF these thirty three muir
derers not one mas been hanged. Those VINO were
sppreheaded mostly broke out or JAIL and only
iast fall The Deputy Sheriff, who acted as ja1ler,
was indicted for permitting three murderers and
q defaultlng tax collector To escape out OF mis-
hands la other cases which have on my note
books men sentenced 10 Imprisonment for life for
murder have been pardoned. No one. not even
the Governor, pretends that murder and awless-
ness have oeen punished, though IN many instances
white citizens have helped the authorities to ar
rest white murderers. / am sasis1ed that sine Q
the year 1870 except in the Coushatta and colfax
Affairs. most OF the murders in Louisiana nave
been non.p llislcal in their origin and great pro
portion OF them nave been OF negroes by negroes,
mainly account OF jealousy III their relations
with their women
ThIs does not lessen the degree or criminality.
Nor does IL take away from the duty OF the rulers,
possessing, as these did, greater and more unlim
tied powers than the rulers OF any civilized State
an the world 20 punish these crimes. The Cover
nor or Louisiana appoints, IN effect, almost the
Whole Judiciary and constabnlary OF the State; ne
mas express authority to use the metropolitan
police as a standing army in any part Of the state
and 70 appoint an extraordinary constaDulary
force IN any parish; his own judges superntend
tue selection of the jures, both grand and perlt,
and these are usually largely composed OF colored
men; he has also the militia; AMI, finally, he has
the army OF the United States ready 70 help him
his cal. Is there any excuse for HIM Il
he permits lawiessness, murder violence :
When he and those wno rule WITH hlm
speak OF murder and violence unrepressed
do they not fatally condemn themselves rs Incapa-
bic and unit 70 rule the state United states
me an account OF some murders Of which he had
heard ana which he believed to have happened
added :-"But must say that If tie Governor had
been man OF for MS place such things could not
have happened. Let me be Governor, and would
quickly, with the great power he mas pat stop
10 such things.n
THE TRUTH ABOUT LOUISIANA oUTRAGEs.
II cannot be uuthluHy said that the state OF
Louisiana mas been peaceful ever since the war.
Jn the early days. between 1865 ana 1868, there IL
no doubt that many barbarous and heartrendIng
murders and outraees were committed on the
blacks. The white people, sore at their defeat
In TIE war unused to tolerate nee negroes,
fearful % a degree that seems 70 a Northern
man absurd or combinations and conspiracies
among tne blacks TO murder the whites and
outraxe Their women, ane rendered franucally
furious 0Y the signt o. negroes assembled Ia
meetings often ~ night, ali. without doubt
commit atrocities or winch I should be sorry 20
see any formal record made. such crimes de-
creased rom rear 70 year, Dus 1oubt II they en-
t.rely ceased until 1870. Tney happened oftenest
in counties-of which Louisiana has q good
manY-UAere the negro population = as three
four, and ia some cases even a. nine 70 one white
where Few white families, isolated rom eacA
otner, are surrounded BY dense negro popula-
rton. anu where the dread Of = rising 70 exrermi-
.
every white man, the dread whica makes bin
frantic and desperate when even a rumor or con-
spiracy reaches his ears. speak mere that
watch know. Nov into such regions
came waite men, strangers, often fauat.
les, often knaves, who gathered the freed
men together az btTbecues and IN camps,
aud told ihem o. their "rgnts.r was shown
yesterday c0ored man VINO still keeps In his
house the mule matters lie cot Ia 1865 when a
white man travelled through S. Mary's parish
telling the blacks that they had made the land
what ID was: had cleared i AMI cultivated t. and
taey ought % own Il; ana tae governments. which
had set them free, was going 20 give them each
TORY acres Or land and MULE The blacks BE-
Ilsved II. Many o. tnem believe Il still-Just a.
tuere ar planters down mere foolish enough 70
believe that the United states governments wiz
pay them FOR their losses II the war al tnls irri-
tated the whites and arossed the fear d negro IN.
Eurrect4oa and II Led IN the remOlcr parts u the
state Cd many ineXcuaabie acts Or oarbarity.
Then came the reconstruction, IN 1868 and the
negro VS. made, not only q voter, bot an ONCE
holder IL was, believe absolutely necessary %
confer these rights upon MIN; he would never
have been a iree man without them. Bat II was q
Misfortune that demagogues and sdventurers
were bis introducers 70 political lie and led him
70 regard not Illness, but color and numbers, a.
tie reasonable calm 70 once. nave Deen OPP
posed % slavery ever since sal on my fathers
knee, ana vas taught BY him mat slavery was tne
greatest possible wrong; but when, 10 New Orleans
last Wednesday, / Tor the first time saw negro
legislators, was unpeasantly startled. what,
then must have been the feelings ofmen who saw
blacks but lately their slaves preferred before
them for once, set over them ~ authority, making
laws for tbem-and making them very badly AZ
tAat-openly plunderng the state, DrDed by ras-
caly whites, and not merely enjoying. but under
tue lead OF white adventures snamefully abusing
place and poweri Even Ia 1874 10 one Of tue
northern parishes the republican candidates for
snerin anu Parish Judge could not write. The ne
groes on many parish Juries supervisors Of
countiesl are totally nuterate, yet they have
complete power over the parish taxes, roads,
bridges and all county matters. Negro juries are
called 20 Sit upon intricate cases or commercial
-. "a "a. !. - LII.