The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-19
Resulting from these proceedings


Resulting from these proceedings
through various controversies and com.
plications q State administration was
organized with VIM. P. Kellogg as
Governor, which, in the discharge OF
my duty under section 4, article OF
the constitution, have recognized as
the government of the State. 1t has
been bitterly and persistently alleged
that Kellogg was not elected. Whether
he was or not is not altogether certain
not any more certain than that his com
pctitor, McEnery was chosen. The
election was a gigantic fraud and there
are no reliable returns of it's result.
Kellogg obtained possession of the office
and in my opinion has more right to it
than his competitor.
On the 30th of February, 1873, the
committee on privileges and elections OF
the Senate made report in which they
say they are satisfied by testimony
that the manifestation of the election
machinery by Warmoth and others,
was equivalent to 10000 votes, and
they add that to recognize the Nc
Emery government, would be recognize
ing a government based upon fraud in
defiance Of the wishes and intentions 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 done and said, is that
one is holding the office Of Governor
who was cheated out Of twenty thous-
and votes, against another whose title to
the office is undoubtedly fraud and
in defiance Of the wishes and intentions
of the voters Of the State. Misi,.form.
ed and misjudged as to the nature and
extent of this report, the supporters of
McEnery proceeded to 'displacc by force
in some points Of the State, the ap-
pointecs Of Gov. Kellogg, and on the
18th of April in an effort to that end
u butchery of citizens was committed
at Colfax which, in bloodthirstiness and
barbarity, is hardly surpassed by any
acts Of savage warfare.
To put the matter beyond controver-
sy. Iquote from the charge of Judge
Wood Of the U. S. Circuit Court to
the jury in the case of the United
States rs. Cruikshank and others, in
New Orleans, in March, 1874. He said
in the case on trial: There are many
facts not in controversy. l proceed
to state some Of them in the process of
hearing of counsel on both sides,
and if l state az a
conceded fact any matter that
is disputed they can correct me. After
stating the origin Of the difficulty
which grew out Of an attempt of white
persons to drive the parish judge and
sheriff, appointees of Kellogg, from
office, and their attempted protection
by colored people, which led to some
fighting in which quite a number of
negroes were killed and taken prison
ers, Is or Is Of the blacks had lifted
the boards and taken refuge under the
floor of the court house. They were
all captured. About thirty-seven were
taken prisoners. The number is not
definitely fixed. They were kept
under guard until dark, when they
were led out three by three and shot.
Most of the men were shot to death
few were wounded, not mortally. and
by supposing them to be dead, were at:
forwards. during the night, able to
make their escape. Among them was
the leader, Nelson, named on the in
dictments. The dead bodies of the ne.
groes killed in the affair were left un-
buried till Tuesday, April 18th, when
they were buried by deputy marshal
and an officer of the militia from New
Orleans 9 These persons found
6fty-nine dead bodies. They
showed pistol shot wounds. the
great majority in the heart, most Of the
time IN the back of the head. In ad-
dition to the dead found, some charred
remains Of dead bodies were discovered
near the Court House, six dead bodies
found under a warehouse, all shot in
the heart, but one or two of which were
shot in the breast. The only men in.
jured from the beginning to the end of
the troubles of their class were Hard.
wot and Harris. The Court House and
its contents were entirely consumed.
There is no evidence that any ore in
the crowd of whites bore any lawful
warrant for the arrest of any of the
blacks. After the affair Emory de-
manded the officers which they had set
up should act, but the register conclud-
ed to act as parish judge.
These are the facts in this case as I
understand them to be admitted. To
hold the people of Louisiana generally
responsible for these atrocities would
not be just, but it is lamentable fact
that insuperable distractions were
thrown in the way Of Furnishing these
murderers, and the so-called Conserva-
tives of the State not only justified the
massacre, but denounced as Federal
tyranny and despotism the attemnts IF