New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-19
without destroying their party, and this, per-
haps, they cannot help doing.
A NICE PROGRAM NE.

a
Major Merrill of the United States Army is
in command at Shreveport in the province of
Louisiana. Has been in command at that post
Insufficient length of time to have learned that
the white citizens are very bloodthirsty and
liable nj any moment to fall upon the
innocent colored persons with whom they
have been at peace all their lives, and with
bowie-kniyes. shot-guns, and McCormicEs
reapers sweep them from the face OF the
earth. Major Merrill labors under the impress
sion that his own presence IN Shreveport, with
a handful of United States troops, is oil that
prevents the white people" banditti," So
called-of that murderers' lair from wreaking
a wholesale bloody revenge on the black Dopu-
lation for voting the Kellogg ticket at the
recent election. He has heretofore. to wit,
before the late election, gwen the authorities
at Washington to understand that
he is living, he is dwelling in
grand and awful time, and that he has inter
posed the sacred shield of his own person in
cavalry uniform between the innocent
wards of the nation and terrible butchery.
II il intimated by the banditti +" of that Sec
ton that the fact that Major Merrill has not
met with the social recognition to which his
personal graces entitle him, accounts in some
measure for his suspicious, and that he calls
them assassins because he does not know
them. 1t may be, though. that the Major sin
cercly believes that the whole white p0pula-
ton of Shreveport have murder in their
hearts, and that only his presence in uniform
prevents their carrying into execution their
bloody purposes
II ,i,,o
few DAYS, Gen. Sheridan, now commanding
the satrapy of Louisiana in which Shreveport
is q military post, has received report from
him which he informs the War Department
il "too long for telegraphc transmission, but
=" will be sent by mail.n Not to keep the De-
partment or the country in suspense, however,
Gen. Sheridan transmits by telegraph an
"epitomen OF it. 1t is an "eptOme" to har-
row UP the soul, make the hair stand on
end. and Justify the immediate dispatch
of reenfOrcements to Merrill and bacon
TO an inundated race. He SAYS the threats
made before the election to drive from the
community all who voted the Kellogg
ticket are being carried out. The negroes are
10 be refused work. and the whites are to be
ostracized.n This Is q state of things
which calls loudly for more troops. Whoever
in Shreveport refuses work to a negro who
voted the Kellogg ticket should be arrested
at once. and the negro should be at once get
to work for him. Wherever any "bandit
"ostraczesn white Kellogg man there should
be a squadron of cavalry sent to compel him
to take the victim of ostracism INTO his
family If there is anything that Mcr-
rill will not stand in this country,
ANYTHING that calls for military inter-
ference, it is intimidation and Ostracism. Mer-
rill reports that ut least 1000 people of all
ages and sexes have been thrown out of om-
ploymcn: under the combination of the 81 BAN
"ditti." We are not prepared to say that he
Oyerstates it, but we do remember that he has
an unc0mm0nly vivid Imagination. 1t is pos
sible there may not he more than 1900. lie
saws the disposition of these people is to hud-
die together, aud he thinks that as sOoR as
they get well huddied the white people,
who are hungry for blood will just go out
cunning for them aud extiuguisn them by the
hundred.
He intimates too that these 800 or . 900 will
be tempted 10 seal-pcrish the th0ught-and
that the white people will make q little matter
Of theft pretext for shooting them down.
And so Merrill calls for some action on the
part of somebody to save life and prevent
wholesale murder The remedy of course sug-
gests itself. In order to keep these inundated
American citizens from theft, they must he
fed at the expense Of the Government. 1t
would be very easy to issue rltions
to them and keep them together I'M
der the protection of United States troops
The negroes themselves would much prefer
that mode of subsistence to working for 4
living, and then they would be all together
well organized and ready to vote the regular
ticket whenever occasion demanded. This
would carry out the programme of the gen
tlcmen who have Louisiana under their con-
| troll and teach the negroes who are their
| friends. Major Merrill part of the programme
has great merit. But why not extend it TO
the rest of the State and issue rations to all
the unemployed negrOes who voted the Kellogg
ticketi
TON