New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-16
WHOLE NUMBER 1890.

w
t debt of the State at sixty per cent OF j,
, face value. This measure anOuses gres
, hostility, not 60 much because of the n
, ducticn of its acknowledged debt as bt
cause it gave to the funding board, who's
powers seem to be absolute and withOu
review, discretionary authority to admit t
be funded some %, 0OO. 900 of debt allege
; to be fraudulent, and that. under the guis
OF reducing the acknowledged debt, it CAV
an opportunity to swell the fraudulent deb
against the State.
This nominal reduction of the State take
has been accompanied by provision tina
the parish taxes shall not exceed the State
but the parishes have, notwithstanding
created liabilities. Judgments being re
covered on them, the courts have directed
taxes to be levied for their payment. anG
thus the actual taxes have been carried tai
beyond the authorized rates. Rings have
been formed in parishes composed of the
parish officers. their relatives ana of CO
operating Democratic, who would buy these
obligations, put them in judgments and
cause them to be enforced, to the great dis
tress of the neiehborhood;, Q distress SC
general that the sales of land for taxes have
become almos. absolutely impossible: but
the reduction gauges the uniulfllment Of
| POAooA0A Va HOAL1C0A pA0Uk00s
The malfeasance of some local officials,
disputes among the leading cOlored persons
in these localities, the loss or embe zzlement
in some cases Of the school funds and the
failure of the Freedman's Bank, all COM
bined to divide the views of colored voters.
During the campaign an effort was accord.
ingly made by the Conservatives to acquire
q part Of the negro vote;9 with that view it
was sought in many quarters to propitiate
i them Eronmon1 70 hu <ho rYn;<
States marshals for intimidation or
threats of non employment, and the
apprehension that was felt that the
Returning Board would count out their men
If excuse for Auch course were offered
all combined, especially after the fOurteenh
OF September, to put tho Conservatives on
their good behavior, and the result was that
in November, 1874, the people of the State
OF Louisianad did fairly have free, peaceable
and full registration and election, in which
clear Conservative majority was elected
to the lower house Of the Legislature, of
which majority the Conservatives were de-
prived by the unjust, illegal and arbitrary
action Of the Returning Board.
That there were turbulent spirits can not
be denied. Those returned to Office BY the
Returning Board in violation Of the wishes
Of the people are especially obdious. In one
instance the editor of the Shreveport Times,
In anticipation of the Illustration by the
Returning Board Of the will Of the people,
openly declared that the only remedy was
Ito kill the usurpers," and declared this to
be the sentiments of tho Conservatives of
his section OF the State, but beyond news
paper editor or two, NO declaration,
even OF that sort, was brought to
mltted ON all hands that the white people Of
the whole State felt greatly outraged by
the action of the Returning Board. Indeed,
it is conceded by all parties that the Kel.
logg government is only upheld by the
federal military-wlthdraw the military
and that government win 20 down. This
was true before the fourth of January as
we'll as now. Governor Kellogg says this
is owing to the doubt that Congress has
permitted about the legality Of his govern
meut. The Conservatives say that this is
not only because his government is illegal,
but because it has been abusive and cor
rupt. In this connection We refer to the
White League mentioned in the message of
the President.
In the last campaign in Louisiana the
opposition was composed of various ele-
ments-DemOcrats, ref0rmers, dissatisfied
Republicans, Liberal Republicans, Old
Whigs-and in order to induce the cooper.
with an organization called Democratic, |
they took the name of the Peoples party,
called in some localities the Conservative |
party, in others the White Mans party, in
Others the White League, and had ordinary |
political clubs under these names through |
out the rural districts, which were ordinary !
political clubs, and nothing more; neither |
secret nor armed, nor otherwise different |
from usual political organizations. These |
of names with the White League |
Of the city of New Orleans. That league is |
an organization composed of different clubs, |
numbering in all between $500 and $500,
the members of which have provided arms |
for themselves and, with or without |
arms, engage in military drill. They |
have . uniform, and the arms are
the property of the individuals, not
Of the organization. They comprise
large number Of reputable citizens and
holders in New Orleans. Their
purpose they declare to be simply protec-
lion. Q necessity occasioned by the exist
ence of leagues among the blacks, Of the /
hostility with which the Kellogg govern
ment arrayed the black against the white
race, OF the want of security to peacesble
citizens and their families which existed for
these reasons, and because Of the peculiar
formation of the police brigade.
On the other hand the Republicans assert
that this is an armed body of volunteers
existing for the purpose Of intimidating the
blacks and overthrOwing the Kellogg gov
,rnment. That it had any considerable
:elations outside of the city Of New Orleans,
,r that it was intended in any way to
interfere with the rights of the colored
citizens, does not appear; nor, ON the other
land, did 1t appear that there was any
extensive secret league among the blacks
II any kind. That the White League
would readily co operate in any feast
lie scheme for OverthrOwing the Ket
Ogg government, your committee do
.ot doubt. So will substantially all
he white citizens OF Louisiana. Such
organizations may be dangerous, and are
cry rarely to be justified. The affair of
he fourteenth of September is an illustra-
ion of this. The members of the White
league had purchased arms; the police had
eized these arms without process of law,
akiDg them forcibly from the merchants
rho had sold and from the members who
ad bought them; a consignment of arms
7as to arrive by the steamer Mississippi; the
sagues were called out on the morning of
Ody. The police undertook to seize the
rms. The two bodies came into collision
n the wharf, with the loss of several ,
illed and wounded. There were then ]
ardly any federal troops in New Orleans, ]
nd the disintegrati0n Of the Kellogg party !
'as such that before night Penn and his ,
ssociates had only to take possession OF !,
ne executive offices without a struggle !
he movement was everywhere quietly =
ccepted by the whites throughout the :
tate, until the federal government inter-
ened, when Penn and his associates at :
nee surrendered. :
[cEnery and his associates would at once ,
a inatallod in mower hut the (yonsorpaf;yoa | .