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

1ztn Judicial District OF the State, OF
their way to Court, were shot from
their horses by men in ambush, on thu
9th of October, 1873, and the wife Of
the former in a communication to thu
Department of Justice, tells pitcous
tale Of the prosecutions of her husband
because he was Union man; of efforts
made to seize those who had committed
a crime which, to use her language, lief,
two widows and nine children desti
tute.
! 10 say that the murder Of negro,
and white Republican, is not considered
crime in Louisiana would probably b(
unjust to great part of the people
but it is truth number of such muir
| ders have been committed and no one has
been punished therefor and manifcstly
add to them the spirit Of hatred, and
that violence is stronger than tho law.
Representations are made to me that
the presence Of troops in Louisiana was
unnecessary and l relied on the people
that there was danger Of public dis.
turbance if they were taken away.
Consequently early in last summer the
troops were withdrawn from the State,
with the exception Of small garrison
at the New Orleans barracks. 1t was
stated that a comparative state Of quiet
had supervened and political excitement
as to Louisiana affairs seemed to be DIV.
ing; but the November election was ap.
preaching, and it was necessary, for
party purposes, that the flames should
be relighted. Accordingly, on the 18th
Of September, D. Penn, claiming he was
elected Governor in 1872, issued an in.
tiamatory proclamation calling upon
the militia of the State to assemble and
drive out the usurpers, as no designated
the officers of the State. The White
Leaguers, armed and ready for tho con.
flict, promptly responded. On the same
day the Governor made formal
requisition upon me i'll pursuance Of the
act of l795, and section 4, article of
the Constitution, to aid in suppressing
domestic violence. On the next day /
issued my proclamation commanding
the insurgents to dispense within five
days from the date thereof, but before
the proclamation was published in New
Orleans the organized and armed forces
reorganizing usurping government
had taken possession of the State
house and temporarily subverted the
government. Twenty or more people
were killed, including number Of the
police Of the city. The streets of the
city were stained with blood. All that
was desired in the way Of excitement
had been accomplished.
The following are specimens Of the
means used to intimidate Republican
voters. On the 18th of October, eighty
persons signed and published the fol.
lowing at Shreveport: We, :ts under
signed merchants of the city of Shreve-
port, in obedience to a request of the
Shreveport Campaign Club, agree to
use every endeavor to get eur employ
ces to vote the Peoples ticket at the
nsuing election, and in the event of
their refusal SO to do, or in case they
vote the Radical ticket, to refuse to
employ them at the expiration of their
present contracts.
On the same day another large body
Of persons published in the same place,
in paper, in which they used the fol-
10 wing language:
I'VE, the undersigned, merchants Of
the city Of Shreveport, alive to the
great Importance ofsecuring good and
honest government to tho State, do
agree and pledge ourselves not to ad-
vance any supplies or money to any
planter, nor to any parties the coming
year who will give employ mcnt or rent
lands to laborers who vote the Radical
ticket in the coming election.
I have no information of the proceed
ings Of tie returning board for said
election which may not be found in it's
report which has been published, but it
is matter Of public information that
a great part of the time takeu to can
vass the votes was consumed by the ar.
guments Of lawyers, several Of whom
represented each party before the
board. have no evidence that the
proceedings of this board we1e not in
accordance with the law under which
they acted. Whether in excluding
from their court certain returns, they
were right or wrong is a
queStAOH, LLaI uepenuS Oh Tile eVlOcuCo
they had before them, but it is very
clear that the law gives them the power.
if they choose to exercise it, to decide
it that way, and prima fucic, the per.
sons whom they return as elected are
entitled to the Offices for which they
were candidates.
Respecting tho alleged interfer.
ence by the military with
the organization of the Legislature
Of Louisiana on the 4th inst, I have no
knowledge or information which has
not been received by me since that time
and published. My first information
was from the newspapers Of the morn
ing Of the 5th of January. did not know
that any such thing was anticipated