New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-17

| mercantile and theological OOdles question:
Gentlemen, did you ever call one single
meeting to :denounce these massacres! Did
you ever denOunce them in public or pri
vate! We're you afraid? Did your press
denounce them, or did it not try to conceal
or apologize for them? Were they afraid !
And did not a part of your press
boldly justify them? France mad one great
massacre-St. BarthOlOmew-snd ever
since, for hundreds of years, tho black
cloud of it's memory has dsrkened the fame
of that nation. And her savants, her clergy,
her business men, her statesmen have
sOlemnly, before the world. denounced the
horrid crime. England had her massacre in
the obscure Scotch valley of Glencoe. One
hundred persons were murdered. England,
up to the day of Macaulay, 200 years after
ward, kept repeating for and denOuncing
her crime before the civilized world.
Macaulay has crystalized her repentance in
the fearful and indignant confession and
rebuke of his immortal history. Louisiana
has had nine massacres in eight years, all
OF them as atrOciOus as st. Bartholomew;
most of them bloodier and with more
victims than Glencoe. Gentlemen, mer.
chants and clergy of New Orleans, when
did you ever call meeting to depounce
these horrid crimes Are you afraid
And yet you denounce Sheridan as being
untrue in his statements. What is untrue!
That these atrocities were committed You
dare not say thai! That the men who com.
mitted them are bandittl? You dare not say
that! That you have kept silence and re.
fused to condemn them in the same manner
that you were so swift to condemn Sheri.
dan? You dare not say that.
The Democratic aud White League cam,
paign of 1874 was a second edition Of the
White Camelia campaign of 1868. 1t opened
by an organized, Systematic plan, com.
menced simultaneously throughout the
State, for ejecting by violence from their
parish officials, and substituting in their
places the so-called McEnery officials. The
opening act of this novel political cam.
pa;gn, was the capture by a mob, of six
men, officials of Lincoln parish, two of whom
held appointments under the United
States, and their murder in cold blood.
Not solitary conservative newspaper
in this State has denounced this atroc.
ity, while several of them have boldly
Advice OF the most sanguinary character
and the most revolutionary lawlessness
was given from week to week in the col
umns Of the principal newspapers Of the
State. The Picoyvne on the sixteenth of
September advised that any white man
found addressing colored people as am
addressing you should bs''shOt down like a
dog in his tracks," The Bulletin threatened
United States soldiers and officers with
torn uniforms and punched heads should
they interfere with the White I4eaguers in
their operations and quoted with approval
the resistance to United States troops
in Tennessee. The Shreveport Times
advocated over and over the murder Of
every Republican official who should be
found elected by the returning officers
against the DEGREES of the White Leaguers.
and its chief proprietor recently in this
city, before Che congressional committee
itself. openly and boldly stated that such
had been his advice and would continue to
be his advice, and that he thought the MUIR
ders would be committed. Threats of as.
sassinatiOn of the Governor, of the returning
officers and of various leaders of the Repub-
lican party we're made openly throughout
the summer, in the newspapers and on the
streets, in the hotels and in all places of
public resort. Finally, the White League
conspiracy eliminated in the bloody insur.
rection of September ii, which for mo.
ment OverpOwered the State government.
had the most powerful influence throughout
the whole State in intimidating and deter
ring negroes from voting.
There are in this meeting prominent col
Ored citizens, members of the Legislature,
and others from all portions OF the State:
there are also prominent colOred gentlemen
of the highest social and moral standing in
this community-men educated in Paris
and other capitals OF Europe; men who
have natural abilities and acquired accom-
plishments; men of honor and high stand
ing among their tellOw-citizens; men who
are not excelled by the highest toned gentle
men whose names are on the White League
rolls. l now appeal to this audience,
go constituted, to answer whether tell
the truth or no when l charge and aver
that in the last election in this State
all the cOlored men who voted the Demo.
cratic ticket in this State voluntarily and
through their own preference and not from
fear either Of violence to their persons or
lives or Of being deprived of their daily
bread could be held in this room, upon this
platform where l am now standing. lCries
of "That is So" applause charge and aver
that the same violence and intimidation
which in 1868 absolutely barred through
terror from the polls $500 Republican voters,
who desired TO vote tor Grant, did at this
election, in 1874, control ninety-nine out of
every one hundred votes that we're cast for
the Democratic party, and did drive thou
sands away from the polls.
/ come now to the special function OF the
late election. The White League Organiza.
ton is a semi military, semi-political society.
1t is also confederated organization. being
in sympathy, cooperation and cOrrespon.
dence with organizations Of similar char.
acter in the other reconstructed States Of
the South. Its objective point in all these
States is the overthrow Of the reconstructed
governments as based apon negro suffrage.
l aver and charge that as the results Of the
White League organization open and re.
peated threats of resistance to the United
States arms were made throughout this
city and State for weeks and months.
aver that the assassination of the Governor,
of the returning officers and of other Re
publican officials were publicly and rec
peatedly made everywhere. ] aver that
on the fourteenth Of September offers of aid
Ut men and munitions were sent to the
league here from other Southern States.
| am told By a correspondent Of one of the
Western papers. that cannon and mum.
city to V;cksburg. ] aver that a. the
Baton Rouge convention. In speeches,
which were afterward suppressed from
the newspapers. both John McEnery and
II. II. Mari cOunseled and threatened vic.
fence. and revolutionary proceeding against
the State government. Robert TOombs, |
when in his speech last summer he threat.
way to New Orleans should be arrested, in
Georgia, only said ont openly what al: were
thinking secretly. and no other one was bold
and candid enough to assert.
Finally | aver and charge that the Colfax
ana Coushatta massacres, the fourteenth Of |
September revolution and the White League |
conspiracy did for tie Political campaign |
If 1874 precisely what the seven massacres |
Of 1868 and the knights of the White |
Ca,nelia did for the political campaign cf |
1868: that is they by organized violence.
force and intimidation suppressed |
Ind drove from the polls the Republican
majority.
On the second Of January the White
league preparations for fcrc!bly revelation.