Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-01-14

machinery BY Yarmouth and Others, wer
I equIvoient to twenty thousand votes and the
add that 70 recognize the Millinery govern
nent- would be recognizing, a government
based upon fraud, IN defiance OF the wishe
and Intention OF the voters OF the State. A.
suIning the correctness of the statement Il
this report, and they seem to have been gen
orally accepted by the cO1ntry, the grea
crime IN Louisiana, about which 10 muCl
has been done and said, is that one is holdIn
( the ONCE Of governor who was cheated out o
whose title 10 The office j. 1SdonbtedIV q,
fraud and in defiance OF the wishes and in
/ teutions OF the voters OF the state. Misiu
I formed and mis- Judging as TO the nature anC
I extent OF this report, the supporters OF NJ
/ Enery proceeded to displace, by force in somt
! parts OF TIE state, the appOintees OF q Iyernol
/ Kellogg, and on tbc thirteenth OF April, in al
[ effort OF that kind, a butChery OF citizens wa
I committed at ColfaX, which in blood-tnirstl
ness and barbarity is hardly surpassed by any
act OF savage warfare. To put the matter
/ beyond controversy, quote from the charge
! OF Ju' ge Woods, Of the United states circui
l court TO the jury in the case Of the United
I States as. CIuickshank and Others, IN New Or
I leans Ia March, lssI. he said: "ln the
case on trial there are many facts not hi
controversy, ! viii proceed 10 state some OF
Them in the presence and hearing OF counsel
on both sides, and If state, as a conceded
1 laet, any matter that is disputed they can
correct me-" After stating the origin Of the
I difficulty, which grew out OF an attempt of
/ Whlte persons to drive the parish Judge and
sheriff spPOintees of Kellogg from office and
-
wh ch led o some lighting, IN which quite a
number OF negroes w-re killed, the judge
states that most OF those who were killed
were taken prisoners. Fifteen or sixteen OF
tie blacks had lifted the boards and taken
refuge under the floor of the courthouse.
They were all captured. About thrly-seven
men were taken prisoners. The number Ia
not definitely liked. They were kept under
guard until dark, They we're led out three at
. time and shot. Most OF the men were shot
10 death. = few were wounded; not mortally,
and by pretending TO be dead were afierwaId
ddI Ins the night, able to make their escape
Among them the Levi Nelson named in the
indictment. The dead bodies of the negroes
kEIed in this affair were left unburied till
Tuesday, April 18th when they were buried by
deputy-marshal and an officer OF the militia
from New Orleans. These persons
found ffty-nine dead bodies, and they showed
plstOl-snoJ wounds, great majority in the
heart and most OF them in the back OF the
head. In addition TO the dead found, charred
remains of dead bodies were found near the
courthouse. SIX dead bodies were found
under warehouse, all shot in the head, but
one or two were shot in the breast. The only
men Injured from the beginning of these
trouble sto their close, were Hadnot and Har-
riS. The courthouse and its contents were
entirely consumed. Thers is no evidence that
any one in the crowd OF whites bore any law
lul warrant for the arrest of the blacks. There
ls no evidence that either Nash VI COZabach
after the affair. r.eyer demanded the Offices to
which they had set up claim, but Reightor
continued 10 act as the parish Judge. these
are facts In this ease, as 1 understand, TO be
admitted. To hold the people Of Louisiana
generally responsible for these atrocities,
would not be fact, b-t as lament
able fact that insuperable distractions
were thrown in the way OF the punishment
OF The muTderers, and the so-called Conserva-
tive papers of the State not only justified the
massacre, but denounced as Federal tyranny
and Gespousm the attempt of the United
states officers 20 bring them 10 justice. Fierce
denunciations rang through the country
while every one of the Co.fax miscreants goes
unWhlpped OF justice, and no way can be
found, in this boasted land of civilization and
Christianity, 10 punish The perpetrators of
these bloody and monStrouS crimes. Not un-
like this was the massacre in August last, |
Several northern young men of capital and |
enterprise had settled in the little and flour |
ishing town OF COushatta. Some OF them were |
Republicans and office holders under Kel- |
log2. They were therefore doomed TO death. |
six Of them were seized and carried away |
from their homes, and murdered in cold \
blood. No one has been punished, and the |
press of the State denounced all |
efforts to that END, and boldly justified the /
crime. Many murders OF a like character |
have been committed in individual cases,
which cannot here be detailed. For example, |
.. Crawford, judge Of the parish, and the /
1istrtCt-attorney OF the twelfth judicial dis
sTict of the State, on their way TO court, were
'hot from their horses by men in ambush on
,he eighth OF October, 1878. The wife of the
ormer, in communication to the depart
nent of justice, tells p1teOus tale of the per-
ecuJionS of her husband because he was a
nion man, and no efforts were made TO seize
hose who had committed crime which left
wo widows and nine orphans desolate. To
ay that the murder Of negro or white Re-
publican Is not considered a crime in LOuiSi-
ana would probably be unjust to a great part
If the people, but it IS true that great num-
ser OF such murders have been committed, |
md no one has been punished therefor. The |
piTit Of hatred and violence Is stronger than |
ne law. Representations were made to me
nat the presence OF troops In Louisiana was !
and that there was no danger of
,ublic disturbance if they were taken away. |
,Onseq uently, early in last summer, the troops
we're withdrawn from the State, with the ex-
eption of a small garrison at the New Orleans
,arracks. II was stated that comparative
tate of quiet had supervened, and the politi-
al excitement seemed to be dying, but the
November election was approaching, and il |
vas necessary for party purpose that the
ame should be relignted accordingly. On the
OF september, ID. b. Penn, claiming
le was elected leutenant-g0Vernor in 1927, is
ued an iniiammatory proclamation calling
pon the militia OF the State to arm, assemble |
nd to drive the usurperS (as he designated
he officers, from the State The White Leag.
ers,armed and ready for the contiict,promPt-
responded. On the same day the governor
made formal reQuiSitlOn upon and in pur-
uanee Of act of 1895, and section 4, article Of
hecOnstttution, to aid in suppreSSing domestic
ioienee. On toe next day issued my proc
amation, commanding the insurgents to dis.
erse within hve days from the date thereof,
ut before the proclamation was published in |
lew Orleans the organized and armed forces
a usuTping government had
aiken forcible possession OF the statehouse
nd temporarily subverted the govern
lent. twenty or more people were killed
a number of the police of the city.
he streets of the city were stained with
lood. All that was desired in the way of eX-
itement had been accomplished, and in view
I the steps taken to do their duties there |
7as intimidation of the Republican voters
{ the election. notwithstanding this pre- |
autiOn admits of no doubt the following are |
of the means used: On the four |
zenith OF october, eighty persons signed and
ublished the following at Shreveport: "And
-e the undersigned merchants of the city of |
hreveport, in obedience TO request OF the
hreveport campaign cl4b, agree 10 use every
1deavOr 10 get our employees 10 vote the Peo-
les ticket at the ensuing election, and in |
lie event of their refusal so to do, or in case |
ley vote the Radical ticket, to refuse TO en-
,Evice" On the same day another large
Ody of persons published in the same place
paper in which they used the following s
.nguage: 1--WE. the undersigned merchants
the city of Shreveport, alive to the great
Importance OF securing 8 good and honest
DVeTnment to the state, do agree and
ledge ourselves not TO advise any sup
lies or money TO any planter, o. 10 any
anter the coming year, who will give en- !
oyment or rent lands to laborerS who VOta
he Radical ticket in the coming election" | &
ave no information of the proceedings OF
le returning hoard Tor said election, which
ay not be found in its report, which has
zen published. But II is matter of public
formation that a great part of the time
ken to canvass the votes was consumed by
lie arguments of the lawyers, several OF
hom were present from each party ! I
sfore the board, leaves no evidence
lat the proceedings OF Jhls board
ere not in accordance with the
W under which they acted, whether in ex-
uding from their count certain returns.
neither they were right or wrong is a dues- | :
on that depends upon the evidence they had
,fore them. But IL is very clear that the law
YES them the power If they choose TO eXer- 7
Sc il, deciding that the persons :
hOm they return as elected are |
ltiiled TO the offices for which they were
Respecting the alleged interfer- a
ice by the military with the organization of !
e legislature OF Louisiana, on the fourteenth |
stsnt, 1 have no knowledge or Information q
hich has not been received by me since that q
me and published. My first Information was :
ON the papers of the morning of the 2
IN OF January. l did not know that any
I'd no suggestions were ever given TO any :,
ilitary officer in that State upon that SUBJ /
ct prior TO the occurrence. l am well aware c
at any military interference by the officers 4
troops of the United States with the or :
niZation of state legislature, or any OF its q
oceedings, or with any civil department of 8
@ government Is repugnant to our f
eas OF government, ] can conceive of no 4
Sc not involving rebellion or iDsurrecti0n y
here such interference by authority OF the {
neral government ought 10 be permitted, or 4
n be justified. But there are circumstances :
injected with the legislative imbToglio in '
)uisiana which seem to exempt the military Z
I'm any intentional wrong in that matter, a
lOwing they had been placed in Louisiana :
prevent domestic violence and aid in sup 4
essiDg it. 4
Under the enforcement laws the Off e
rs and troops Of the United States may well d
I've supposed that II was their duty TO act 7
hen called upon by the governor for that :
lrpOse. Each branch OF a legislative assem- Z
y l. the Judge Of the election and Gualifica- ! e
lns OF its own members, but when a mob, 4
body OF Unauthorized persons, seize and :
ia the legislative hall In a tumultuous and e