The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-01-02
THE SOUTH.
Congressional Investigation mt New
OrIeaus.

| the election After giving in detail the DISPOSE
| ton of the troops as they existed on election
| day, General Emory stated that they were so
| placed by order of superior military authority,
| based on requisition from Attorney General
| Williams. Was directed to arrange my men
| so as to preserve peace; there were no disturb
ances; could not say any troops were used on
| election day; have no knowledge OF white
| leagues; my impression is that peace was kept
| on election day only by the presence of troops;
| there were several reviews before election; they
| were not made to affect public sentiment.
| Capt. Snow testified that he was in Rapides
parish the day of election; knew of no intim-
| idation, except what he was told by Mr.. Kelso.
Allen Green of Lincoln parish testified that
he was waited on by Conservatives, who re-
| quested that the meetings of negroes they were
| holding at night be discontinued; we did so:
| was afterwards waited on by party OF men
who requested him to make some changes in
| the parish offices; thought the best thing was
to resign. Green then went on to say that he
| was intmidated.
Judge Trimble was the next witness exam
| ined. He stated that the election was perfectly
| quiet in his section, Including four parishes;
know of no inundation except that produced
by United States cavalry riding through the
country and the case of Mr.. Green, which he
| spoke of in answer to the question why the
presence of troops caused the white people TO
| leave the parish.
Judge Trembe stated that they were anxious
| to vote at the election, and after that they
| came forward and offered to surrender them
selves, but were not arrested The officers ex-
| hibIted long lists Of names of those they said
| were to be arrested, including many prominent
persons. The deputy marshal had warrant
| for the arrests in blank. He testified to the
cutting of telegraph wires and by arraignment
before him of the officer who had committed
the act.
The Congressional committee resumed its in-
vestigation to-day.
State Senator Stamps testified that the me-
groes were inundated by threats of nOn-em--
ployment. There is no secret organization of
coiOred people. The colored people feared the
white league.
DR.. j. B. Sullivan of Rapides, testified he
spent the summer in the parish of Rapides and
saw no evidence of intimidation whatever. The
colored people on his plantation and those adj
Joining came to him and told him that Tor sew
eral reasons. among others the misapDlication
of the school fund, they 1.-THE negroes) would,
at this election. vote the Conservative ticket.
The cOlored people became dissatisfied with the
Republican party because of the bad local gov
eminent and the failure OF the Freedmen's saw
ings institution.
Michael Seguers, tax collector of Rapides
Parish, testified that he believed any honest
man who attended to his business and let other
peoples alone, could live in Rapides Parish and
exercise his political rights without regard to
party.
James Cannaugton, colored candidate for
the Legislature from Rapides Parish, testified
that body of men were riding about over the
country calling themselves white leaguers. AT
least that was reported, but he never saw them
himself They inundated the voters by
threatening to discharge the colored people if
they voted the Republican ticket. Not more
than twenty five or fifty cOlored men voted the
Democratic ticket, and not more than five or
six were Democrats from choice. There were
500 or 600 colored persons who did not vote be-
cause of intimidation.
The Caucasian organization in Alexandria
threatened the lives of all the leading Repub-
licans. The majority against him was about
300, but he was counted in by the returning
board.
Benj Cooper of Rapdes parish, a planter
eight miles from Alexandria, testified he never
saw any White Leaguers in his neighbOrhoOd,
and never heard of any except in New Orleans.
The Alabama Committee.
MONTGOMERY, Jan. 1.-The Congressional
Committee opened their session here to day.
Some negroes swore they were discharged for
voting the Republican ticket, and others swore
they were beaten by Republican negroes, turn
ed out of churches, and generally mIstreated
for being Democrats. Other negroes testified
that before the elections the Republican candi-
dates promised to divide the white Democrats
land among them. their furniture bedding and
household property. The negro witnesses all
complained that none of the promises were
kept. Some negroes and white Republicans
testified that they were inundated before the
election, but none were kept from voting.
The general run of the testimony, as far az
ascertained, was to the effect that not Repub
lican meeting was disturbed by the Democrats
in this county, but riots and rows were frequent
between the Republican factions, often result
ing in bloodshed and once in death. twas
also proved that every case of murder on the
docket here was of negro for the murder of
negro, there being some fifteen or twenty in the
past eighteen months; also that every official
| in this county and the presiding judges were
| Republicans 1t was proven that in two or
| three instances in the canvass few negroes
| were kicked by somo drunken Democrats.
The committee leave for Mobile to-day.
The vicksburs Investigation.
VIcKsBURG, Jan. 1.-The Congressional
Committee continued the examination of Col.
| Horace Miller to-day. He testified that after
| the war many unsuccessful attempts were made
to induce negroes to vote with the whites by
| nominating some of them for office, but the
| blacks were continually inflamed against the
| whites by appeals of carpet baggers. Every
| element of discord was constantly kept before
| them, and the result was that in every election
| for a series of years negroes voted in almost
| solid mass and were often carried to the polls
| in military array under leaders, where they re-
manned until the whole column had voted their
| leaders handing them their tickets, or else de-
posting the ballots for them. This state of af-
| fairs produced the color lsne, the whites being
satisfied that it was useless to attempt to Goa
| lessee with negroes in voting. The whites of
| tional amendments and laws passed by Con-
gress in relation to negroes. The only opposi-
| ton to the blacks being free to vote as they
pleased comes from their own race, and such is
the intimidation used in this case that they
dare not vote against the Republican party.
Col. Miller further testified-Crosby could
not perfect his bond and that an attempt was
made which failed to induce Crosby to appoint
a deputy who could obtain bonds and would be
acceptable to the tax payers.
no fay Increased 1rmOuSlV and
real estate decreased in value from so to 70 per
cent since 1860. Knew of no intimidation to-
wards the officers charged with conducting the
late election. Knew that arms were brought
here about that time by gun dealers and sold to
citizens. They were generally Winchester
rifles or carbines, not over Is in number, and
were broughr here in the month preceding
elections. ALI the militia companies had
Needle guns The colored company had about
so only. Knew of guns being sent here on con-
Segment and afterwards distributed to the
citizeps. Furlons's assertion in the Legislature
that 100 negroes were killed near Pemberton
monument was untrue.
General disorder and inse CURT. of life were
not worse here than in any other part OF the
country. Grimes were as promptly punished
here as elsewhere Colored jurors were proba-
bly, more prompt to punish men of their own
color than white jurors would be- Citizens be-
lievei there was conspiracy between CROSBY
and other officials to defraud the people. Sew
eral nights before the August elections, Halls
colsred company had pickets out on the streets
and stopped gentlemen in carriages and
searched them.
From conversation with Crosby he thought
Gov. Ames and Cardoza had advised him to re-
gain the sheriff s Office. In fact saw the fol-
lowing official letter:
Office of the Superintendent of Public In
struction jackson, Miss, Dec. 6, 1S74.-De ar
Crosby: Do not make any compromise with
those fellows. The government is at your back:
Steps will be taken for your relief. They will
be ample and you need not fear: | do not care
to say now what they will be, but you will be
all right We are opposed to any and all com
promises. YOnr friend,
(SignedO CARDozA.
Gen. Miller, who also commanded the citi-
zens on the occasion of the recent fight, stated
that Owen, the leader of the negro movement.
said it was in obedience to Crosby's orders;told
him of the Mayors proclamation, AMI warned
them to desist; Owen replied, he had right to
come, and he would be 49, if he would
not come; asked him to go home; he then
wanted to see Crosby, to which agreed; Owon
soon returned very much excited, saying that
he had seen Crosby and the -
that 90 us into all this trouble now goes back
on us, and if we ever get him we will settle
him; 1 could not say which side fired first; l
then ordered the charge and the negroes soon