The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-17
10 u Isl A N A .
A Letter from the Chairman Of the
Conservative Committee.
The Testimony Adduced Before the Foster
and Hoar Committees.
The Same Facts by Different
Witnesses.
WASHINGTON. D. c., Feb. "A, 1878

tive Committee before the Returning Board ana
the two Congressional subcommittee lately at
New Orleans a briei rts1ae or the facts elected
before those bodies and statement OF the pres
ent condition OF AFFAIRS in Louisiana from me may
not be unlnteresting to your readers and may
serve to throw some light upon those points OF
controversy which are as yet imperiectly under
stood. Thanks to the energy and enterprise OF
such independent journals as the HERALD, the
main features or the case are plainly before the
general public, although the details necessary TO
the proper understanding Of the attitude
OF the people IN that oppressed State
are NOS as thoroughly comprehended as
its citizens would desire. The Foster sub-com-
mttee came among as thoroughly
encrusted with partisan prejudice as could well
be imagined, and returned from It's labors SO DIS
armed and Invested Of its precOnceived ideas OF
our people as to present IN its report truthful
picture OF the troubles OF our oppressed State.
Following almost upon It's heels came the SUBJ
committee OF which the Hon. George F. Hoar was
chairman, and having just completed its labors
has now returned and is about to report the re-
suits OF its investigation. What conclusions 1t
may have reached or 10 what opinions It may
incline have no means OF predicting, but, iudg.
ing by the fairness OF its rulings and method OF
investiga ton. cannot we'll doubt from the evi.
dence educed that II must in the main confirm the
The latter examination was not quite so thor.
ough as the Iormer the number OF witnesses hav-
ing been limited to sxty-nve the subject OF in
tmidation, while the former reached the neigh
bcrhood OF ninety upon that topic. OF those lately
examined there were but three who were not
either oilce-hoders under the Kellogg or the fed
erai government. and tnese three were evil
dently biased by personal grievances or tainted
with bad character as give little or no weight
A a
them. TOO, were the same witnesses who appeared
before the previous subcommittee. Not one Of
them was able 10 make out single case OF ntim-
ldat1on IN the eection OF 1914, such as would stand
for q moment IN a court OF justice or before any
Hea say evidence, rumors, impressions and Opln.
IONS formed tne staple OF the Kellogg
self into nothing as It's base SO plain
ald THIS appear that the Kellogg counsel
found themselves forced TO fall back upon the
riot OF 1866 the Coax affair OF 1878 and the Cou-
snatta murders OF August, 1874 in order to create
an impression OF unaefned and general intimida-
ton, TO be drawn by inference from those occur
rences. because they had no positive facts lndi-
cations, and could have none, because none ex-
listed. oy which TO establish their case.
Fortunately for the conservatives, the registra-
ton and election ngures OF 1874 amply reuted THIS
theory without the necessity OF arguments. In
the TWO parishes III winch these places are situated
IT was shown that the republicans elected their
rauo of population. black and white, while In
Grant. one OF the and the scene OF the Colfax riot
coIored registered voted. While only seyenty.three
per cent OF the whites registered voted, and were
so returned by the Commissioners OF Election,
with the exception OF Representative In Grant.
where the republican vote being somewhat
divided between two candidates Of their own
party, the conservative Was elected by small
plurality. This last parish the Returning Board
arbitrarily refused to return. In regard to this
committee have not reiraned from openly pro-
claiming, as individuals, their opinion OF utter
Nor can 1t well refuse to confirm the report of
sne roster subcommittee as to the transparent
fraud Of it's action, for in addition to the evidence
produced before the former subcommittee In re-
gard to Its rungs. and the President OF the Board
the case was closed and submitted Tor judgment.
the President OF the Board confessed in MS
evidence before the last subcommittee
his own guilt and the participation therein Of the
other members by their sanction. Cumulative OF
this proof OF fraud. It transplred before the Hoar
body ana was exnioited Dy the record tnat, al
though all testimony was Closed before the Board
and the orlefs submitted on the 7tn OF December,
were allowed to put IN the record. unknown to
their opponents, an unswOrn ABSTRACT OF ten or
Twelve afidavits. wnich they claimed to have lost.
and that on che llst OF December they were again
allowed IN the same way to interpoate several
documents In proc, and an OF these &c parte
The enort OF the Kellogg counsel to show that
the White League was organized Tor this purpose
was so ackn0 wledged 0y members or the SUBJ
committee, while the monstrous effort TO snow
and hostility TO the United STATES government
found not a scintna OF proof III its support. IL
W
protective organization, caused by a deficient
police, VINO were mainly occupied with political
management, and tnat In the country parishes
arms or other appliances than those usual IN po-
htlcal campaigns, and that It's name was AN Ill
ADVISED mlsnomer. Other subjects were Incl.
denIally touched upon by the later subcommittee
somewhat to the disadvantage OF the conser-
vatives, and were extraneous to the subjects wnicn
the subcommittee proposed to examine. For ln-
stance, the subject VI the election OF 1872 although
forming part OF the line or investigation was
CrOS5-eXamlnatlOQ
vattve witnesses VINO had voted Tor Kellogg IN 1874
and who were placed on the stand to prove the
events Of 1874. and their testimony on this point
was mace use OF to snow the election OF 1872
fraud on the part OF the conservatives, wnen 1t is
plain by the rules OF evidence that Tor this new
matter these witnesses became witnesses Tor the
Kellogg party, ana their declarations testimony
for that side, and the conservatives we're allowed
NO opportunity to rebut or to show on their part
the true results OF that election.
one other matter foreign to the projected line
or investigation as lald down by the Hoar SUBJ
csmmittee, was touched upon, which disclosed
tendent OF Police, testlned, on cross-examinatlon,
that the Attn OF January General Sheridan
through General Emory. and Dy means OF the
police telegraph, communicated from the Custom
house to the state House orders and instructions
resulting In the displacement OF the I'VE conserva.
tive members. IL is generally believed in New
orleans that the statements IN the Presidents
Message must nave been made In error, as General
Sneridan's participation In the events OF the Atm
are well known. A strong efYorl was made TO
have the later subcommittee examine INTO the
events OF that date; but, although 1t was thougat
TO be one OF the principal purposes Tor which
IL visited our city, the subcommittee, by tie
vote, refused to proceed IN that direction, and
they failed to elucidate before Congress ana the
country the whole manipulation by which Louisi-
ana mas been reduced from the high position OF
one OF the richest Commonwealth IN the Ameri.
can Union 70 the condition OF an outlying province
ruled by satrapy wsosc only resort TO law Is TO
pIunuer an unfortunate people by mockery OF
Its forms.
To relieve themselves from this sltua-
tion or desperation our best citizens,
through their representatives, have sought
every means OF honorable adjustment
without the sacrifice OF principle. The Wheeler
proposition was rejected because in it, as they
thought, was involved an aDandonment of the
principles OF tue coItcst by recognizing the ksl-
lugg government and Ham house, as well as the
purchase OF their seats In that body by
the representatives oil free people by
pledge 10 re ram from prosecution or the Ex-
ecutive for maiIeasancc and corruption in the
past which IL might become their duty under
their oaths, not TO evade. The counter-proposl-