Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-01-28


fact any matter that Is disputed, they can cor
rect me" After stating the origin OF tho diff
fculty. which grow. out of All attempt OF white
persons to drive the parish judge and sheriff,
appointees Of Kellogg, from Office, aud their
led to some fighting, in which quite number
OF negroes were killed, the judge states that
most OF those who wore killed were taken
prisoners. Fifteen or sixteen of tho blacks
had lifted tho boards and taken refuge under
the flooro OF tho court house. They were all
captured. About thirty soven men were taken
prisoners; tho enumbor Is not definitely fixed.
Thoy wcro kept under guard until dark, whom
they wero led out two by two and shot, Most
OF the men were shot to death; N few were
wounded, not mortally, and by pretending to
be dead, were afterwards, during tho night,
abie TO mako their escape. Among them was
tho Levi Nelson named in the Indictment.
affair were loft unburled Till Tuesday, April
10 whom they wero buried by o deputy m r.
shall audan officer of tho militia froc, Now
Orleans. These persons found tifty-pins deal
bodies. They showed pistol shot wouats. tho
great majority in tho heart, aud some OF them
III tho back OF the head. Z III addition to tho
dead found, s0me cnarred remains OF dead
bodies woro discovered near the court house,
Six dead bodiaawere found under a warohousc
all shot III the heart but ono or two, who wero
shot in tho breast. Tho only white mon in
jured from tho beginning OF these troubles to
their closc wore Hadnot aud Harris Tho
court house and its contents woro entirely con-
sumed. There is no 'ovidonce that any one in
the crowd OF whites bore any lawful warrant for
tho arrest OF any blacks. There is no evil
dence that Nash or Cozabol after tho affair
ever demanded tho office to which thoy had
set up a claim But Register continued to net
"a parish judge. These arc tho facts in this
case, as understand them to be admitted.
To hold tho people Of Louisiana in general re-
sponsiblo for these atrocities would not be
fair. But it is o lamentablC fact that insufTer-
ablo distractions were thrown in tho way OF
Furnishing these murderers, and tho so.called
conservative papers OF tho state not only
justified the massacre, but denounced as fed
eral tyranny and despotism the attempt of the
United States officers to bring them to Justice.
Fierce denunciations ring through tho country
about officers interfering in said election mat
tors in Louisiana, while ovory ono OF the
Colfax mlscreants goes unwhipped of justice,
and no way can be found i'll this boastod land
of civilization and Christianity to punish tho
perperpetrators OF this bloody and monstrous
crime.
Not unlike this WAS tho massacre in August
last. Several northern young men of capital
and enterprise lad started the little and
tlourishing town OF Coushalta. Some OF them
were republicans and oificc.hulders Under Kel-
logg. They wero, therefore, doomed to death.
Sax OF them were seized and carried away from
their homes and murdered in cold blood. Not
ono has been punished, aud the conservative
That end, and boldly iustifics the crime.
hIany murders of q like character have been
ccmn,itted in individual cases, which cannot
bore ho detailed. For eSample q. s. Grafrord,
OF the twelfth judicial district Of tile state on
their way to court, wero shot from their horses
by mon i'll ambush on the Sth OF October,
1873 and tho wife OF tho former, in a COM
munica.ion to the department Of justice, tolls
u pitifui tale OF tho persecution of her hus-
band because he WAS n union man, and OF tho
efforts made to seize those WHO had committed
Il crime which, to uso her language, loft two
widows aud nine orphans destitute. TO say
that tho murder of negro or n white repub-
lican Is not considered crimo i'll Louisiana,
would probably bo unjust to grcat part of
tho people, but it ID true that q great number
Of such murders havo been committed, and
no one has been punished therefor, and mani
fcstly tho split OF hatred and violence is
stronger than tho law.
Representations were mado to me that tho
presence OF troops in Louisiana was unnecos-
sary, and that thero was no danger OF public
disturbances if thcy wero taken away. Con-
sequently, early last summon tho troops were
withdrawn from tho state, with tho exception
of n small garrison ut New Orleans barracks.
1t was stated that n comparative state OF quiet
had supcrvoned, and that political excitement
as to Louisiana affairs socmod to bo dying
out, but tho November election was approach
ing and it was necessary for party purposes
that tho flame shonld bo rolighted. Accord
ingy on Tho 14th of September d. B. Pom,
claiming that he was elected lieutenant-goy-
crnor i'll 1872, ia: ued All in!lammatory proca-
nation calling upon tho militia OF tho state to
arm, assemble, and to drive out tho usurpers,
as ho designated the officers of tho state. Tho
whito leagues, armed AMI ready for tho con-
flct, promptly responded On tho samo day
the governor made a formal roquisition upon
NO. i'll pursuance Of the act of 1895, and eoc-
ton 4, article of tho constitution, to aid in
suppressing domestic violence On the ncxt
Al
insurgents to dsporso within five days or tho
date thereof hut befero tho proclamation was
published In New Orleans, tho organized and
armed forces. Recognizing llsurpng govern
ment, had takon torciblo possession OF tho
state-houso and Temporarily subverted tho
government Twenty or moro people were
killed, including a number of tho police OF
tho city. The streets of tho city wore stained
with blood. All that was desired in tho way
of excitement had been accomplished And
i'll Wow OF tho steps takon to repress it, tho
revolution WAS apparently though it is be-
hevcd not really, abandoned, and tho cry OF
federal usurpation aud tyranny in Louisiana
was removed with redoublod onorgy, troops
had been sent to tho state under tho requisi-
tion OF tho governor, as other disturbances
sccmol imminent. They woro allowed to ro-
main there to ronder tho executive such aid
as might become necessary to enforce tho
laW6gof tho state, and rcprcss tho continued
violence which seemed inevitable tho moment
fcdoral support should be withdrawn. Prior
to and with yiow to The late election in Louis
lana, white mon associated themselves to-
gGther in armed bodids called white leagues,
and Mt the same time throats woro made in
the Journals OF tho state, that tho election
Should be carried against tho republicans Mt
all hazards, which, very naturally, greatly
alarmed tho colorcd votors.
by section Of tho act Of Fob. %, 1871, it
is made tho duty Of United States marsllals
and thcir deputies, at polls whore votes arc
cast for representatives in congress-, to keep
order and prevent violations OF the so-calioil