The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-01-22


that parish. He had himself no lrnowl-
edge of any act of the kind, except this
which he Thought was cal
culated to intimidate colored voters. He
had no idea that the arrests made upon
his warrants and the proceedings under
them had any effect in interfering with
Conservative voters. On the other hand,
the Conservatives in that neighborhood
thought about this just the reverse. In
deed, these reports Of military officers
in command Of the forces of the United
States to the country, though generally
indicating condition Of quiet and or
der, take sometimes an entirely different
view of things, ON the other hand it was
in evidence that blacks who sought to
act with the Conservative party were on
their part sometimes exposed to enmity
and abuse. In the interior one colored
mnn was shot for making a Conservative
speech, and in New Orleans it appeared
from testimony that colored men who
sought to cooperate with the Conserva-
tives were subject to so much abuse from
the police and otherwise that an associa-
ton Of lawyers volunteered to protect
them, but with little effect
The committee give an account of the
general condition of affairs in the State.
The conviction among the whites that
the Kellogg government was an usurpa-
ton the general want of confidence in
the State and local officials; heavy de-
cline in State securities, and exorbitant
taxation the reduction of wages the
.nonfulflment of personal or political
pledges malfeasance of town and local
officials disputes among leading col
.ored persons loss or embezzlement in
some cases of school funds, and the fail
ure of the Freedman's Bank, all com
binod to divide the views of the colored
voters during the campaign. An effort
was accordingly made by the Conserva-
tives to acquire part of the negro vote.
With that view it was sought in many
quarters to propritiate them. Frequent
arrests by the United States marshals
for intimidation or threats of non-em-
ployment, and the apprehension felt
that the Returning Board would count
out their men, if an excuse for such
course were offered, all combined, es-
pecially after the 14th of September, to
put the Conservatives on their good be-
havior, and the result was that in No
vember, 1871, the people of Louisiana
did fairly have free, peaceable and full
registration and election, in which a
clear Conservative majority was elected
to the Lower House Of the Legislature,
of which majority the Conservatives
were deprived by the unjust, illegal and
arbitrary action of the Republican Board.
That there were turbulent spirits can
not be denied. Those returned to office
by the Returning Board in violation of
the wishes of the people, are especially
odious. In one instance the editor of
the Shreveport News, in anticipation of
the Illustration by the Returning Board
of the will of the people, openly declared
that the only remedy was to kill the
usurpers, and declared this to be the
sentiment of the Conservatives of his sec
ton of the State, but beyond newspa-
per editor or two, no declaration even Of
that sort was brought to our notice, al
though it was admitted on all hands that
the white people of the whole State felt
greatly outraged by the action of the Re-
turning Board. Indeed, it is conceded
by all pcrties, that the Kellogg govern
ment is only upheld by the Federal for
ces. Withdraw the military and that
government will go down. This was
true before the 4th of January, as well
as now. Governor Kellogg says this is
owing to the doubt that Congress has
permitted about the legality of the gov
eminent. The Conservatives say this is
not only because his government is ille-
gal, but because it has been abusive and
corrupt.
OF the White League of New Orleans
the committee says it is an organization
composed of different clubs numbering
in all between 2, 800 and $500, the mem
bers of which have provided arms for
themselves, and, with or without arms,
engage in military drills. They have no
uniform, and the arms are the property
of individuals and not only of the organ
izations. They comprise large num-
Der of reputable citizens and of property
holders, Their purpose they declare to
be simply protection, necessity occa-
stoned by the existence ofleagues samong
the blacks; of the hostility with which
the Kellogg government arrayed the
blacks against the white race; of the
want of security to peaceable citizens
and their families, which existed for
those reasons, and because also of the
peculiar formation of the police brigade.
On the other hand, the Republicans
assert that this is an armed body of vol
unteers, existing for the purpose of in
timidating the blacks and overthrowing
the Kellogg government. That it had
any considerable relations outside the
city of New Orleans, or that it was in
tended in any way to interfere with the
rights of colored citizens didnot appear.
Nor on the other hand did it tappear that
there was any extensive league among
the blacks of any kind. That the White
League would readily cooperate in any
feasible scheme for oYerthrowing the
Kellogg government your committee do
not doubt So will substantially all
white citizens of Louisiana. Such or
ganizations may be dangerous, and are
very rarely to be justified. The affair of
the 14th of September is an Illustration
of this.
The committee give q detailed &C
count of the trouble at that time, and
say the conservatives of Louisiana do
not propose to fight the Federal Govern
ment. They submit, not because they
want to, but because they must; not be-
cause they proclaim any enmity against
the flag; not because free labor had not
been found practicable, not because of
any hostility to the colored people be-
cause they are colored, but because they