New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-05
THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
A Little Democratic Testimony
ATTEMPT TO D1sPRovE PROOF

ATTEMPT TO D1sPRovE PROOF
Thursday, February 4, brought Mesers.
Hoar, Frye, Wheeler and Marshall to their
seats at the morning session.
Mr.. Aarshall explained that It having
been stated that a remark OF hie had been
construed into an imputa.ion against Mr..
Frye, he disavowed all intention to be dis
courteous or disagreeable,
Mr.. Frye made his acknowledgment.
Robert T. Hunter-I reside in Rarides
parish; am proprietor of the Caueas;aa.
published in Alexandria; was born in that
parish. and have been qnite familiar with
its history; in the year 1868 hundreds Of
negroes. some of them armed. were massed
IT AIexandria; the pVliOo dtsarmed them;
that political campaign was vigorous one;
some Republicans were elected. and every
body ac4uiesced; in the campaign of 1870,
the negroes took possession Of one poll. and
voted in body; Republicans were elected,
and took their offices without mclee tn, ion;
in tho campaign OF 1872 voted the Fueion
ticket; there was cOnsidera BILE feeling on the
part Of negroes. who said they had teen de-
prived of the right to register; saw Harry
Lott, negro leader, ut the shead Of q
cavalry company, but they committed no
excesses; in 1868. 1870, and 1872 negroes
had secret clubs and met at night; We in
vi.ed cOlOred men to attend our political
meetings; few of us started Q campaign
newspaper and drew the color line, but
it was not intended to take away
any rights from the colored people; indorse
and offer an editorial in the Ca~casian Of
"a R0I Al. AnA a.
tlOn; l can furnish THE committee with q
hle Of the CGAossion; never t,ok any
part in any movement to opprese negroes;
believe the whites are in Q maiority in
Louisiana; l believe that appealing to white
men on the matter of their race caused
them to vote; the colored men are in q msjor-
ity in Rapides parish; the negroes intended
to finally throw overheard their carpet bag
friends and put none but oolored men in
office; Louisiana was to be made an African
paradise; registration was not interrupted
by the fourteenth Of September news;
We held writing over the event; made
motion that committee, unarmed, should
install the McEnery officers; the committee
did it's work and all the offices were taken
in charge BY us; the McEnery men held the
offices mp to the election day; th1re was q
company OF United States infantry in the
courthouse yard; our people do not in
timidate very we'll; we did not give our
consent to the request for use of the troops;
the caption took one room; Metropolitan
militia were riding around the country;
making arrests; they arrested Mr.. Co.'S
grove and others; the arrests were for
the COfax massacre; some white men
hed the country; no one knew who was to
be arrested; on election dav was at the
Pineville and Alexandria polls; Captain
Snow was in Pineville with eight or nine
mon: the soldiers walked around the streets:
negrOs voted as suited them; over 100
colOred men voted our ticket in Alexandria;
Mr.. Moore said he would not hire men who
would not vote for him; q petition to that
end obtained but half q dozen signatures
and the project was abandoned in Alexan-
dria; any amount of laborers can be en-
plOyed in our section to day; men will not be
questioned ~ to how they voted; there never
WAS Q White League or other secret associa-
tion OF white people in Rapides parish in
1874; the Colfax and Coushatta affairs
affected some people in our parish; the two
races in our section have always been on
friendly terms; the Cancasian condemned
the Conshstta massacre; the Alexandria
Gazette Is . Republican paper; ! have a
list Of the murders in our parish committed
since 1858; an armed body Of colored
man and murdered him; witness here
related the outrage by Hamp Hander-
son on the person of Miss Lacour); Miss |
Laeour is now insane; that affair oc.
CURED in May, 1873; there was considerable
excitement and feeling against the me-
groes before the C0lfax affair; the assault |
On Miss LacOur occurred after the Colfax |
some residents of Rapidss were
Rt the Colfax affair; took the list Of murders |
in most cases from the Cf6cisl record; there |
we're tifty-seven homicidee; seventeen were |
whites and forty negroes; there wore only |
three convictions; enc man got Penitentiary |
Tor life, but escaped; one is now In the |
and the other convicted man |
WAS pardoned by Governor Kellogg;
when Lloyd shorter, Q leading colored |
politician, was killed, the country was
and the Metropolitan militia was
ent there.
To Messrs Hoar and Wheeler-sWe have
lad but little law since 1868; Needham Wal
ers, whose name is in the list, was killed
n Grant perish, and Mr. Philips has been
prosecuted for the killing; Governor Wells |
anlly haa never been Ostracised nor has |
e been to any great extent; people do not
ssociate with DeLscey or his colored wife;
ge do not believe in miscegenation; the
arish debt January g. 1875, was $34 594 20;
exonerate the police jury from the blame;
Bank created q bad feeling
mopg the negroes, causing them to
esert the Republican party; q colored
leeting denounced the action Of the Re- |
nrniDg Board; resolutions were passed to
nat eff-ct; a Democrat wrote the resolu-
one; the meeting adopted resolution
eclaring that nobody but white men had
Aen int,midsted 1t the election: November
We had public meeting at night.
hites; it was jubilee meeting over our
access in carrying the State, but We did
,t know that the Returning Board would
ave q say; l claim that tho Democrats
last election carried the State
? 5000 majority; at the other
ate election our majority was greater,
the fact that many coiored
,ople have since joined our party; have
st all confidence in President Grant; if
,uislana would immediately begin to | g
rive; We had no connection with the '
'hite League Of New Orleans, and we had
} White League; do not know Of any dis
yalty on the part Of our people toward
Q general government; Grants failure to .
t in the Arkansas and Cuba cases, and
ting too much in the Louisiana case,
used people to lose all confidence in him.
o feeling in my section is that the United p
ates government hss no particle Of right .
interfere with our affairr; think that io q
der to get rid of Kellogg and his dishon- q
officials the people would accept an or Il
+ from the United States government y
q new election, or even provisional 9
vernment.
70 Nj. Hoar: Qnestion-In the election of &
2 you had the aid of Governor Warmoth p
other Republican leaders, had you noti q
swer-I always regarded that aid as in u
ions.
Question A considerable number Of col
d voters in Rapides voted tor McEnery p
1921 Apswer-I don't think it d
luesfion-Throughout the Ststei An n
mo, sir; think not. "
luesrion-Is it your opinion you bad more n
ess colored votes in 1872 than You had in iu