The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-01-22
The Truth About Louisiana.


litical parties, and all are distinguished for
their independence, fairness and integrity.
1t is natural, however, for men to be more or
less biased in their judgment by their wish
es; and it is but fair to conclude that Messrs.
Phelps and Foster would, if their consciences
had permitted it, have brought in very diff
ierent report from the one they did. They
constituted the majority of the committee,
and their cantior and honesty in thus bringing
in n report that must cast odium upon their
party, is praiseworthy and refreshing.
The committee state in their report that
they examined over 95 witnesses, besides
taking documentary evidence amounting in
all TO more than 1900 printed pages. They
did not undertake to investigate the election
of1S12, as that matter had been previously
investigated and reported upon by other
committees. They proceeded therefore TO
an examination Of the acts of the Returning
BOARD of the State in respect of the late cleo
lions, and then TO an inquiry in reference to
the White League.
As TO the November election, the commit.
tee state explicitly that in November, 1874,
the people Of the State Of Louisiana did fair
- ly have a free, poaccable and full registration
and election, in which clear Conservative
majority was elected TO the lower house of
tic Legislature, of which majority the Con-
servatives were deprived by the unjust, lille
gal and arbitrary action Of the Returning
Board"
In regard 10 the Returning Board, they
find that under the law of the State il was il.
legally constituted, in the first place; and
that even if its organization was such as the
law prescribC5, the committee declare that
its acts We're fraudulent The committee
say:
"1ne returns by the Commissioners of Flee
ton, compiled and forwarded by the Supervi-
sors of Registration gave the Conservatives n
majority of 20 members ont Of total of Ill
members. In only three instances were there
any protests accompanying the rcturns.'
Ittook the Returning Board nevertheless,
many weeks to canvass the returns, and f.
nally, on Christmas Day they brought in re-.
port declaring that SO Republicans and so
Democrats were elected. Other cases were
referred to the Legislature. Their meetings,
also, were held in secret, and no record Of
proceedings was kept, so that the committee
were unable to find upon what ground they
based their unjust conclusions.
The charge that Republican voters were
intimidated and prevented from voting is eff
fectually exploded by the committee. Both
parties agreed upon certain parishes as cx-
amples of the condition of affairs in respect
81 Naturalization nf ITnnn
the committee say:
mo general intimidation of Republican voters
was established. No colored man was produc.
ed who had been threatened or assaulted by any
Conservative because OF political opinion, or
discharged from employment or refused employ
ment. OF all those who testified to intimida-
ton, there was hardly any one who of his own
knowledge could specify reliable instance of
such acts, and of the white men who were pro-
duced to testify generally on such subjects, very
nearly all, if not every single one, was the hold
or of an office. Throughout the rural districts
of the State the number of white Republicans
are very few it hardly extends beyond those
holding Office and those connected with them.
No witness, We believe, succeeded in naming in
any parish five Republicans who supported the
Kellogg Government who were not themselves
office holders orrelatcd TO eholders, or those
having official employment On the other hand,
applications to the United States Commissions
era in the various parishes, not only for alleged
crimes, but because Of alleged threats of dis
Charge and non employment, or other inte,fcr-
ence with political preference, were frequent.
Upon these applications warrants were often is
sued and while citizens arrested and bound over
for trial In many localities the Federal troops
were detained for service under the
mnrshals and deputy marshals, and not
only made many arrests Immediately
before the election, but the reports that they
were coming to neutrality-suspicious. about
the time OF the election, for the purpose of max
ing such arrests, served The Conservatives
claimed, 10 intimidatc sometimes even TO
produce stampede amo"% the white voters
sit was in evidence that the bachs who sought
70 act with the Conservative party were, on
their part, sometimes exposed Ia Cnmiy and
abuse. In the interior one cOlored man was
shot for making Il Conservative speech, and in
New Orleans it appeared from the testimony
that colorcd men who sought to cooperate with
the Conservatives were subject TO SO much
abuse from the police aud otherwise that an as
ISOLATION of lawyers volunteered to protect
them, but with little effect"
The committee found that the conviction
among the whites since 1872 has been gene
raj that the Kellogg government was usur
patton. This conviction has been strength
encd by the extraordinary jurisdiction us
sumed BY the Kellogg Legislature in abolish
ing existing courts, and substituting other.
logg; by investing Kellogg with power &c
suspend elections; by the creation of mo-
nopolics of various kinds; by making it u
criminal oficnse to fill any Office unless re-
turned by the Returning Board by laws dc.
clariug that no person in arrears for taxes
shall bring any sniL in court or be allowed to
be witness in his own behalf; measures
which" the committee say, "whcn coupled
with the extraordinary burdens of taxation
have served to vest, in the language of Gov.
crnor Kellogg's counsel, "a degree Of poarer in
The Governor ofa State scarcely c1ercised By am
socersign an the acorld""
The committee next refer to the great de-
probation in the value of property and the
burdensome taxation-thc latter so oncrous
that the sales of land for taxes have become
almost impossible.
AS 10 the White League organization, the
committee say it is composed Of different
clubs, numbering in all between 2, 800 and 2,
800 men. 1t comprises large number of re-
putable citizens, and of property holders in
New Orleans, and lis object is simply for
mutual protection. 1t did not appear to the
committee that it had any relations outside
of the city of New Orleans, or that it was in
tended in any way to interfere with the rights
of colored citizens.