The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-01-25
THE SOUTH,
Statement OrNOrthern Men, Res
ilents OF Shreveport, In Regard
20 Major MerFill'S Report.

SHREVEPORT, January 2S.-We, tho
undersigned Northern men, residents Of
Shreveport, Louisiana, have read with
inexpresSible astonishment the state.
ments made by General Merrill and
others, representing this community In u
condition Of anarchy and It's people law
less and defiant, stating that in this vicin-
ity there are not lesS than $50 political
criminals who have not been prosecuted;
that the negroes arc systematically NAL
treated, cheated OF their earnings, and
that 1000 have been driven from their
homes in penury, We most solemnly
assert that all such statements are base.
less misrepresentation and absurlly
false. There Is no lawlessness here nor
in this vicinity that has come to our know.
ledge. The only disorder that We have
known was made by this military SLAM
derGr Just before the election, by sending
his soldiers raiding over the country, ar
resting unresisting citizens for imaginary
ofenses, who had not been held for trial,
because there was no evidence OF guilt.
II ordinary crimes are not vigorously
punished by our present judicial author
ity, It il through no fault Of the intelli'
gent and virtuous part Of the community,
who have had no voice in their selection,
If any tonantFy have been elected, it
has been to small extent, and mostly,
ii not altogether, the vagabonds and
vicious. II there be any destitution
among the colored people, itisin no sense
from want OF rcmuneratiVe employment,
The relations Of the two races are un-
usually friendly, arising doubtless from
the fact that at the recent election many
colored men voted with the Taxpayers,
the Conservative ticket We think the
good order here quite remarkable, when
we reflect that the parish officers and Rep.
resentativGs who were elected by six
hundred majority, IN as orderly election
as ever was witnessed, have been for the
second time cheated out OF their success
by the present ruling dynasty. We will
only add that the statements referred to
are so outrageously false and gTUuldless
that they could only have originated In
crazy brain and poorly concealed malice.
[Signed: $. Il. Steera, cotton buyer,
New York; L. l.. Dennis, cotton buyer,
Rhode Island; !. ]. Howard, cotton buyer,
Connecticut; c. W. Burt, merchant, Iowa;
E. II. Crosby, New York; D. Shapley,
planter, New York; a. L. Wright, planter,
Ohio; Frank Lewis, boot and shoe dealer,
DostOn, Mass,
THE NEw ORLEANS CONGRESSIONAL cont
MITTEE.
NEw ORLEANS, January 23.-The Con.
gressiOnal Committee Of Investigation to-
day was confined 10 the action Of the Re.
turning Board. No new developments.
The Conservative caucus adopted the
following, which was read to the Con.
grcSsiOnOl Committee and accepted by tho
Chairman, to be taken under conSidera.
ton:
Resolved, BY this House caucus, com.
posed OF the Conservative members re.
turned by the Returning Board, and those
claiming 10 have been undoubtedly elect
ed, but defrauded by the Board, that dc.
string in the interest Of our afflicted
State to have solution Of our political
troubles, and relying on the integrity and
fairness Of the four gentlemen, members
Of the Congressional Committee, now In
New Orleans, and in advance Of any In.
vcstigatioh oil their part, We, az body,
hereby ask them, II the task Is not con.
sidercd too onerous, TO take the returns Of
1874, together with oil fair and relevant
testimony, and, upon such returns and
evidence, declare what members OF the
Legislature were fairly elected"