New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-02
VOLUME VIII--NO. 2;

l
Orleans, advising the White Leagu.
to stand firm, and there was NJ
prospect of troops arriving; was otter
warned not to leave my house; tht
tax collector was assa;led by mob; q lo
of White Leaauers pursued my brother
threats were made that as soon as the troops
left the negroes would be fixed; threats
were made that persons who voted the Re
publican ticket would be discharged; thu
colored people were greatly intimidated
white Republicans did not dare to go out
unless with soldier; no colored man could
| have registered or voted had not troops
| been there; q commissioner could not obtain
| a posse to assist him; there is q feeling
! against all Republicans; when the sheriff
arrived here with his St. Martin
prisoners q mob made bad threats toward
the posse; the deputy marshal was grossly
insulted; the prisoners had been arrested
for violating United States laws; from the
end of 1873 six cOlOred men have been killed
in my parish; an affidavit was made in the
case Of drowned man but no arrests were
made; it was said that if man should at.
tempt to make arrests somebody would be
hurt; there was no charge against the negro
who was drowned that l know of; l as
sisted to intimidate negroes when was a
McEneryite in 1872; We would ride out
late at night and shoot near their houses;
of age; Messrs. DeBlanc aud DeClouet
persuaded the White League not to execute
its resolve to hang me; they published me
as defaulter without examining my books;
the tax collectors books were examined,
and it was found that he had paid in $87 too
much; last July number of men prevented
the police jury holding its meeting; the
White Leaguers had two cannon, and saw
them parading with their guns; the Fournet
g. L. 30 al = ruoY
during Democratic rule the tax collectors
did not dare to seize; when q Republican
collector made q seizure of some OF the
property there was great row; it had at
one time been arranged not to permit ne
grOes to register.
Lieutenant L. w. Cook-Am Lieutenant
of the Third Infantry; have been stationed
in st. Martin parish; l was sent to Breaux
Bridge to see if it was necessary to send
United States troops there; there was
written protest against my making an in.
spection of the country; publicly announced
that all who desired could furnish me with
informatiOn; a colOred man told me that
late one night white men visited his house,
tied him in his yard and searched his prem.
ises; and on departing told him that if he
was there at sunrise he would be killed;
one Sunday the White League, mounted and
armed, visited cOlored church; two of
them rode into the church and said they
would cut the preachers ears OF; the
election was not free one; had not troops
been there colored men could not have
voted; it was on my report that the troops
were sent up; after election day colored
men were discharged and the names of
those who voted the Republican ticket were
published in the Sentinel. Two copies Of
the Sentinel, dated in January, 1875, were
fled.] Had rather he live among Comanches
than live with Acadians; did not find any
love for the United States government. or
disposition to be friendly to the army; they
are not inclined to give colored men their
legal rights.
Cross ss-examination-A letter was inter-
cepted at the Breaux Bridge post0fice
which contained something that was con-
strued as meaning that Black League was
in existence; l failed to find anything like
a Black League, and l do not believe that
the white people believe there is or has been
a Black League.
j. J. johnson (colored III reside in De
Soto parish; last June white men told me
that should not vote the Republican ticket;
was told that l must leave the parish;
white men whip and swindle negroes; SEN
atOr Elam advised cOlOred men to give up
their arms; some gave up their guns; Dem
ocrats put on United States soldier uniforms
and worked on the fears of cOlOred men;
feared that / would be murdered; was
elected Representative at the last election;
have kept a list Of men who have been
killed in my section of the country for
years; the list numbers 1875.
Mr. Marshall cross questioned this wit.
ness at considerable length and succeeded
in confusing him somewhat about unim-
portant matters.
The committee adjourned until P. NJ.
Evening Session.
At the opening of yesterdays congress
,ional committee session, Colonel Field
asked permission to make an explanation
an item in Monday mornings
Picay,sne, about telegram to General
Butler, the authorship of which had been
attributed to him. He emphatically denied
The allegation, and pronouced the assertion
untrue. Tho dispatch made him speak
of the congressional COM
nittee.
The first witness was Judge A. b. Levi
,ee-I reside at Shreveport; am q practiciDg
was formerly a Wing; during the
war was with the secession movement; the |
White League, if it was in existence in |
was unknown to me; there was |
= white mans party; it combined nearly |
the entire white population OF our section |
IF country; it appealed to the passions of |
white people, and the expressed object was |
TO put down the State government; the |
press SO strongly advised extreme measures |
that Conservatives did not dare to keep out |
)f the movement; moderate men felt it |
necessary to Join in the movement because |
IF the pressure; was repeatedly urged to
DIN the extremists; l did not think it |
was founded on solid principles; was
+old that l would be ostracised un.
ess l joined the party; it was not |
,afe for white man to remain outside Of |
The movement; the Republican paper was
the effect OF the movement was |
20 suppress the Republican party; armed
white men attended a Republican meeting; |
am Republican; it was not safe for Re- |
publican to declare his principles; did not
.ttend the Republican meetings, because l
believed it was intended to get me- into a |
lifiiculty; think that 400 colored Repub-
leans voted the Democratic ticket; it was |
lot voluntary on their part; think
here are not more than three Democratic
,egroes in Caddo parish; colored people
we're told that the whites were bound to
'ule the country; do not think that the
White people are willing to give colored
ls whole are remarkably quiet il Caddo
parish; there has been more or less out
awry in the surrounding parishes during
he last three months; never heard
hat there were charges of corruption
against me; for Ave or six months
,ast articles in the Shreveport Times
ave been exceedingly incendiary; the
Times was publicly indorsed by the Con-
last December; at last election
he registr alton was 1900; am owner of real
state in Caddo parish; my taxes are be-
ween $500 and $500 per annum; many
arge plantations were mortgaged before
be war; have been ostracised and socially
white men did not dare to take
nominations; men publicly an