The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1875-02-13
CONG REssloNAL COMMITTEE.
ELEVENTH DAY-FED. 4. 1875.

lIttOrncy NJ law. III 1868 there wa
tho usual excitement attending tn
Presidential election. 1t was
matter Of general motoricty tina
the negroes were lnassch at Alex
andria in M armed body. The po
lice disarncd these blacks, wlicl
prevented the occurrence OF trouble
In 1870 the same thing took plac
!. the negroes marched to Alcxam,lri
and left their arms in tho vicinity
They voted in u mass, having il
one case, exclusive possession Of
poll. The Republican candidate
were elected and quietly took thci
offices. The Liberal RrrnbIica,
movement in 1872 embodied ncarl,
all OF the whites, but witness wal
opposed to aili!iation with War
moths party.
At this election the negroes com
planned that they were not above,
I" register; they were armed am
came in bodies. but there was u,
disturbance. In 1868, 20, 72, tn,
coIorcd people had secret mcctin &;
ut their political clubs, not from
amy danger Of asscmblago in til.
day. but because it suited the dc
signs ut their leaders. III I'LL Of til.
campaigns invitations had been tx
tended to tho blacks to toin til.
Conservative movement, but very
few awaited themselves of this re-
quest.
Tho argument used to prevent
their arImiesencc was that the dc
m"crats, the white people, wonI.|
return them to slavery. The raM
roSinm WAS the first paper to sug
gcst the colorlne division in poll
tics, the first editorial ON that sub.
jrct being published IN the edition
OF March -, 1874. Witness read !,
portion Of this article, where the
expression White Mans party was
used for the first time.
J he arguments used by the whites
were that the colorcd people repre-
scented the laborins element, aud
the whites the capital and the intel
llgrnce, so that u union Of the two
would add to the mutual prosperi-
~ of the races.
Tho formation Of the White
Mans party was not as II means Of
expressing the blacks, but to unite
the whites.
Tho people believed in 1874 that
there was not utility in attcnptin.
to carry the election MS tho fruits
of victory would be taken away by
tho Republicans, assisted by the
Federal Administration.
liza struggle had not been made
in the campaign OF 1874, the result
wonId have been that the negroes
would have carried out their plan
Of A'ricanizins the State; that is,
filling the offices with people of
their race, and inviting negro immi
grafton from the nci:.hboring States.
This was the only consideration
that united the whites, and urged
them to take part in tho late
election.
The campaign in Rapidcs com
menc.M in June 1874. There was
more division among the negroes
than hitherto; this was caused by
the refusal OF their prominent prca-
cheers to follow the general rule OF
n'rddling in politics. Eight or ten
of the colorcd leaders joined the
Conservative party.
When the news Of the llth Sep
TENDER reached Alexandria, rrsolu-
tons were passed and the McEnry
officials were installed in the most
peaceful manner, the positions be-
lug resigned by the opposite party
without any feeling.
The election was quietly conduc-
ted; T.. $. troops were Iuartcrcd III
the court house yard. They pre-
scented II request to the sheriff,
which was signed by Gen. Emory,
but bad come through Gov. kc!
iogE, That the troops should hc al
lowed to quarter in the courthouse,
but the building being being newly
finished the request was refused
Lieut.. Bclgcr, commanding the dc.
tatchment camped his troops within
the enclosure, on three sides of the
house, 80 or 40 feet from the polls.
Senator keIso was U. s. supervisor
and Porter republican commission
rr
Captain Snow with a troop of
nine or ten cavalryncn was
il the town, their horses being
g. the livery stable, and the men
around about the polls.
!: Some of the negroes voted the
Democratic ticket, no force of any
Kind being used to influence them.
In the neiyhborhood of the differ
mt polls throughout the parish
squads of troops were Stationed
r I'm |