Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-02-03
TIE Congressional Committee in

Louisiana was busy last week taxing
Testimony "a to the intimidation in that
state previous to the late election. The
following serve as samples:
Ruford Blunt (colored, tes,ifed-i
reside III Naichitches am State Sena-
tor, and am pretty we'll acquainted With
the people ot my parish last June a
meeting was held by persous who call
ed themselves Taxpayers Mr.. Cum
ningbam said it the people desired they
could take charge | Was slave in
GEORGIA and Louisiana have a little
education have lived In Natchiiches
I twenty -oue years the general condition
of affiirs between the whites and the
blacks there was tolerably Pleasant up 10
last JuDe a portion of the meeting
was not taxpayers 1t was proposed to
/ reduce the taxes and also 10 demand
the registration OF some officers in
July the Il publicans held a mass meet
ing many white meu made suspicious
movements, aud Mr. Duprea (shite Re
publican, was carried off; those officers
we're told to resign or they would be
assasslnated some of us were in favor
Of the police jury resigning, aud they
did resign when on steam boat GU my
way to New Orleans some men came ou
board and said they intended TO tx me-
during the night, the men We're pu, of
the boat on July 25 we held a Noml
mating Convention in our parish, armed
men were assembled in room in town .
| understood they were 10 asssssinate it
We nominated a certain District Judge
and District Attorney; we did rot nom
mate these officers then in consequence
of the threats. As soon as the Jopven-
tion adjourned the delegates left for
their homes, believing it was not safe
for them to remain in town; few days
afterward the armed men appeared again
and made tax-collector resign; | was
told there was no objection to me ;
when | vas IN Alexandra, in August
last, man assailed me aud said that
all of US would be strung before this
trouble was over l had to pay twenty
| FIVE dollars for hack to go home. and
l expected to be killed f; after that |
was hunted, and | believe white men
wished to take my life, as they said |
had too much influence and was in their
way they 1.-THE white men) told me |
must get out of the way | though |
would rather than be killed told
them if they attacked me would try
and sell my life dearly l resigned my
position in the school board they con-
tinualiy said they had nothing against
me personally; there were regular
meetings held by persons generally
known as White Leaguers | did not
dare to tend their meetings | seldom
slept at home other colored men re-
manned i'll the woods after the register
ing Office closed about FIVE hundred
colored men did not register some of
those who registered could not vote be-
cause the registering officer spelled
their Dames wrong there was raigu
of terror up to election | resigned my
position as Senator to save my life =,
there is petition in my parish asking
Congress to do something to protect the
cOlOred people the colUreG men believe
that the whites intend To reduce them
to slavery again the negroes are BETTER
off financially than when they were
slaves; many of them have purchased
property since the war; more cuiOred
men have made money since the war
than planters have On e!ecIon day
many of my people were prevented from
voting as they chose, aud some OF them
voted the White League ticket; they
voted that way to save themselves !;
without the presence of trOops on elec-
ton day think not more than five hun
dred cOlored men could have voted :
the white people agreed to employ men
who voted the Democratic ticket first,
and next men who did not vote at all :;
the public schools in Natchitcbes are
free, and at present colored children
attend them more regularly than white
children the colored people in the
parish uld not be .afe under Demo-
cratic rule | know the colored men
who voted the Democratic ticket the
hatred Of the people is directed against
both negroes and Republicans don't
believe that good Democrat from the
north, during the last campaign, could
have canyassed the parish III safety 1t
he had favored tair measures aud depre
Gated intimidation the piaaters and
merchants generally manage to swludle
the negroes out of their earnings; the
feeling of distrust on the part OF the
coiered people of the whites was not
suggested to them by the Republicans,
l. l.. Pierson, of NatchitOche>, was
sworn, aud testified as to intimidation,
murders, &c, in his parish, during
which he recounted an attempt upon his
life, first stating that be had lived in
Natchltoches since boyhood, and that
formerly his politics were Democratic,
but prior to the last election be was a
Republican that for this change of
sentiment he was ostracised even by a
resolution adopted at public meeting
that he came here, was appointed by
Kellogg judge of his parish, and return
ed, and was met within sixteen miles oil
his home, and told not to 60 home. lie
did 90, and a number of his friends
there told him not to attempt to dis
charge the functions of his office that
his life was in danger because of bis
being Republican. On going to bis
Office the next day he learned that his
life would be attempted, and received
a note from his wife asking him to come
home ; then his wife came ana he went
that has sister told him that two armed
men were lurking about the place, as
she guessed, to take his life forty arm