The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-01-21
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| cred il his duty, upon the arrest of the persen.
charged, TO require bail from sureties who pos
certified TO by the Assessor of the parisl
| TO be Of suffcient value, and of whiet
the title was approved by the Reeiste
| in procuring bail for persons arrested. and h,
was waited on in one case by procession of ciii
gems, who offered him a bond signed by every msl
IN the procession. This he regarded a. in derisior
OF his proceeding and refused TO receive the bond
lie was called as witness to prove the iutimida
tion that existed in that parish; lie had himself
| no knowledge OF any act of the kind, except
| this procession. which he thought was calcu
4 lated 10 lniimidate colored vvterr. He had
| no idea that the arrests made upon his warrant:
| and the proceedings under them had any effect
| iu interfering with Conservative voters. On the
| other hand, the Conservatives in that neighbar
! hood Thought about this just the reverse. In
deed, the reports of the military officers in com
mand of the forces of the United States in the
country, though generally indicating condition
| ent views OF the situation.
On the other hand, il was in evidence that the
/ blacks who sought TO act with the Conservative
party We're, on their part sometimes exposed to
| enmity and abuse In the interior one coiored
/ man was shot for maxim. = Conservative speech
and in New Orleans IL appeared, from the testi
mony, that colored men who sou sht TO co o-opcrate
| with the Conservatives were subject 10 SO much
| abuse from the police that an association of law.
yers volunteered to protect them, but with little
| effect.
The committee give an account Of the general
condition of affairs in the State; the conviction
| among the whites that the Kellogg Government
was usurpation; the general want of confidence
| in State and local officials; the heavy decline in
State securities, and exorhitant taxation; the re-
| duetion of wages; non-fulhllment of personal OF
| political pledges; malfeasance of home and local
| officials; disputes among leading colored per.
| sons; loss Oh embezzlement in some cases OF
| school funds. and failure of the Freedmen s
Bank, all combined to divide the views OF col
ored voters during the late campaign. An
| effort was accordingly made by the Conservatives
| TO acquire part OF the negro vote. With that
view 1t was sought in many quarters to propitiate
| them Frequent arrests by United States Mar.
shals for lntin idation, or threats OF employ
ment, and the apprehension that was felt that the
Returning Board would count out the men If an
bined, especially after the 18th of September, to
put Conservatives on their good behavior,
1874, the people Of Louisiana did fairly
have free, peaceaole and full registration
and election in which q clear Conservative ma
jority was elected to the lower house OF the
Legislature, of which the majority of Conserya-
tives were deprived by the unjust, illegal and arb
trary act of the Returning Board That there
Tsose % ONCE Sg the e
ing Board in violation of the wishes
OF the people were especially odious. In
one instance. the editor of the Shreveport
Netcs, in anticipation of the Illustration by the
Returning Board ofthe will of the people. openly
declared that the only remedy was TO kill the
usurpers, and declared this to be the sentiment of
the Conservatives OF his section Of the State.
But beyond a newspaper editor or two, no decla-
ration, even Of that sort, was brought to our own
notice, although it was admitted on all hands
that the white people of the whole State
felt greatly outraged by the action of the
Returning Board Indeed, it is conceded
by all parties that the Kellogg Govern
ment is only upheld by the Federal military
Withdraw the military and that Government will
go down. This WAS true before the 4th of Jan
uary as well as now. GOV. Kellogg says this is
owing to the doubt that Congress has permitted
about the legality Of the Government. The Con-
servatves say this is not only because his Gov
ment Is illegal but because II has been abusive
Of the white league of New Orleans the commit
tee say II Is an organization composed of differ
ent clubs, numbering in all between 1850 and p
500, the members of which have provided arms for
themselves, and with or without arms engage in
military drill. They wear no uniform and the
abe ayu Tbev :, ana sr mot Of
Der of reputable citizens and of property
holders Their purpose they declare to be simply
protection--a necessity occaAioned by the exis-
tence of leagues among the blacks; by the indus
try with which the Kellogg Governme Mt has ar
rayed the black against the white race; by the
lies which existed. For those reasons, and be-
cause, also, of the peculiar formation Of the po-
lice brigade. On the other hand, Republicans
assert that this is an armed body of volunteers
existing for the purpose of intimidating the
blacks and overthrowirg the Kellogg Gov
ernment. That 1t had any considerable re-
leans, or that it was intended in any way
to interfere with the rights of colored cfizens,
afu uat pIte frag t9HN Nqff lbeer iRd tdt 'nftc
League would readily cooperate in any feasible
scheme for overthrowing the Kellogg Govern |
ment your committee do not doubt; so will sub |
stantaly all white citizens OF Louisiana Such
organizations may be dangerous, and are very
rarely to be justified The affair of the l4th of
September is an illustration OF this.
The committee give a detailed account of the
trouble at that time, and say the Conservatives do
not propose to fight the Federal Government. hey
submit, not because they want to, but because
they must; not because they proclaim enmity
against the flag; not because free labor has not
been found practicable; not because of any hos
tility to colored people because they coiored,
out Of the election of 1872, and yet more out of
the last election, and because they think their
State Government has been to the last degree de-
stIuctive and corrupt. Indeed" say the com
of the State will submit to any fair determination
of the question of the late election, or to any
thing by which they can secure firm and good gov
srnment. What they seek is peace
and opportunity for prosperity. To
that end they will support any form
tion. In their distress they have got beyond any
mere question OF political party"
The committee recite at length the facts rela-
tive to the attempted organization of the Legisla
ture Jan. 4, and conclude as follows:
:" Your committee have not been able to agree
upon any recommendation, but upon the situation
in Louisiana as it appeared before us we are all
agreed"
The report is signed Charles Foster, William
Walter Phelps, Clarkson Y. Potter. The evil
dence upon which the sub committee base their
conclusions has not yet being written out Ii will
be submitted hereafter If it shall be deemed desr-
able. The committee themselves voted to adopt
the report sand also to report the same to the
House, with the recommendation that the same
be printed and recommitted.