New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-10-16
A Prelude to the Murder of John Gair

A Prelude to the Murder of John Gair.
The following extracts from the Clinton
Patriot Democrat, published in the REPUB-
LIcAN of July 30, we now republish. Let
it be remembered that the editor of that
paper, over his own signature, forwarded
the dispatch relative to the shooting of
John Gair:
At last the people are waking up in this
parish, as in other parishes, to the neces.
sity of taking the control of public matters
in their own hands. The disposition to
BANKRUPT, is giving way to determination
to take the proper position, and govern in
stead of being governed. The black man
has proved his incapablity to hold office,
and also his lack of integrity. All that is
required is to resolve that torbearance hav.
ing ceased to be virtue, We will obtain
control of parochial affairs and permit no
one to hold office who ls not honest and
capable. 1t is high time that the
white people should be united in thought,
word and action. Let the indus.
trious negro, who is not an Office. seeker,
know that if he is with us in our efforts at
reform we will protect him, and that he
will be sharer in the benefit accruing; but
if he supports the Republican party, as it
now exists in Louisiana, we shall consider
him our enemy and an enemy to the true
interests of his country.
Under the head "A Glorious Day." it
says:
bright and glorious day for East Fell.
ciana-a day when John Gair, Bob Ray,
Henry Smith, Tony Clark, Adam Senseless
and other negro politicians of small calibre
will be known and seen no more in official
stations, apiDg officers in the discharge of
official duties, is near-very near at hand.
God be praised. If any human being was
ever more heartily nauseated at seeing
these worthless in positions for which they
are totally incompetent it is US.
The editor wanted to see these men at the
jack plane, in a livery stable, swinging q
sledge hammer, turning burrows, or mount
ed on a mule wagon, and continues:
That this is the last chance these func.
tionaries will ever have of aping the official
is as certain as a certainty can be. A few
short months only and they will step down
and out, with full consciousness that
never more will they occupy positions in
tended for men of nowledge and ability.
The editor then called upon the bar to
deprive the negro officials of legal advice,
and continues:
While determined to act in str lot con-
formity to law, while firmly reso lved to
protect every honest colOred citize in his
rights, there is yet higher law go vernng
our mOtives-the law OF self-prese rvation,
the future of our wives and child rem, our
homes, our educational and moral being
all that is dear to us In life-appe al to our
manhood to put down these enemie of So
ciety who have so frequently attempted to
lay waste and ravage our parish.
1t is only necessary to add that since that
writing all the negro or Republican officials
heye been exiled from East Feliciana, while
Sheriff Smith has been shot and John Gair
assassinated by the armed Democrats.
THE SEQUEL.
How we'll the writer knew what he was
saying, how wisely he built his paragraphs,
is shown by his dispatch to the Picayune of
Thursday:
CLINTON, October IA, 80 A. M.-The
posse in charge of Gair, and conducting
him from Baton Rouge to Clinton, were
overpowered last night, eleven miles from
this place, by seventy armed and masked
men, their arms taken from them, and Gair,
the party who had DR.. j. w. Saunders
poisoned, was shot to death the same night.
Babe Mathews, the negro woman who ad-
ministered the poison for Gair, was taken
from the guards by an armed body and
hung to tree in the court yard. All is now
quiet. The negroes consider it Just retr-
button for the crimes of these dangerous
negroes. LAMBERT,
Editor Patriot Democrat.