The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1875-01-01

stealthily abstracted and Republica,
cross>marked atiidavits stealthily in
serted and acted on, aud the election
, returns themselves altered and forged
In the interest Of the Radicals week
after the election.
There is no redress through the courts
because those to which alone applica
tion can be made are but the creature.
of usurpation, whose existence depend
upon a continuation Of Radical rule il
defiance of the expressed will of tn,
people. These returning officers hav,
been now for seven weeks dnllying will
the liberties and rights of the people O
an entire State, apparently waiting un
cOnsumnlate their contemplated vii
lainy by promulgating Radical ma
jority as elected to the Legislature
They hope to do this with impunity
because the State House where they sit
is garrisoned with Kellogg's standing
army of metropolitan police, with
several companies of the army of the
United States within fifty yards, and
| the whole force Of the army and navy
within the call of Kellogg's whistle,
sleeping on their arms with cartridges
distributed.
In this manner are we threatened
with another mongrel horde of frapacious
plunderers, ignorant and debauchcd,
claiming to be Republicans elected by
the Radical returning officers and in
stalled as Il Legislature by the potefi-
tial force of the army and navy of tho
United States, as was done in 1872
To such base uses are your soldiers put
That our people are disposed to vic.
lence, and that the rights of the black
man would not be safe if the Conserva-
tive majority in Louisiana was permit
ted to rule, as stated by our enemies,
and by the President in his message,
we know to be untrue and disproved
by the fact that during the four days
the elected government was in undis-
puted power with a large force at its
command, not negro was hurt, not
an act of violence committed, and not
withstanding the great previous provo
cation, not I, right of any citizen was
violated.
Having failed in all our appeals to
the justice and the patriotism of the
President and the Congress, we now,as
u last resort, appeal to the source of all
power-the people OF the whole coun-
try, whose moral influence we invoke,
in the hope ofawakening that sympn-
thy with our wrongs and sufferings
always accorded to II brave and free
people struggling for ,liberty. In the
confidence that Il virtuous public senti-
ment may compel the unprincipled
men who are Prcying upon the Vitals
of the State to let go their hold, we
hope it lDny react upon the Executive
and Congress, and compel them to
grant us that relief which neither their
sense ofjusticc nor regard for the
fundamental institutions of the country
has been able to effect.
Wc make this appear in advance of
the final consummation of the great
wrong about being pcrpetratcu upon
the people. as we are as positively as
sured of the intention of the returning
officers to defraud the people of the
fruits of their political victory as if the
act had been already consutntnatcd.
We are not clanOring for party pur-
poses that one set of men should be
for another aus public
officials. Our rcpugnance to Repub1i-
can rule in Louisiana is not based
altogether upon the fact of its being a
usurpation. Valued as great principles
are, and grossly as they have been
violated, yet it is not for that reason
alone that the people OF Louisiana are
clamoring for relief. The people de-
mand that those elected by them shall
govern, so that they shall be relieved
from oppression grown intolcrable
that taxation, which has become con-
fiscation, may be lightened; that hide
Gus and widespread poverty and dis
trust may be removed, and that they
may be permitted to live by honest
industry: that honest goAernment for
protection may be substituted for systc-
matized robbery. For these reasons,
wee the down-trodden people of once
free Louisiana, now call upon the peo-
pie of the free States of America; if you
would yourselves remain free and retain
the right Of fsclf-govcrn nment, to demand
in tones that can not be misunderstood
or disregardcd, that the shacklcs be
stricken from Louisiana, and the power
of the United States army be no longer
used TO keep q horde of Adventures in
power.
Il. r.. FoRMAN, Chairman.
w G. RAYMOND,
ARCH. MITCHELL, Committee.
T.. G.. ZACIIARIE,
New Orleans, December %, 1874.
Rooms COMMITTEE OF SEVENTY,
New Orleans, Dec. %, 1874.
ball hi IApf