New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-05
Special Correspondence of the Republican.
WEST FELICIANA AFFAIRS.
BAYOU SARA, La, December !, is'

EDITOR REPUBLICAN:
Having missed water connection at this
place. thought proper TO improve the
opportunity by gathering materials for a
letter TO your journal. SO much has been
written of late as regards Feliciana matters
that few lines on this subject from a dis
interested person might enlghten your
many readers, who have been deprived of
Information from this quarter through the
fear of leading Republcans-none of them
thinking il prudent to disclose matters cen
nected with the present troubles. | have
conversed with a number OF citizens of this
parish, belonging mostly to the Democratic
party, and am able to come 70 this conclu.
zion: White Republicans are not safe in this
section of the country; negroes ditto. Bat
as j propose to give the facts, and not my
views, the reader will be able to juG &c Tor
himself
Some two months since an organization.
styled the Taxpayers Protective Union
was organized tor the osteNsible purpose of
resisting the payment of Illegal taxes"
This meant the payment OF some ten or
twelve judgments against the parish of West
Feliciana, amounting to about $4,000 for
debts contracted by the police iuries during
the years 1867, 1865, 1869 and so. This, |
believe, was the instigation Of what trans
PRED since the formation of this model as
sociation. The Non-payipg Protective
taioI4stS aver lAdI lHC pdpciE upon
which the judgments were rendered were
ILLEGALLY and traudulently issued" by
the police jury. So far as the action
Of illegality and fraud is concerned. |
join issue with the resisters. But
right here desire to expose their tactics.
The bowling masses, driven like go many
herds Of cattle, charge the fraudulent issue
of parish paper to the Republican admins
tration in that parish. Now, it is notori-
GUS fact that at no time previous 10 1872
was there Republican police jury in West
Feliciana, and that every dollar of the
paper which forms the basis OF these judg-
ments was issued by the police jury when
it was composed of sucn gentlemen az Or.
Joseph D. Smith, nephew of the Hon. JEFF
ferson DAVIS, late president of the Conted-
crate States of America; John F. Irvine,
John B. Seeders, George Washington Ed
wards, DR.. r. Fl. Ryland, Charles \. Glib
bons, John Blake Wederstrandt, Duncan
Stewart, DR.. Rutin G. Stirling, and others
of like note. The attorney who obtained
these judgments against the parish was par
ticnlar to make this appear OF record. And
in the very face of this record, several of
these late police jurors have come into court
and taken a solemn oath that the aliega-
tons OF their petition are true and correct;
for the reader must understand that nearly
all of the mem bers of the old police jury,
since they no longer enjoy the legal right
W Lax Uuo poopic, nave ueldlHorpuOseu
themselves into Non-taxpaying Protective
Unionists, and are now plaintiffs in this big
lawsuit.
As said in the above, the organization
of Taxpayers Union was for the purpose of
resisting illegal taxes; but, subsequent.
events have demonstrated that the real
objective point was grand rally of the
faithful for the purpose of following in the
wake of their Eaet Feliciana chums, and
driving from the two Felicianss all that
were not of their house. So, in order to
carry out this programme OF anarchy and
political confusion, it was deemed necessary
to inaugurate it BY grand evolution
OF cavalry, composed principally of the
remnants Of .'Sc0tt's Nine Hundred" and
numbering about 100 in all. The reader
will bear in mind that this took place about
two months since, when this parish enjoyed
the most perfect peace. This battalion of
armed men paraded the streets several
times during the day, and for several days
in succession, committing deeds of violence
which, for brutality, deserve well to be
classed as belonging to the past dark ages.
The negro was not the only victim, but
others. One poor and inotfeEsive Jew, who
tolls honestly for his daily bread, was hung
to tree, and but for the interference of
some OF the party more humane than the
others, he would have been sacrificed as q
victim to o deep and unfair prejudice.
Since then the pages of history will be bur-
dened with recital of the atrocities COM
mitted in this parish. First, the president
of the police jury, and Henry Temple, also
8 member OF the jury, were told that unless
they resigned their offices, their lives would
he taken. This was enough to cause them
to abandon the offices to which they were
elected. Then the Rev. George Dent was
appointed, vice Hogan, resigned, and be-
fore he could qualify party waited upon
him at night, and 90 frightened him that,
after spending several days in the woods,
he concluded that it was best to refuse the
appointment.
Shortly after that white man waited
upon j. Sanford Dula, parish Judge elect,
and presented him with resignation,
written by man living in this community,
and told him the best thing he could do was
to resign in favor of Mr.. j. 81. Collins, Sr.,
his opponent at the last election. Dula re-
fused, or asked for time to consider this
imperious request, and left for New Or
leans. He was absent about two weeks,
turbed about three days. At 1870 P. NJ,
come eight days since, his house was en-
tered By four white men, armed tbut with
peaceabie intentions, OF course), but Dula
having been apprised of their intended
visit had taken flight to New Orleans. Sus-
pecSip9, however, that Duls might be in the
neigh b0rhood, they this friends, Of course),
seaIched house Aeariy opposite .Dula's,
hut without any a1kiCfsctofy result, Mr..
Dula - ~ present IN New Orleans, and will.
no doubt, indorse this statement.
West telisiana. The parish Judge 10 fugi-
I'VE from home and business; the police
Jury no longer exiats, having been forced to
Vnonf0 their Oficoa nnd that thing com-