The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-04

The Parish Of Red River Radical
Province.
EgiaboIical Scheme IL Twitchell, Devices,
Edgerton and Others, to Murder
the White Women and
Children.
How the Plot was Frustrated.

As the affairs of Louisiana are engrossine
public attention, a sketch of the history Of
Red River parish will not be, think, withou,
interest to your readers.
Its history is of unusual significance, as il
is an epitome and type Of that of the State Of
Louisiana under Radical domination. 1t ex-
hibits in small community, open to obser-
walton, what has been transporting all over the
State.
In this small parish the machinery OF
oppression and the hands that controlled it
we're ,viously visible; this had the natural
effect Of rendering these agents Of mis-gov-
eminent exceedingly obnoxious, and their
acts more aggravating than if committed in a
large community in which the acts OF indi-
viduals are concealed by the complicated
machinery of State or National Government
This history will also show that open, un-
disguised and impoverishing robbery was
INTERESTINGLY borne with for. years, and that
even a conspiracy to murder themselves and
families did not induce the citizens of this
parish to right their own wrongs, although all
legal means of redress were denied them. If
these considerations did not Justify the peo-
pie of other parishes in killing these bed
men, it will at least extenuate their crime
1t will also exhibit the patient suffering of
the people of this State under unheard of
provocations, and inferentialy it may be de-
duced that there is, throughout the State, a
g,eat reluctance to come in conflict with the
colored race, knowing the uses that will be made
of it by their enemies; hence, in all such con-
Acts, it may be assumed that the response
bility rests upon those whose interest it is to
promote them-the carpet-bagger and the
scalawag. The people of Louisiana are I'M
der fearful bonds to keep the peace, and do
so, except under unheard of proyocation, in
which manhood and human nature assert
their rights.
In 1871, the parish OF Red River was
created out Of portions Of the parishes Of De
Soto, Natchitoches, Bienville, Caddo and Bos-
sier, against the wishes Of the taxpayers
thereof, for the undisguised purpose Of Great
ing new field Of plumber for portion Of
the retainers of the clique who ruled the
State
This parish is chiefly composed Of rich,
alluvial lands, capable Of producing bale of
cotton the acre, aud under JUS, econOmi- |
cal and honest government, would be one of |
the richest and fairest spots on the earth |
Its voting strength consisted of about eleven |
hundred negroes-none Of whom are tax |
payers-and about three hundred whites;
about one-half of whom pay taxes. This
parish with only one hundred and fifty tax
payers was handed over to a member of the
Radical Government to be used in any
manner that he saw tit
As soon as the parish was created parish
courthouse and jail were built at Coushatta,
selected as the county seat. The erection of
these buildings was contided to man named
Devices, to whom the parish and its patronage
had been formally presented. The court
house cost sixteen thousand dollars. Compe
tent and reliable builders have publicly stated
that they would have willingly undertaken to
build similar one for four thousand dollars.
Then parish Judge was appointed, then
clerk of court next sheriff, deputies, con-
stable, assessor, tax collector, district attor-
ney, recorder Of mortgager, and long list of
other officers. In addition to this horde of
harpies a police jury, body equivalent to
county commissioners of the northern States,
was appointed Devices had in this new dis
trict more power than any autocrat living.
His word was law. The Judge consulted him
on his decisions The tax collector gave him
the taxes. The police jury did his bid ling.
In q small way he was omnipotent. The
police jury, whose duty it is to see to the
roads, repairs of court house, Jail, etc., for
merly composed of six property holders, who
met for duty four times per annum, received
two dollars for each meeting, or eight dollars
per annum-not sufficient to pay the cost of
their dinner. The modern police juries. and
that of Red River parish was no exception to
the rule, declared their sittings perpetual and
drew yearly wages.
Under the law the police jury could not i'm
cent taxes, as the parish tax is restricted to
the limit of the State tax, which at the time
was about two and half per cent.
When Devices found that the revenues Of
the parish were not large enough to meet his
requirements, he raised the assessments from
SIS per acre (the assessment in all or most OF
the northern parishes previous to the war,
when the value of land was much greater {
than at present. to $40 per acre, thus in
Sreasing taxation eight hundred per cent.
The consequence was no man held his [
property except on the sufferance OF Devices, {
who with his followers, through tax sales, {
became possessed of some Of the best lands {
in the parish. {
These enormities were borne two years with
out an outbreak, without a single act OF ]
violence, the people remaining passive in the
hope that the time would come when peace '
fal remedy could be obtained through the
ballot box. Devices and his chief assistant, ]
'Twtchell, finding their Golfers amply filed
with the plumber they wrung from the in '
habitants Of this parish. went to New Orleans {
and turned over the field of plumber to their ]
brothers and other Adventures from the
North, East and West, who became as in |
dustrious in the work Of spoliaton as their s
predecessors. 1t is estimated by men who !,
know them that the elder Devices and witch 1
ell made from $500, 900 to 100000 out Of
the people Of Red River, though when they (
first went there they scarcely owned the ragged
clothes they wore. And not dollar Of this 9
immense sum was made by any legitimate {
business. |,
The people Of Red River parish were more q
NOnseryatiYa during the noliticl campaigp !