The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-05-20
IyT rs HAVE THE TRUTH.

it's persistent and malignant misrepre-
sensations OF the white people, and rs
the canvass of 1876 approaches. 1t Is re-
beginning It's infamous work with re-
doubled energy and audacity We do
not hesitate to affirm that the responsi-
bility for all the blood that has been
shed In the broils in Louisiana,
during the last ten years, rests
upon the shoulders Of the heart
less wretchcs who conduct the ne
publican, and in whose interest the ne
publican has been conducted, and yet.
that paper and those men. aggressive
and untiring in their purpose 70 utterly
subject the white people ana control
absolutely the State. have succeeded IN
creating tho impression abroad that we
are n race Of blood-thirsty villains, tho
object and end Of whose lives are to
murder negroes and Republicans. III
our people were tho wretches tho ne
publican has represented them to be,
how long would any Of the raseals with
whom It's party las filed our country
parishes survive to plumber and
defame US? If our people are
villains thirsting for negro ana
Republican blood. would il have
been possible for Twitchell and Devices
to have lorded il for years over Rod RIVER
parish, or for Meyers. and Blunt. ana
Bouei TO have pillaged and scourged
Natchitoches at their pleasure or for
Keetiug and Levissee to have disgraced
Caddo from 1868 10 1876 or Tor Weber
and Swazie to have agitated. year after
year, West Felciana. arraying the
negroes there against a too patient com
munity If our people were the lawless
ruf1ians. intolerant Of carpet baggers
and scalawags, the Republican day
after day asserts they are, how long
could a journal, sustained by money pill
LACED from their pockets. exist in their
very midst to defame and villify them
md their families. and their interests ?
Tho people Of Louisiana have been
tolerant and forbearing to point
which has emboldened the Republican
and its party leaders to abuse and mis-
represent them in their very teeth, to
charge them with being murderers and
traitors. and to insult every tradition
and vllify every memory they respect
or reverence. Tho tolerant and for
bearing spirit Of the people OF Louis
lana toward their plunderers and ira
ducers has emboldened the Republican
to continue its villiiCatiOnS. and they
must thank themselves for having built
up. or permitted to grow UP. among
them a malignant sheet which has ad-
vertised them from Maine to California
rs murderers and rebels.
The audacity ~ the ffpHbijrnn has
never been more conspicuously dis
PLAYED than in its Misrepresentation of
the recent affrayl in West Fcliciana and
wilkinson county. All the lying bench
men OF the Radical party in those 10
calities have swiftly sent TO it their
fa!sehoods. knowing that in lis columns
they would be blazoncd to the country
as the truth. We happen to know that
the Republican has received from the
lips OF a gentleman Of the highest char
acter and most unimpeachable yeraciiy,
the real truth Of the riots referred
to. But it has preferred to publish the
lies II received from the white and negro
instigators Of the ARRAY; men utterly
unworthy OF credit. and who. instead OF
being Senators and Representatives OF
Louisiana, should be In the Louisiana
Penitentiary.
In a few words the whole story OF the
West Feliciana and Wilkinson riot may
be told. Ever since the planters OF that
portion OF Louisiana and Mississippi
took active and efficient steps to break
UP the illicit traffic in seed cotton and
stolen cattle, the evil-disposed negroes
Of the county have been sullen and
threatening. Mr.. Weber, the Radical
State Senator from West Feliciana,
encouraged and built up that trade.
and made large sums Of money by it
As tho action OF the planters was inju-
rious to him, he has fomented tho dis-
content OF the negroes and studiously
cultivated their bad feeling toward the
whites. The night before the murder
Of Mr.. Aranson, Swazie, a negro politi-
clan and bosom friend of Weber, was in
the neighborhood making inflammatory
speeches to the negroes and appealing
to them to defend their rights. Some
trouble had recently occurred between
Aronson and negro who had been.
concerned in stealing his (Aronson 81
cattle, and in rough and tumble fight
the negro got we'll whipped. lSuch
affairs occur daily in every city and
neighborhood in the Union. In
censed at the drubbing their
companion had received; influenced by
the incendiary harangues Of Swazie,
md it is believed, supplied with ammu-
n, 'tion by Swazie and Weber, a band OF
nel ,roes, as has been related, visited
Arc, ,son's house and murdered him.
The whites assembled, captured two Of
the mu vderers and, after being perfectly
satisfied Of their guilt, hung them. The