The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-12-14
LOUISIANA.
Senator shermab's Louisiana Report


with q letter, accompanied by the tes-
timOny, addressed TO me by the Hon
Jno. Sherman and other distinguished
citizens, in regard to the canvass o.
the vote for Electors in the State o.
Louisiana.
"U. 8. GRANT.
| "EXECUTIvE MANSION, Dec. 6, 49,
The letter transmitted by the Presi,
dent is as follows:
"To the President Of the United
States
"In pursuance Of your request thai
several Of the undersigned snOuld pro-
ceed TO New Orleans, and there wit
ness the canvass by the Returning
Board of the State OF louisiana of the
votes cast in that State for Electors oil
President and Vice-President Of the
United States, we have performed
that duty, and now most respectfully
report that on our arrival In that city
We found several gentlemen who
came representing Republican State
organizations, who have throughout
co-operated with those who went at
your request, and whose names are
also appended to this communication.
Between the gentlemen representing
the Democratic party and ourselves q
correspondence in writing ensued, Q
copy Of which is appended hereto.
Reference to il will disclose that q
conference with US for the purpose of
exercising an influence upon the Re
turning Board was declined, upon the
ground that the only duty devolYed
- h-N -
Board, carefully note its proceedings,
and, finally, to report q faithful his
tory thereof, with such opinions con-
cerning the same as truth and justice
should demand. Such a report we
are now able to present, and we take
pleasure in stating that our ability to
do so Is due to the exercise Of the
courtesy and kindness of the Return
ing Board, which entities its mem
bers, not only to our thanks, but to
that confidence which q Just public
extends toward every tribunal which
desires that ali its proceedings should
be duly presented to public scrutiny.
Il was our earnest wish that this pub
licity should be attained, but we
should have felt 0elicacy in request
ing any privilege not in harmony
with the usage or the Board. We
were, however relieved from all en-
barrassment by the receipt Of its
delivered to Us ald to the gentlemen
who attended at the request CT the
Chairman of the Democratic Com
mittee, inviting tue attendance of
five gentlemen from each delegation,
as spectators and witnesses of the
proceedings of the Board, and this in
Wits ton was accompanied with an
offer to furnish stenographic report
ers, selected by each committee, to be
present and make full report of all
proceedings and testimony, and to Sc
cure the daily publication thereof by
the press. The undersigned made ar.
rangements for that purpose with the
proprietors OF one of the daily neWs-
papers printed in New Orleans, and
thus, perhaps, there and elsewhere
have been enabled to give such pro-
ceedings and testimony the widest
circulation. In justice to the Board
it should also be stated that this priv
ilege was freely accorded by its mem
bers without solicitation, and that
they cordially united with US il q de-
sire to have all their proceedings pub
lished throughout the country. The
scrutiny invited by the Board has
been constantly exercised. Day by
day, both the committees have been
in attendance before the Board with
their stenographIc reporter, and in ad.
dition, q privilege rendered to both
committees of inviting gentlemen
from States other than Louisiana has
been several times availed of. AS the
returns were opened, whether con-
tested or not, the papers enclosed
have been freely rendered to the COM
mittees for examination, and have
usually been carefully inspected, and
as q means of detecting any possible
changes In the returns after leaving
their respective parishes, both COM
mittees were furnished by their re-
spective parties with statements of
the vote as claimed by them respec-
lively, that by comparison it might
be known IL any alteration had been
made in the returns to be passed upon
by the Board, with which statement
the return usually agreed. When
ever il was known to the Board that
torneys for the candidates interested
were sent for to be present at the cere-
moly of opening, and when such
knowledge was attRinab!e only by the
inspection Of the inside of the package
contaIng su3h returns, these attor-
neys were invited to be present before
any action was taken upon it. There
were thus secured, in the manner
stated, the publicity of all the pro-
ceedings Of the Board T; most care
fol scrutiny Of every package Of re-
turns by it opened, and an Opportu-
nifty for the candidates insisting up
on the validity Of the returns to ap-
pear personally and by counsel be-
fore the Board. In many instances
before the returns were opened, and
in every instance before action was
taken upon them. 1t has been, il Is
believed, quite unusual to give such s
full and widespread publicity to the
proceedings Of a Returning Board.
Nor do we think that better means
for permanently recording every word
and act OF it's members whilst en-
gagged in the discharge of their dutief
could have been afforded than was
enjoyed.
Having thus presented statement
OF the means accorded of with essing
the canvass, 1t may be we'll to state,
| briefly, the causes which led to the
creation Of such q Board in Louisians
and to call attention to the statute
which devolves on 1t powers and du
ties OF great Importance. The whit:
people of that and other Southern
States had, by their rebellion, forfeit
ed all right to representation in Con
gTess, or to any participation in tht
Government Of the Union, and baC
been compelled, as q condition Of re
suming their former political rights
to assent to the constitutional amend
ments by which, in hostility to thei
will. those who had been but late tn,
slaves, were made citizens, aod al
though IL was their duty to submit Il
this political reorganization, the an
sis OF the South, and especially o
Louisiana, disclose q widespread ant
persistent determination of its rulInj
white people to prevent the exercise
of the elective franchise by the col
ored race, except subject to their will
This was manifested by the violence
outrages, and murders perpetrated il
that State just preceding the Presiden
tial election Of 1858. They will b
found stated In various Congressions
reports. From these it appears tina
over 1900 persons were killed, wound
ed, and otherwise injured in tha
State within few weeks of the Presi
Dental election of that year tina
half the State was overrun by vic
lence. midnighG raids, secret murderl
and open riots, which kept the peopl,
in constant terror, until the Republi
cans surrendered all claims, and theI
the election was carried by the De
mocracy. The parish OF Orleans
which contained $3.50 voters. 15,02t
Of which were colored, and which il
the spring had given Is, ,973 Republi
can votes, In the fall cast for Gen
Grsnt but LIS, q falling of Of 12,79
votes. Riots prevailed for weeks
filling New Orleans with scenes O
blood, and KuK1nX notices were scat
tered throughout the CITY varnin,