Ellsworth American., 1876-12-07
The Louisiana 0utrages.


TmE ENrERIENCr OF UNION soLpIER-IM-
roRrANr TESTIMONY OF GEN. BEook> oF
NE UNITED sIATrs ARMY.
During the last few weeks pr H. V. Red
field. the correspondent the Cincinnati Com.
merciAl has been quoted aud commc ndcd by the
Democratic paper, Tor h- impartiaiiiy and
the freedom with which he Ia. criticised the
Republican official, II New Orleans. of late
ihe>, Journals have been silent r.-pcyt,n. the
di-pai,h,, sud letters of tai, corrc.p .poudcnt
because hc ha, been iuyc,iisatiug the out
rsgc, in The .'buli-lo1cd" parishes. Dr. Ec,l-
heii. u should b. added. /, Democrat, con-
,equcnly M statement, are entirely devoid
of RrpubicAn coloring. TIc following cN-
tract from rcc,n, letter of Dr. Redis IA
throw. additional ight upon the revolving out
RACES which the Democratic leader, in Loui.i-
ana rcsoriel To in order 10 carry the state
and make solid south:
Yesterday heard a gentleman from one Of
the bull-dohed parishes giSeng inhi, experience
Ine manner OF the m.u. A. we'll ~ the cir,um-
stance. Of the rA>e, convinced me OF the truth
Of hi- statements. | withhold h, name and
Ia, parish simply bccau.e hc Ia, large urnt,-
crty Interest. there. ani although her says he
never viii rrturn 10 reside, hi properly i
yet there, and the publication Of his ob,rrya-
uon>. accompanied by name and Residence
might iuJure his property interests But am
COM inocd OF the truth of hi story because of
IN" manner Of the man and the oorroborati,e
- Ntience which has COM Ia my knowledge.
Th- gentleman was Union soldier from
the West and settled upon q large plantation
IN North Louisiana Immediately amer the war.
iir topA ~ part Ia Inltic. except Ia vote the
Erpub.ic-n ticket aud hold the oiii 'c uf Justice
Of the peace. lii business wa, that o(
planting. III, uciShbor>. although Southern
IN IA, upon all sides. Wrrr Kind anl hospitabl,
lie had no trouble until the present campaign
oirn"d. But with the attempt to conquer the,
parish according Ia the Mississippi plan. came
ouir1Ee., dangers and blo.sl.hed The bull
doA'r' rode through h. plantation nightly
1uI nrt,l INTO the cabins ol his lAlOrpr. For
two months previous 10 election his hands had
10 sleep ia the woods. Much Of hi. cotton vet
remain, IN the field unpicked. Since August
BE- Ia. not had light IN The house At night.
III" armed huli-i1Bcr, rode hy at III! times, fir-
Ing right and I'm ami be- feared assassination.
Onc night, At the solicitation Of hi family. he
rcmlned in The woods himself All law wa,
@fhaFpNg 20 t2qII or hHf neRT2ei wfFrs bru
iFghicn them into the support OF the Demo
cratic ticket.
lie say, the election at hi, polling place Wa.
a fare. IL Was perfectly quiet and ncaceable.
.LG The slacks AL the manhood terrific! on. =
Them. mpuTniuy voted the ticket thrv hated.
just one Republican vote was cast ia hI, pre-
c'nct, aud that by himself. Before the election
arrived men would come 10 his hou~e-,trang-
er- 10 him-iook all around. Ask mysterious
questions, IRE into the ar and frighten hi,
nand, from tAcl. work. lii, immediate neigh
bOrs took no part III this. but II was all tb.
work OF men rom remote quarter, Ot the mar
i~h, done under a systematic plan to carry In.
election. Indeed. some Of hi nrighblr- nri-
yaielS denounced the plan. but they sere whip
ped into line and dare not openly protest
Al tims, armed m~n would dI,h iurluu,ly
ap - bis hursr, warning hun 70 srt.ear IN.
Aird1Air.y 8. o-..-.A. i..,.. " "a ,ilIl .un ~
he niger, were arnlu- aud prep4IlhL to
massacre all the white people. and we must de-
iend ourselves" lie never obcyci this warn
ing for at that very moment hi. own negro4,
were either al work or skulkng in the wood,
10 keep from being Killed. He SAYS all the
siorie- u 'negrpe, arming," "n-groes march
Ih- oli tie ioSn,' etc, were simply iies got
ten up Ia cover warliEe demonstrations against
pcaceAo!e and dociic people In furtherance
Of the plan 10 carry the election
/; gtt IN the busy season tie buil-do.er.
would ride through his plantation throwing
down fences. and leaving them down, looking
br negroes whom they had driven from their
ci3ia>. AMI who would hide between the cot
ton rows for protection. The terrorism wa,
- complete that hi, hands finally slept IN the
wood every night, coming out in the morning
working all day, aud returning to the woods
AT night. The blacks upon the neighboring
plantations were 10 better oil. lie knew OF
1870 instances OF negroes who were forced TO
JOIN the Democratic clubs. They afterward at
tended Republican meeting. The buli-dozer.
made an example OF these 10 terrify the re.t.
une they shot dead a. lac wa, coming into
town upon = load Of wood. The other they
TOOK from H. cabin IT nIs't and shot him 10
uruth IN the presence Of his iafaity
HE story OF tnp.e uDrTiIif ,nuy,iar. 4 nnutI
not believe did rot have confederation from
AN entirely different scOurce. There il little
doubt IN my mind about il. have tried 10
doubt. hut cannot. The horrible story /. too
Northumberland, othrrwi.e sEcglI lever
stvc II currency.
Alter the election he hoped for a cessation
OF the reign of terror. But matters grew worse.
ithvlng carried the election by such outrageou,
means. the whites set about getting up fe,ti-
mony to the fact that the election wa. in an re-.
their sentiments.
Being justice ID lie peace he was called
upon 1" wear The blacks 10 aiiidavits that they
vote the Democratic ticket freely and without
cOh'lralnt! These affidavits We're in printed
1orin, anu were for transmits ION TO New Or
lean, for thc Use of the Democratic Committee |
lie says that the poor blacks did not want TO |
swear any such thing, but were forced to- or !
rather that their fears were so played upon
that tEey dare not refuse out of li0 that he
hONN
will swear that they did not want 10 sign their |
aihdavits. But what were they To do! They |
were upon the land Of the Democrats. They |
hsd nowhere TO 90. They must come under |
me me polltilal yoke; aud accept the stu alton.
as the Christian hi, God, does not protect |
them. They are LETT to stand alone, and they |
cannot stand
he says he knows OF two blacks who were
made 10 swear they voted the Democratic tick.
~ Ixu-tsl
et iIeeiy anu without eonstraint, who hadn't
voted 1t at all, but in fact had voted the Repub. |
iican. Another one said to him privately at
Is two miles from where | live 10 the wood.
Ny hoss-naming him-says if / do not swear
to that aihdavits cannot have his oxen and
wagon to haul my wood this winter. i can.
not carry my wood so far. have no team of
my own. have no land to work except
what he gives me. SO ! shall have TO ,jon
but would rather be whippedw
And these sffidayits will be submitted To
the Louisiana blacks voted the Democratic
ticket freely and without constraint! Do Won
doubt the genuineness Of their conyersstionf
Behold the aIbdayits.
Meantime matters got warmer and warmer
FOL this planter. At one Of the .swearine
meetings. resolute black man lwhose name
have), after the statement had been read
over to hims eyeral times. sad don't Wantto
signthat. ] can't sign it," The Justice told him
not to do 1t, then. This created much additional
prejudice against him. He WAS reported as A
hindrance to Jour cause" Preesnetiy dcIega-
lion, most OF them strangers TO him, waited
upon him with long statement for him tosign
to the effect that theelection in that parish
Yas In every wsy peaceable and quiet: that
Ihere was no intimidation, and That every man
voted his honest Statements. He firmly but
politely refused TO sign. They did not threat
IN him, but there was something in their de.
neanor and in the very sir which ioreboded
langer, He left the parish the sal9e liY and
,aYs be Will never retUrI ,hers 20 i've de |
ears nothing from his immediate neighbor,.
Phey would not ipjure him, and would regret
Q have him injured, but the brutal bull.,la.er.
10 not respect lie, and Republican i, in dan
yer, He prefers to live IN n freer atmo.nbara