The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-12-21
SHERMAN'S LOUISIANA REPORT.


IANA-STATEMENT OF THE NoRTHE ERN
REPUBLICAN CoMMITTEE-SYSTEMA
INTIMIDATION BY THE DEMOCRATS
THE CRUELTIES NOT OVER STATED
FAIRNESS OF THE RETURING BOARD.
The following is the substance of the re-
port made by Senator Sherman and his col
leagues on the Republican Committee who
attended the recent counting of votes in
Louisiana, and which was transmitted to
Congress in a special message by the Presi-
dent. 1t reviews the Louisiana case
thoroughly but concisely, stating who the
Returning Board are personally, and de-
finding their official powers and the neces-
sity which called the board into being. The
committee declare that the Louisiana cleo
tion was not fair nor free that the Init
midation was excessive, bloody and pre-
mediated, and they say that the action of
the board is worthy of approval Previous
to writing this report the Republican Com
mittee offered to unite with the Democratic
Committee in making joint statement to
the country, but this was refused by the
latter. The report itself is addressed to
the President. The first portion of it
deals with the courtesy of the Returning
Board in afording the visiting committee
an opportunity to attend the proceedings
and secure for them the widest publicity.
1t then speaks of the horrors of the elec-
ton Of 1868, and SAYS:
1t may be well to state briefly the causes
which led to the creation Of such board
of Louisiana, and to call attention to the
statute which devolves on it powers and
duties of great public importance The
white people of that and other Southern
States had by their rebellion forfeited all
right to representation in Congress, or to
any participation in the Government of the
Union, and had been compelled, as condi-
tion ofresuming their former political rights,
to assent to the constitutional amendments,
by which, i'll hostility to their will, those
who had been their slaves were made citi-
zens and although it was their duty to sub
nit to this political reorganization, the an
mails Of the South, and especially of Louis
lana, disclose a widespread and persistent
determination Of its ruling white people to
prevent the exercise of the elective franchise
by the colored race, except subject to their
will
This was manifested by the violence, out
RACES and murders perpetrated in that State
just preceding the Presidential election of
1868. They will be found stated in various
Congressional reports. From these it appears
that over 1000 persons were killed, wound
ed and otherwise injured in that State with
in few weeks of the Presidential election
of that year that half the State was over
run by violence, midnight raids, secret muir
ders and open riots, which kept the people
In constant terror until the Republicans
surrendered all claim and then the cleo
ton was carried by the Democracy The
Parish of Orleans, which contained 29,910
votes, 15,020 of which were colored, and
which in the spring had given 1873 Re
publican votes, in the fall cast for General
Grant but 1,l76, falling off of 1876
votes. Riots prevailed for weeks, filling
New Orleans with scenes of blood and Ku-
klux notices were scattered throughout the
city, warning colored men not to vote. In
the Parish of Caddo there were 29S Re
publicans, who in the spring of 1868 car
ried the parish, which in the fall gave to
Gen. Grant but one vote. There also bloody
riots occurred. In the Parish of St. Ian
dry the Republicans had registered ma
jority of OH votes, and in the spring of
that year carried it by 67S votes, while in
the fall not vote was cast for Gen. Grant,
the Democrats casting the full vote of the
parish-4 787 votes-for Seymour and
Blair. In that parish occurred one of the
bloodiest riots on record, in which the Ku-
klux killed and wounded over 200 Repub-
licans, hunting and chasing them for two
days and nights through fields and swamps.
Thirteen captives were taken from the Jail
and shot, and pile of % dead bodies was
found buried in the woods. Having thus
the Republicans and killed or
driven off their white leaders, the masses
were captured by the Ku-Klux, marked
with badges Of red flannel, enrolled in clubs,
led to the polls and compelled to vote the
Democratic ticket, after which they were
given certificates of that fact.
These are some of the outrages which
marked the pathway to political supremacy
of those who but few years before had OBJ
tanned the mercy of Government under
whose laws the black Republican and the
white Democrat were entitled to equal pro-
lection. *
Until radical change could be effected
in the nature and purposes of those who
had been their owners, and who repudiated
the idea of being placed upon terms ofcivil
equality with them, it was evident that fair
election could not be had in parishes con
tanning any considerable majority of colored
voters, and hence the act of 1870, acqiesced
in by both political parties and amended in
1872, was passed, creating a returning board
authorized to sit in New Orleans, having
supreme authority to canvass the votes cast
the entire State, and authorized,
if convinced that riot, tumult, acts of viol-
ence, intimidation, armed disturbance, brib-
cry or corrupt influence had prevented
voters from registering, or had materially
nterferred with the purity OF freedom of