New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-28

and the terrorized majority Is composed ol
| ignorant men born to slavery
The whole election turns on one question Oh
fact-did such a reign of terror exist III So
if instantly changes the credibility OF all eVi-
dence presented. If men swear, for example,
that thew "were at the polls all day, and saw
" no violence" how does that prove that WIN
midnight riders had not so warned and threat
ened the scattered cOOred voters Ill elie'i o,'D
ms that few of them dared to approach the
pollsY If colored men themselves senu alli'la-
WITS that they voluntarily joined Dehocfa'io
climbs. and voted Democratic tickets 40 VIC noV
know that the same coercion winch seCulo"
the votes could more easily secure tue "iii'i'
vits7 And when some who nave tn'is No'0"
and signed, after escaping to clty WheIe 'hey
ora nrotected testify that they and hundreds
more were visited and warned by armed men
NJ NIGHT. that some were whipped and others
killed. that they Joined Democratic clubs 10
so,o tbeir lives. and when the election came
di1 not dare to vote any other ticket, which
story * TO be believed Is it not plain that
III. whole question is whether the previous
winnings and murders had actually been
committedl For if so, that fact would have
caused n condition of terror even more surely
in Louisiana than in Pennsylvania. And, IL
that condition of terror existed, all manner OF
testimony that the election was Tree ana 1alr
becomes absolutely worthless.
Thus we are reduced to a very simple ques-
ton of fact-were such murders and outraSes
committed as were calculated to produce IN
timidation of colored voters On this question
the evidence begins to accumulate. OF all the
correspondents at New Orleans, the two whose
fairness and intelligence have been most widely
acknowledged by the Democratic and indie
pendent journals are Mr.. White of this paper
and Mr.. Redfeld of The Cincinnati Commercial
1t is noteworthy that both, as tier earlier DIS
patches show, went to New-Oreans impressed
with grave doubt whether the claims of Re
pubhcans were well founded. But Mr.. White
telegraphed yesterday:
That there has been great lawlessness in all these par
ishes within the past year is longer doubted. 1t has
shown itself in many Of assassination, midnight
murder and other ofenses Of less greater gravity
The only question at issue the and object OF H.
Republicans say that the object is politca Democrats
say that 1t not. In some cases there VIII DC no
duestion-as for example, where man was shot whlle
carving a ballot-bOX TO the polling place. some am
davts describe murders horrible az any perpeated
by the Ku-Klux between 1865 and 1871. II they are
substantated in all their details they Will greatly shock
the North and destroy the sympathy which has been very
generally felt for this unfortunate portion OF the south
A community that will tolerate such outrages has no
right to expect sympathy. It is hoped for the sake OF
humanity, that the reports referred to VIII De ais
proved.
Mr. Redfeld also telegraphed to The Com
nlercidi of Saturday:
Toptcht .peut some time at the Custom-house rcad
ing the latest afdavts made. Ni1etcen men were all
busy copying adavits which will give you some Idea OF
the magnitude Of the business. Some OF these sworn
statements are simply horrible. II they can be sus
tanned the Democratic goose Is cooked No party can
afford TO have q President elected by such means Most
o. The anidavits while not detailing horrors yet show
plainly enough that there systematic Intimidation
some of the sworn statements weak not setting out
anything worthy OF serious consideration; hut others are
terribly explicit and give names dates ANA details WIN
a yivdness that il well nigh convincing. II not true
they can be dsproycd but II true there Is an end 10 the
claim Of the Democrats having carried this state by Iar
means.
Scores of statements have been forwarded to
Northern papers, but the deliberate and
cautious Judgment of these correspondents,
who are evidently 10y no means prcjudiced IN
favor of Republican claims, and who are on
the spot to examine the evidence on both
sides, will have great weight with every hon
est reader. We do not say, ~ these dispatches
do not that the case is concluded. In some
instances the testimony may he diNproyed;
in Others the effects may appear to
have been local, and so limited IA
not to influence the general result. All
lust men will wait for the proof before they
finally decide. But if it be established beyond
reasonable question that such crimes have been
committed repeatedly in certain parishes. the
irresistible conclusion is that condition of
terror must have resulted in greater or less
degree. Ard in the light of that condition all
other testimony as to the election must be
Judged.