The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-12-21
LOUISIANA.


/ SENATOR sHERMAN'S LOUISIANA REPORT
/ WASHINGTON, Dec. 6-rhe following !:
the message which the President sent te
Congress to-day: ..,..4.., - i.,,... srnl.al
"Tohe Senate aud House Of Representatives.
r. ''T have the honor to transmit herewith
letter, accompanied by the testimony, al
dressed to me by the Hon.. John Sherman
and other, distinguished citizens, in regsri
| to the canvass Of the vote for Electors in tht
State Of Louisiana. i,. U. $. GRANT. e
| The letter transmitted by the President /!
| as follows: t3 ..a.', i.,. af,sa5f2 81 :
I'"To tile President ofthe United States - +
| ID SIN pursuance OF yourrcquest that several
Of the undersigned should proceed to New
| Orleans, and there witness tile canvass by
the Returning Board of the State Of Louisi
ana of the votes cast in that State for Eiec-
tors of President and Vice-President Of the
United States, we have performed that duty,
and NOW most respectfully report that on
our arrival in that citywe found several
gentlemen who came representing Republi-
can State organizations, who have through
out co-operated with those who went at your
| request, and whose names are appended to
this communication. Between the gentle.
men representing the Democratic party and
ourselves correspondence in writing en-
sued, a copy of which is appended hereto.
Reference to Is will disclose that a confer
ence with lis for the purpose of exercising
| an influence upon the Returning Board was
declined, upon the ground that the only du-
| tydevolvcd upon us was to attend before the
Board. carefully note; its proceedings, and f.
nally, to report a faithful history thereof, with
such opinions concerning the same as truth
/ should demand. Such report we are now
able to present, and we take pleasure in
stating that our ability to do so is duo to the
exercise of the courtesy and kindness Of the
Returning Board, which entities its members
not only to our thanks, but to that confidence
which 4 just public extends to every tribu-
| nal which desires that all its proceedings
should be duly presented to public scrutiny
1t was Our earnest wish that this publicity
should be attained, but we should have felt
delicacy in requesting any privilege not i'll.
harmony W TIL the usage of the Board. We
were. however, relieved from all embarrass-
ment by the receipt of its formal invitation,
! hereto annexed, delivered to us and to the
gentlemen who attended at the request Of
! the Chairman of the Democratic Committee,
inviting the attendance of five gentlemen
from each delegation, as spectators and wit
nesses Of the proceedings of the Board, and
this accompanied with an offer to furnish
stenographc reporters, selected by each
committee to be present and make full re-
port Of all proceeds and testimony, and to Sc
cure. the daily publication thereof by the
press. The undersigned made arrange
ments for that purpose with the proprietors
of one Of the daily papers printed in New
Orleans, and thus, perhaps, there and else
where have been enabled to give such pro-
ceedlngs and testimony the widest circula-
ton. In justice to the Board it should also
be stated that this privilege was freely aceor-
ded by its members without solicitation, and
that they cosdially united with lis in desire
to have all their proceedings published
throughout the country. The scrutiny invi-
ted by the Board has been constantly excr-
eised. Day by day, both the committees
have been in attendance before the Board
with their stenograph reporter, and in addi-
ton, a privilege rendered to both committees
of inviting gentleman from States other than
Louisiana has several times been avail
ed Of. As the returns were opened, wlleth-
er contested or not, the papers enclosed have
been freely rendered to, the committees for
examination, and have usually been carefully
Inspected, and as a means of detecting any
possible changes in the returns after leaving
the respective parishes, both committees
were furnished by their respective parties
with statements of the vote as claimed by
them respectively, that by comparison it
might be known if any alterations had been
made in the returns to be passed upon by
the Board. with which statement the return
usually agreed. Whenever it was known to
the Board that return was to be contested,
the attorneys for the candidates interested
were sent for to be present at the ceremony
ofopening, and when such knowledge was
attainable only by the inspection of the in.
side Of the package containing such returns,
these attorneys 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 proceedings of the Board;
a most careful scrutiny of every package of
returns by it opened, and an opportunity for
the candidates insisting upon the validity of
the returns to appear personally and by
counsel before the Board. In many instan-
ces before the returns were opened, and in
| many instances before the returns were
opened, and in every instance before action
was taken uponstlicm.a sT52has been, It is be-
llieved quite unusual to give such full and
widespread publicity to the proceedings of a
Returning Board Norsiio we think that
better means for permanently recording eN5
cry word and act of its members whilst en-
gagged in the discharge of their duties could
have been afforded than was enjoyed. = i
l lldVlll1 CiltlS pTtSCHlCu SlittCllCuC VI tItG
means accorded of witnessing the canvass, it
may be we'll to state briefly the causes which
He'd to the creation of such s Board and
to call attention TO the statute which de-
wolves on It's powers and duties Of great inlr
portance. The white people of that and
Other Southern States had. by their rebellion,
forfeited all right to representation in Con-
gress, Oh to any participation in the Govern
mcnt Of the Union, and had been compelled,
as a condition of resuming their former po-
litial rights, to assent to the constitutional
amendments by which, in hostility to their
will. those WHO had been but late the slaves,
we're made citizens, and although it was
their duty to submit to this Reorganization,
the annals of the South, and especially Of
Louisiana, disclose 9 widespread and persis-
tent determination of its ruling white peo-
pie to prevent the elective franchise by the
colored race, except to their will. This was
manifested by the VIOLENCE, outrages, and
murders perpetrated in that State just pre-