Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-20
The Republican statement.
NEW ORLEANS, December 10. 1875.

ERANh MGLOINs
OF Counsel.
NEW ORLEANS, December 10, 1875.
The Republican statement
LINE OF EVIDENCE SUBMITTED TO THE SEN
ATE COMMITTEE BY COUNSEL on BEHALF
OF THE REPUBLICANS.
We charge as true, and propose to prove,
on behalf of the Republicans, the following
facts:
First-That the late election in this State
was, at certain polls and In certain precincts
and parishes, made null and void IN law by
violence and intimidation, occasiOned by and
consisting of secret conspiracies, leagues and
armed bands of brigands known as ''bull-
dozers, who have inflicted upon white and
colored Republicans whippings, shootings,
hangings, burnings, muhlatlons, asSasslna-
| tions, and In many instances have perpe-
trated murder and massacre; that by these
means a condition of terror has been produced
among the Republicans Ii certain sections OF
| the State, which had continued for a period
of more than twelve months prior TO the late
election.
Second-That the election law of this State
was enacted to meet a similar condition OF
| affairs which had occurred In 1868; that the
| law declares an election held under such con-
| ditions to be null and void, and the votes
| pretended to be cast under the insecurity,
| danger, fear and terror thus Occasioned to be
null and void; that the law vests the return
! ing officers of the State with power to IN
qrire into and examine the facts where such
condition of affairs Is charged, and to ascertain
the truth of such charges. and, If proven, to
declare the nulhty of such election, and carry
| into effect such nullity by rejecting and re-
! fusing to count the pretended vote so made
F; null and void; and that this election law Is
/ righteous, Just and necessary.
Third-1hat the returning officers did so
examine and inquire according to law, and
| did find that certain parishes and polls the
] election was made null and void by the causes
! above recited; and that the returning officers,
as commanded by law, did declare this nulh-
| ty, and did reject and refuse to count the pre-
| tended votes thus made null In the localities
thus made terrorized by brlgands and bull
| dozers.
/ Fourth-That at the recent election from
| twelve to fifteen thousand Republican voters
| who were desirous of voting, and who made
earnest and diligent efforts to vote the Re
! publican ticket, were put IN fear Of Their lives
4 and terrified by those systematic Outrages so
1 that they were driven from the polls and pre-
] vented from voting, and that from five to SIX
! thousand Republican voters were by the same
/ means forced against their will and through
fear to vote the Democratic ticket.
Fifth-That in said election the right Of
sixteen to twenty thousand colOred persons to
vote was by these means denied and abridged.
Sixth-That the extent of this denial and
| abridgment as to territory was as follows, In
| the whole or in part of the following parishes
to wit: East Baton Rouge, East Feiciana,
| West Feliciana, 0uachita, MorehouSe, Rich
land, Grant, Livingston, Franklin, Sabine,
Caldwell Lafayette, Claiborne, DeSoto, Jack
son and Natchitoches. That the extent OF
this denial and abridgment as to the number
of voters, is as the following In the foregoing
parishes Not less than sixteen to twenty
thousand voters were prevented from voting
as they wished, or forced to vote contrary to
their wishes at said election.
Seyenth-That this denial and abridgment
was effected by means Of a conspiracy to and
for that end; that this conspiracy had for It's
express purpose the violent suppression OF a
number of Republican votes large enough to
enable the conspiratOrs to carry the State fOr
the Democrats, and that this conspiracy was
carried out by means of armed bodies OF men
known as the "Bulldozers," and by night
ridings, patrollings, whippings, shooting,
hanging, burning, mutilat1ons, assassinations,
murders and massacres committed by them.
Eighth-That the conspiracy aforesaid, and
various acts Of violence, lawlessness and out
rage done In pursuance and furtherance
thereof, were committed by white men-Dem-
ocrats.
Ninth-That the method and purpose
thereof was to violently, and through fear
and terror, to suppress and drive away and
prevent from voting, or cOerce to vote the
Democratic ticket, such a number of Repub-
lican voters as would secure an apparent
Democratic majority in this State.
Tenth-That a preconcerted system and
conspiracy to these ends is shown-frst, by
the secret Patton letter, known as the conf
Dental circular, signed and issued by the
chairman of the State Democratic central
committee; second, by selection of the par
ues to be carried by bulldozing, to-wit:
West Feliciana, 0nachita, Morehouse, Rich
land Grant, Livingston, Franklin, Sabine,
Caldwell, Lafayette, Claiborne, De
Soto, Jackson and Natchitoches. Of
these the following, tO-wit: East
Baton Rouge. East Felciana, West Fe-
iciana, 0uachita, and Moorehouse are par
Ishes bordering upon the States of Missis-
sippi and Arkansas. In these parishes there
is Republican vote of eleven thousand eight
hundred and ninety-four, and a Republican
majority of seven thousand five hundred and
seventy, 10 a Democratic vote of four tEou-
sand three hundred and twenty-four. In the
remaining eleven of these parishes, namely
Richland, Grant Livingston, Franklin, Sa-
bine, Caldwell, Lafayette, Claiborne, DeSOto
Jackson and Natchit0ches, there was less
brutal and more covert, but not less effective
system of intimidation, by which a proper
ton of the Republican vote was suppressed
sufficiently large to compensate for the Dem
ocratic vote, which would be lost In the bull
dozed parishes. BY the operation Of the law in
nulhtying the election in sad parishes
ThTd-By sudden and simultaneous out.
breaks of violence and murder in these par
ishes before and near the day of election
Fourth-By the anomalous and unusual
conduct of white committees, among wnon
these outrages occurred, as contrasted with
that which obtains among other civilized
communities where similar acts occur, In thii
that they were connived at and concealed
they were secretly encouraged; there werC
no attempts to discover or punish the Grim
inals; there has been no condemnation O
these acts by the press, by public meetings
or by the clergy. White citizens who hav,
ventured to denounce these outrages hav,
} been menaced with prescription and persecu
ton, and thus silenced. The Democratic
, managers have pretended that these outrage
J were not perpetrated, or where they hav
been compelled to acknowledge the facts, the,
have falsely attributed them to neglect or in
= efficiency Of local officers, although vel
= knowing that these local officials were ren
f, dered powerless by the same terrorism whicl
, rendered these outrages possible.
= Eleventh-That under our law there are n
returns Of election, and can be none, excep
those made by returning officers, and tina
5 neither the commissioners Of election nor tn
T supervisors Of registration are returning Of