New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-29
WHITE AND BLACK.
INTIMIDATION IN LOUISIANA.


PARIsI-NEED OF A STRONG GOVERNMENT.
lPRoN STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUYE.I
NEw-ORLEASs, Nov. 25.-The New-Orleans Gus
tom-house IS in more respects than one the strong
hold of the Republican party of Louisiana-a for
tress in the midst of the enemy's country. At pc
RODS of popular excitement like the present it has
often been gauisoned by United States troops, it
now is. Soldiers in their blue uniforms may
be seen lounging about its entrances or
filling the windows of its upper story
at almost any hour of the day, and
as you mount the steep iron stairway which leads to
the floor occupied by the Collector of Customs and
the United States Court and its officers, two senti-
nels may be seen pacing backward and forward on
balcony above, which commands the main entrance
to the building. There are no outward signs of ex-
element which seem to make q military occupation
Of this city necessary; business goes on as usual,
except that it has been checked by the state of ss
pense in which the whole country shares but expe-
rience has proved on many occasions of what in
fammable material a portion of the population OF
New-0rleans is composed, and the precautions which
have been taken to prevent disorder at this time
are uuquestionably wise ones.
All of the plans of the Republican party of Lousi
ana originate are carried INTO execution in the
Custom-bouse. During all the years of Marshal
Packard's service Chairman of the Republican
State Committee all party orders emanated from
this granite citadel. Here the Legislature met
behind Calling guns. Here was planned the coup
f6tdt by which Kellogg was inaugurated in 1878;
here Inc sought refuge during the September riots OF
1874, and from room in this same building Gen.
Sheridan issued his orders on the 4th of January,
1875, for the removal of Democratic members from
the Legislature who did not receive certificates from
the Returning Board. To-day the managers of the
Republican party are gathered in the Custom-house
collecting evidence by means of which they expect
to prove that the election i'll five "bulldozcd
parishes of this State rot fair and free one. 1t
IA a kind Of political work which would appear very
novel in the North and | think is well worth de-
scribing
The Office Of the Clerk of the United States Court
is on the second floor of the Custom-house building
and adjoining it is n larger room, which from its
arrangement l suppose to be used by the United
States Commissioner whenever ease Is brought be-
fore him for preliminary hearing. On one side OF
the room between the windows, is desk, raised two
or three steps above the level Of the oor for the
accommodation of the judicial officer and below IT,
in front, another for a clerk or reporter. Besides
this there are several tables in the ROOM railing
divides the room nearly in the middle. Inside OF
this is q single row Of benches and outside several
more About 20 or 30 colored people ordinary
field hands-among them three or four women, occu-
pied these benches yesterday. They were all from
East Baton Rouge Parish. At the desks and tables
sat several men who were examining colored people
and writing out aiidayts for them to sign. In an
other room 10 men were making copies of these and
similar papers.
One witness who was being examined while I was
present was an old woman, who told very pitlable
story. In April last her husband and son had been
taken from their cabin in the night and shot TO
DEATH and she herself had been beaten and left for
dead did not wait to see the whole Of the affidavit
bnt talked with the old woman's daughter and
with other negroes who lived in that vicinity, from
whom learned that her husband had some time be
fore his death received warning to leave the place
where he lived. paper had been thrown into his
ward giving him ten days in which to go away,
and ending with: ave mean IT, aud we do not
ride for nothing The old was much
frightened at this, and, taking his family aud
all that he possessed that was movable went
70 Baton Rouge There his white friends per-
suaded him that his fears were ground
less and that would be safe for him to return ana
he did 80. Soon after this II band of men, some of
whom the old woman recognized, came to the caDln
in the night broke down the door, took ont the Old
man and his son and shot them. beat the old woman
outropcouslv. and then left. Those of the family
who were spared fed 10 Baton Rouge, and were not
nrescni 10 give testimony when the corOncrs inquest
was held. Neither the wife nor the daughter could
tell the cause of this outrage, but they supposed II
was TO punish the father and Son for being kepuD-
lican men,
Several other aidayits similar in purport to this
were shown me, and others alleging other uhiaWlui
acts For instance, | saw several men who had been
run off, from the places upon which they worked
last Spring, and had not dared TO 20 back. One
man told me that negro had been hanged IN his
immediate neighborhood last March, and on ques-
toning him fully. fodnd that he had been ac-
cnsed of stealing hogs. In cases in which vlo-
lcnce was reported the witnesses testified that the
bands of men who committed it said that they III
tended to "clcan out the Id Radicals"
After spending an hour in this room, l went up
stairs past the guard TO the Office OF the surveyor
of the Port where those having charge OF the testi-
mony in regard TO Ouachita Parish had their mead
quarters. There found only two witnesses One
was a very ignorant black man, VINO says lhat lo
was taken from his cabin on the Saturday hlsht DC
fore the election carried to his cotton patch stripped
and given 100 lashcs for having attended hepuo-
Iican meeting and refused to go to DehocratIc
one He said that he started from his home the next
day at noon, through the swamps, to Monroe Where
he arrived at noon on election day anu 'o'e"
tbe Republican ticket lie did not show
me the stripes upon his back and l do not
know how much no was hurt The other witness
whom saw was a very intelligent well-dressed
colored man, who says that he owns small plahta-
ton in Ouaehita. He received threatening leier
shortly before the election. and thinking that MS
safety depended upon it, he voted the Dehocfatic
ticket saw also the affidavit of colored woman
giving the particulars of most horrlOle Outrage
She says that night or two before the eiecuoh d
band of men. several of whom she knew, broke INTO
their house killed her husband horribly mutllated