New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-04

| From the New Orleans German Gazette of Wed.
nesdsy. May 3, 1876
BY GEORGE DE LANZAC.
During the past few days local elections
have been held in Baton Rouge, Ouachita and
| PlaQuemipes. In everyone of thsse locali-
| ties, where since the past eight years every
| election had resulted in Republican ma
| jOrity, the Democrats have been victorious 3
| this time. The number of votes cast have
| everywhere been less than usual, and al.
| though the victorious Democrats claim that
many colored men had voted with them, no
| doubt can be entertained but that large
number of colored voters had not taken any
part whatever in these elections. We can
| safely presume that in the majority of the
| parishes the same will be the casOa at the
Looming general election. The Republicans
| in this State, the white as well as the
colored, are generally more or less demor-
allied, attributable partly to the depressing
influence of last falls election IN Mississippi,
and in part to the recent adverse" dec,
| sion of the Supreme Court in Washington
regarding the reinforcement actP Should
the federal government persist in ita policy
of "non-protection" of a certain class Of
voters against intimidation and violence as
maintained during the election in Missis-
sippi last fall, then the Republicans in
Louisiana might as well save themselves
the trouble, vexatiOn and expense of a po-
litical campaign. Of late the press of this
City is much occupied with "split' that
seems to have taken place in the ranks of
the so called Conservative party. brought
about by a manifesto recently issued by
that well known politician Of North Louis
lana, Leonard, of Caddo. That manifesto
comes out in favor of the formation of So
called Conservative peoples party" and
opposes the policy OF the extreme
or BOurbou-Democraey, represented by
McEnery, Wiltz, Voorhes and others.
We do not believe that that will result in
a lasting split between the Conservative
and the extreme faction of the DeIhocra tic
party Of our State. At the commencement
of every general political campaign certain
factions within the party always endeavor
to obtain the controlling influence, in order
to secure, at last, nothing else but the
largest and most influential share of the
general booty, viz: as many of the highest
and most lucrative Offices as possible.
The fight and quarrel within the Demo-
cratic party may, therefore, be carried on
with ever SO much bitterness till the nOmi-
mating convention; but when the ticket has
once been arranged and fixed, every one
will rally around the mutual standard.
As stated above, the policy TO be followed
by the Republicans during the political
campaign just opened will have to be
shaped by the stand that the administra-
tion in Washington will occupy toward the
party in Louisiana. In several country
parishes, like in the Felicanas, the usual
disturbances have occurred. State officers,
under threats of violence, have been COM
PEELED to resign; and in Coushatta, on the
bloody Red river, q couple of Republicans,
among them State Senator TWitchell, have
been murdered in open daylight. The
above mentioned Democrat Leonard.
frankly declares that at the coming cleo
tion Caddo parish can not be carried for
the Democracy without they take recourse
to intimidation and violence; and the party
itself does not even attempt to conceal it
that there (as we'll as elsewhere) they will
and must, under any and all circumstances,
achieve victory.
To arrive at a correct understanding of
the prospects for our nearest future, We
must find out very soon "what we are
about" and what really are the intentions
of the federal government in Washington
in regard to Louisiana. The political cam
paign that already now has been the cause
Of violence and bloodshed in New Orleans
and in the country parishes, may then, at
least, result in a peaceable and quiet,
though not a fair election.