New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-10

strategy, and the charge by tours with
shotguns at precinct equals anything
that Tartar Of the plains or Camanche
Of the prairies could have projected.
When, however, the Louisiana Liners
charter steamboat and organize naval
expedition, the land service is thrown into
insignlfcance. Most of the colored Re-
publicans are employed near the banks of
the rivers and bayous. The swamps in the
rear are impracticable for cavalry, or indeed
for field battery. Such small steamer,
therefore, as that upon which General
Witt and staff embarked for the mass
meeting at Napoleonville, was admirably
adapted to reach the terrors of the sugar
laborers. The General, with large dele
cation from Donaldsonville, took on
board piece of artillery, and ''on the
passage down the bayou salutes were fred
from time to time, in response to people
gathered at different points"
A battery offormidable speakers opened
upon the meeting at Donaldsonville, and
portion Of their discharge was ''par.icu-
larry addressed to the colored people who
were present" On their return they were
met by the "DoNALDsoSv1L1E CANNON
EEEs."
The P;caytne illustrates the even. in
small caps, by way Of giving emphasis to
the cannon campaign. With this nara
tive of the expedition we are not surprised
to hear that many Of the population sur
rendered. Numbers of white men, who
have not voted for years, have come in
and taken protection; foreigners impressed
with prudent apprehension, are taking
out naturalization papers, while it is
remarked that considerable proportion
Of the colored voters are manifesting
much interest in the corvincive ''can-
non," and are evincing disposition ''to
be more Independent Of the Radical
leaders" by hiding themselves and fam
lies in the most inaccessible and bomb
proof swamps within ten miles of their
homes.
All this time and during the firing Mr..
Nichols goes along like Quaker NOV
ing with column of Crooks cavalry, ex-
horting their friends to ''allow no act Of
theirs to afford a shadow Of excuse for
questioning the result "
When the successive discharge Of can
non from a steamer filed with Generals
and soldiers invades peaceful country
firing cannon wherever they see a group
of people, it is extremely difficult to con-
vince the people that the guns may not do
some damage. In fact the colored people
have been so much shot at in those par
ishes that they are extremely ski,tish,
and can be with difficulty brought to
the polls or kept there if there be
even an empty field piece bearing
on them. We were told that when the
United States vessels were lying off our
city last year they fred off battery for
the purpose Of scaling some guns. This,
though it attracted no attention by those
who understood the ways of war ships,
created alarm among the less experienced.
One colored man lashed his mule into a
gallop and, as he fed with his float far
from the scene of imaginary carnage. e1-
claimed: "Dar Dress God! l knowed it.
Deys done gone at it agin.' He regarded
t as o revival Of the Confederate war,
md the timid constituents of Mr.. |
Nichols may cut out for the cypriere
1nder the same delusion. Let us have |
without cannon.