, 1876-12-20

J
thoy wore sinners above all men that dwelt In
Jerusalem? I Tell you, nay"
-
THE EQuITADLE Side OF THE QUESTION.
Tho true inwardness Of the Louisiana
business Ia disclosed In letter of ex.Con.
gresaman STEVENSON, Of Ohio, to tue Ciucin-
natl Commercial S1r. SrkvENsox is one Of
the gentlemen Who, ut the suggestion Of
President GnANT, visited Now Orleans to bo
present at the sessions Of the Returning
Doartl. He declined to join in tho sHkn,fAN-
MATTHEWS report because, a. he expressed
1t, he did not defend that Board either as
an institution or in It's persoansl," md be-
cause ho desired to consider the Louisiana
question a. q matter Of right aud equity
ratheE than from tho legal and constitutional
standpoint. In tho letter he states the re-
suit Of his observations, which evidently
were carefully made, and which he gives
with moderation and oandor. In tho outset
Mr. STEVENSON states he discovered that
there had been cxaggeration on both sides as
to the question Of intimidation. The Re-
publicans alleged horrible condition OF af-
iairs, and the Democrats rs stoutly main-
tanned that the only Intimidation anywhere
in the state was that practiced by Kepub-
lioans upon negroes who intended to vote
the Democratic ticket. But That thero WAS
violence and disorder TINT interfeyed with
tho election he found was not seriously de-
MED, aud hnd 1t been, as be observes, bodies
Of the dead and wounds of those who es-
capped death were convincing witnossos.
Upon that point he sums mp by saying:
a AhupernctAl reading Of this evidence, conflicting
as It IL, might 1eavo tho mind doubt, aad par
tisan Of either aide giving csedence only to what
p!cases him might apd In 1t combination OF his
prcjudiccs; blt an impartial Judge, carefully
weighing the testimony. would conclude that thero
was such intimidation ~ tho Law OF 1oustana do.
1ounces and renders penal. and thst such inlinida.
t1on did materially infect tho tssult
deem 1t necessary to say only, that 1t appears 10
me That fa!r- minded snd impartial Judge would
find that THO disorders had controlled parishes and
polls moro than enough to change tho result on the
Presidential Elec.ors.
But not content to accept. tho testimony
presented tho Returning Doard as alone con.
elusive, Mr. STEVENSON made further inves-
tiBation On his own account, aud his senrch
was rewarded by the discovery Of interesting
facts that are decisive of the Louisiaua iul-
broglio.
81 To begin with, ho discovered that by the
United States consus of 1870, tho general
accuracy OF which has mover boon i'm
reachea, the colored population OF Louisiana
outnumbeEed the whites. 6lnce then, the
administration Of Louisiana having remained
iu the hands Of Republicans, md tho adtoin-
ing States Of Mississippi and Arkansas having
fallen into the hands OF the Whito-Liners,
there hos been steady migration Of ne
groes from those States to Louisiana, md the
tide Of colorcd immigration has also been
swelled by considerable influx from Texas
and Alabama. The result OF 1t wss, that, as
shown by the registry OF voters taken last
year, there was in LouiaianA majority of
over twenty-five thousand colosed voters.
As to the colorsd voters, Nr, 8rEyEEsoN
found 1t to bo admitted tloy were inclined /"
to bo Republicans. He adds:
Indeed one Of the grievances OF The white citiseu
il. that, while the former slave will do almost any.
thing also for his old master, bo will not elect him
to of6ce,-wiii not trust him with political power
unless hc runs as Republican, and even thon the
freedman Is dubious The colorcd voter
IL not only a Republican, but hc il tho most zeal
GUS member OF tho party, ,-he il Radlcal, q
tanalic,-anl he looks upon every colored man
who faltcrs ~ tsator to Ills race. heard OF In
stances where coIotcd women aasai!ed co1orea mon
suspected Of scEatchlng tho ticket The colorcd
people carry politics Into religion. was told of
showing that. their opinion, to desert tho
party 10 10 abandon Ill hope OF Heaven.
Tho which tends TO show how tremen-
dously powerful with the colorea voter Ia the
AZ. II L