The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-08-23
INTIMIDATION,


solely by intimidation. There has
never. ia fact, been i oanvsss In Louis
lana since the snfranchissment OF the
negroes In which the Radical leaders
have not resorted to every species OF
moral spd ph yslcal intimidation to force
them to vote the Republican ticket.
In every canvas the negroes have
been assembled secrstly. at Dight,1 In
churches and other places, and taught
that II the Democrats obtained
control Of the government they
would be reduced to condition
"a bad, II not worse. than
that OF slavery: letters were read to
them, purpoting TO be from President
Grant, ordering them, under penalty OF
death TO vote the Republican ticket with
out scratching it; leaders among them
assured them IL they tailed to vote that
ticket their ears and toes would be- cut
off by order OF the Government; they
have been time and again threatened
with personal violence; with ostracism
from their own race, and by their
preachers with the certain and ineyita-
lle doom OF hell, II they voted for a
Democrat; and finally. II the Radical
officials were to go vigilantly to work to
enforce the laws In the spirit OF the
Lord resolution, we guarantee that 1t
would be proved that many negroes
have been murdered and hundreds Of
them beaten by Radical negroes for
affiliating, or attempting to affiliate.
politically with tho Democratic party.
This Ia no new or sensational state
ment; the facts we state are familiar to
nine OF the people Of louisiana
Ia neighborhoods where there are many
whites the Democratic negroes have
been protected; but In other localities,
during every campaign, the carpet
bag and negro leaders have literally
organized reign OF terror among them,
and the poor creatures have been
badgered and frightened into voting
the Radical ticket.
The indications are, that the scheme
OF intimidation IL to be chiefly relied on
by the Radicals in this canvass, and
that it Is 10 be conducted on boider
and more extensive scale than ever be-
fore. Emissaries are now travelling
throughout the State organizing the
Councils OF Freedom upon a military
plan; the murderous Union Rights
Stop, which was discovered few weeks
ago by the murder OF Democratic me-
gro in obedience to its laws, exists In all
thesthickly settled negro districts Of the
State. and 1t is beyond question that
the Presidents recent military order
is an important part OF the scheme.
No one, we presume, 10 silly enough
to doubt the fact that the Radical leaG-
ers are working up q grand system OF
intimidation. Indeed. they have already
begun their work In this city. The ne
groes here, in large numbers, are join
ing the Democrats In fact, the indi-
cations are that, il left TO exercise their
own free will, nine-tenths OF the better
class OF negroes will abandon the Radi-
cal party and vote with the Democrats.
The Radical leaders are determined,
IL possible, to frighten or force the
negroes into line, and to employ any
and all means to accomplish their pur-
pose. Monday night several hundred
Democratic colored men we're holding
club meeting at the corner Of Notre
Dame and Tchoupitoulas streets, when
gang OF ievee ruffians ana rats, from the
den OF man known as Elephant Johnny,
entered the meeting, began cursing the
colored men, aud drew their pistols.
terrifying them with threats OF shooting
into them, These ruffians finally broke
up the meeting and drove off the
negroes. OF course this ruffianly
gang were sent t. do this job. and we're
under the protection ofthe Metropolitan
Police; and they very effectually per-
formed their mission.
1t is not likely that .he President will
take any special notice OF this affair,
nor Is It probable that the bloody-shirt
papers will have anything TO say OF 1t.
And yet, this Is an instance In which
three hundred peaceable colored men
we're driven away fr>m their meeting by
a gang OF white ruffians. Why. then,
| will not the President and the bloody
shirt press vex and deafen the ears Of
the whole country with their frantic
| howls? Why, simply, because the row
dies who perpetrated the outrage were
Radicals. or thugs hired by Radical lead
ers, while the poor negroes on whom the
outrage was perpetrated were Demo
Gratis. aa
All the denunciation OF outrages upon
negroes to which Grant IL Co. have
treated the country Ii the veriest hum
buggery and hypocrisy. Negroes may
be murdered. as poor Ellis was at Port
Hudson, because they are Democrats,
and the arm Of the law is palsied and
the tongues OF the Radicals refuse to
shrek m drderers OF Democratic negroes
may be tracked even TO their hiding
places in the New Orleans Customhouse
and arrested, as was the case few days