The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-12-06
IAE case CLOSED.

Inc PUBIC IeabuTes OF INC eleCbl0h
contest in Louisiana are closed, aud
the Returning Board will now remain
in secret session till it closes its labors.
If the Democracy are gratified at the
showing they have male, they have .
better opinion of it than most others.
The startling evidence ofthe character /
and extent of the terrorism practiced,
from two widely divergent sources, fell
with crushing effect on the hopes OF
the Democracy. The colored woman,
Eliza Pinkston, uneducated and but
moderately intelligent, Jet clear in
her story, eloquent in her simplicity,
and showing her terrible wounds in |
support of the truth of her story, rep
resented one source. The other was
General Brooks,-who had been in
command of our troops in the ''bull-
dozed" parishes. He is educated, in
telligent, impartial, had no motive to
misreprOsent, and spoke of what he
saw and knew. There was no raRcor
or malice in his statements, and he
testified to having investigated the
reports of outrage quite largely. Ellis
testimony was amply confrmatory Of
that Of Eliza Pinkston,-that for po-
litical reasons brutalities and murders
were committed, till the colored peo-
pie were terrorized completely. Aft
davits aud statements locate the spec
ial points where such things occurred.
The two witnesses mentioned were in
troduced to give the country some
idea Of the nature and extent of these
ontrages, and their evidence is fully
accepted by the country. The doubts
which have existed as to the reality
5 and purpose of those outrages are com
r pletely and forever dissipated. 1
The most pitiable spectacle Of the
entire investigation was that of an old
man, the owner of the plantation on
e which the Pinkstons lived, trying q
:. destroy the character and testimony
e of the injured woman. His evidence
o was largely hearsay, but its animui
5, was clearly apparent. Pinkston wa'
O peaceable, inofensive negro, but haf
Il feud and fight with another, SO Bit
ter that the other negro killed him
!. Why wasn't that negro produced
:. Then he heard that band Of negroe
a. killed PinkstOn because he was
At Democrat! This was equal to Wad
r. Hampton's assertion that the enl
1s blood shed for political reasons, i
in South Carolina, was shed by Repub
es licans! The trouble with this plants
70 ton owner was, that he varied his sto
r. nv too much, and failed to make
agree. AT any rate, it was SO improt
- able, and so revolving to reason, tha
= those who heard it were all the NOR
e convinced of the literal correctness {
the coored womah's evidence. Hi
10 declaration that she wanted pistol
shoot Republican speaker, was quit
equal to some of Nashys statement
And yet this was their sole defens'
IN except affidavits not worth the papt
they were written on. Persons guilt
of wholesale murder, for political pu
= poses would not be likely to stand o
:. a matter of perjury.
- Undoubtedly the "bull-dOzed" pa
= ishes will be thrown out, and Il
~ :, State given to the Republicans. "
do not believe there is an honest Den
'" ocrat at the North who has followe
the course of events in Louisiana, wi
will not justify the Returning Boar
al in declaring the State Republica
'r' The well-being of the country will n
81 stand the strain of giving State ov
~ to the party that openly resorts to te
laS rorism and murder to gain it's enc
w If the American Republic is to stan
ID it must be on the basis of free and u
III constrained expression Of choice, as
rulers and policy that are to COVE
ice the nation. Once admit terrorism al
al fraud as the undisputed elements
to an election canvass, and the Union
Iir. States is mere rope of sand. A +