The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-06-20
LETTER FROM WEST FELICIANA.
SOME PR4C7TCdL SUGGESTIONS WIfICH
SHOULD BE ACTED on.


NEAR LAUREL HILL. West Feliciana. La.
June a. 1876.
Editor Democrat read your paper
with great deal of interest, and com
mend you for the bold and fearless
manner in which you write. Editorials
written in mild, calm and reasoning
manner have no influence now, either
with your party friends or foes. The
flesh of the body polite has become so
callous and hardened by constant fric-
tions and poundings that 1t resembles
that of an old work mule In the hands
of one of the wards OF the nation, which
can only be aroused and quickened IN
motion by something sharp, cutting
and stinging.
[Our correspondent here gives a long
and interesting history OF the late riots
in West Feiciana and Wilkinson coun-
ty. but as all the principal facts have
been already presented. we omit ana
give the concluding portion OF the letter
which is worthy Of consideration.
OF the thirty or forty assassins OF
Aronson, all of whom were Mississippi
negroes and belonged to negro clubs in
the peighborhood, but four were cap
t,red during all the following troubles
(Which they brought on. and none have
been taken since that | have heard Of
These criminals are liable to arrest at
any time by the civil authorities Of
Wilkinson county and also OF this par.
isb, but their crime (the assassination OF
Aronson and shooting Of his negro
clerk) was committed in this parish, and
they can only be tried by the courts OF
our State, and of our parish, unless by
agreement the trial Is transferred 10
some other parish. They cannot be tried
for this assassination in Wilkinson
county. and could be only arrested and
held I'm custody there until properly
turned over to our State authorities. In
the meantime one month has elapsed.
and our Radical parish and State OIL
cials have never moved in this matter
at all. further than to have our parish
coroner hold an inquest on the body of
the dead man, who was assassinated. AT
first, many lying letters and kilograms
were sent oil over the country to fix the
blame on the white people OF our parish,
and our little negro Lieutenant GOV
ernor-then acting GovernOr-tried to
magnify his Importance and make capl-
tai for his party by calling on his supe-
rior, Kellogg, then i'm Washington, for
Federal interference and the use OF the
Federal soldiery to quell oUTRAdEs in
this State, when the whole trouble was
caused by Mississippi negroes, and all
subsequent violence had taken place In
l.
parish officials should now be forced to
do their duty in this matter, II they are
not disposed to do it voluntarily, and
this Is, to take the proper and legal
course to have these thirty or forty
negro assassins of Arenson arrested,
wherever found, and held in custody, to
be regularly tried by our civil courts.
They have offered large rewards for the
apprehension of those parties who shot
John Gair to death in East Feliciana,
and for the parties who took out the
negro woman (who tried to poison DIR.
Saunders) and hung her In the court
yard in Clinton; and for the party who
killed King and wounded Twltchell,
at Coushatta. Now, here are thirty
or forty assassins at large, who can
not return home and go to work; who
are outlaws, living like robbers, by
plundering and stealing; and who, for
all time, must remain so, unless regu-
Iarly tried by civil law in our State and
acquitted, pardoned or serve out their
punishment according to their sen
fences. To have these outlaws arrested
and delivered over to our authorities,
large rewards should be offered for
them to stimulate private parties TO
hunt up, pursue and capture them and
trained detectives should be put on
LIPlE LTHtkS VI ItIJtl tIttlu put III tIitii
hiding places and capture them. The
outraged law should be yindicated, and
all such terrible crimes as this aSsassl-
nation of Aronson promptly and firmly
punished. The negroes would be taught
by these proceedings lesson which
would be seryiceable to them, which
they would never forget, and which
would be far more effective in prevent
ing any similar or mes by them than
any sudden, violent and temporary out
burst and punishment by the whites.
Besides, our white people would be vim
dicated and the lying mouths OF our
Radical opponents shut. when we
had thirty negro criminals tried
convicted and punished by the civil
laws, regularly, quietly and firmly exc
cuted. The cost to our parish ana our
State to carry these proceedings through
to a successful end are not to be weighed
or argued at all. All crimes must be
punished, and all criminals arrested
and tried and acquitted or convicted.
This Is plain and palpable. Then why
are not these thirty or forty assasslns OF
Aronson proceeded against at once,
legally, properly and energetically Is
it because they are negroes and our
officials are Radicals, and fear to offend
their negro followers and political ad-
herents? If so, then our white citizens
should take steps to force them to full
fill an unpleasant duty, but which can
not be shirked or evaded with any pro-