Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-12-21

vote vas violently. changed in secre,
session to give the Hayes electors
from 1926 TO 4,712, and how the re
suit. was eachedis still withheld f.om
the public.
On the subject of intimidation, the
the report deals frankly with the
question. The summing up on that
disputed issue and the closing appeal
of the commissioners. to the country
is as follows:
The evidence taken on both sides,
so far as it has been accessible 10 US,
| discloses state Of lawlessness in
certain parishes, not in the State
generally, about the cause of which
parties are not agreed. The demo-
Gratis attribute it to the inefiiciency
and imbecility Of the State governs
ment, which they allege to be a
nsurpation, resting wholly for support
on the federal army, and without The
disposition to prevent or punish crime
which they can pervert to political
uses Such state of things, as
might be expected, has led to disorder,
and, in some instances, to the mos,
shocking barharities.
The republicans, on the other hand,
attribute the lawless ness to the hosil-
l'y of the white against the colored
race and as largely due to politics
The. murders and outrages which
have been brought to our notice are
frequently committed by persons Of
the same race upon each other, and
in large majority of cases have no
political significance, Many such
cases were brought to the notice OF
the board by ex. parie attidavits,
without regard to the time Of their
occurrence, aud when they did no,
have the slightest connection with the
recent election. Strangely enough, it
is assumed by the republicans, who
have had complete control of the
State government for years, that if
they could show that lawlessness
prevailed in certain localities and
crime went UNPUBLISHED, that those
facts furnished a reason why they
should be continued in power, notwi.h
standing the large majority of ballots
cast against them.
! Another assumption of the repsb
licans is that all the colored men in
the State are necessarily republicans.
f! This is by no means true W. were
visited by large number of colored
persons from different parts OF the
! state, including the alleged disturbed
districts, who made speeches and
took an active part in the canvass
in favor Of the democratic ticket, and
who gave, among other reasons for S.
doing, that they had been deceived by
republican officials, who had proved
dishonest and corrupt, bad robbed
them of their money, and burdened
them with unnecessary taxes, and
that they believed it for the interest
of the colored race to unite their
fortunes with the whites, whose
interests, like their own were identified
with the State
1t is certain that thousands of coll
ored persons voluntarily and active
ly supported the democratic ticket
The entire vote of the State at the res
cent election is about fifteen thousand
greater than ever before, and even iii
the parishes where intimidation is
charged it exceeds, -inlhe aggregate,
any previous vote The COMPRESSION
al committee which, it is mdersl God,
will soon visit the State armed with
authority to send for persons and
papers, and inquire into all the facts
connected with the recent election
and the action ofthe returning board,
will have greater facilities for arriving
at the truth than We possess. but with
the law and such facts before us as
have been disclosed by the action OF
the returning board, we do not hest
tate to declare that its proceedings as
witnessed by us were partial and I'M
tair, and that the result it has announ-
ced is arbitrary, illegal and entitled to
no respect whatever
Fifteen years ago, when Fort
Sumter was fired upon by men who
sought disruption of the Union, a
million patriots, without regard to
party affiliations, sprang to its de-
tense. Will the same patriotic citi-
zens now sit idly by and see represen
talive government overthrown by us
urpation and fraud? Shall the will
!! Of forty millions OF people, constitu-
tionally expressed, be lhwarted by
the corrupt, arbitrary and illegal ac-
ton of an illegally constituted return.
ing board in Louisiana, whose wrong
ful action heretofore, in all respects
similar to its present action, has been
condemned by all parties? 1t is an
! admitted fact that Mr. Tilden recei
we'd a majority ola quarter of a mil
! lion of the votes at the recent election
This majority is ready and willing to
submit to the rule of the minority
when constitutionally entitled to de
mana such:submission, but is it will
ing that by an. arbitrary and false
declaration of votes in Louisiana the
minority shall usurp the power?
These are dark days for the Ameri-
can people when such questions are
forced upon their consideration If
it were true. as some insist, that
neither the white, nor the colored
voters have, in all instances been
afforded an opportunity to give free
expression to their wishes at the balls
lot-box, shall we, by sustaining
fraudulent and illegal declaration of
the votes cast, stife the voice of the
millions of voters who have freely ex-
pressed their choice, and thus seek to
correct great wrong by committing
another UNNECESSARILY greater wrong?
Can we sanction such action of the
Louisiana returning board, and there's
by form a precedent under the au-
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