Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-12-19
Difficulties In the Way of fair In
vestigatiOn in Louisiana.

In an article from Louisiana concerning the
Investigation taking place in that State by the
House committee correspondent Of the New
York Times says:
"But even supposing that the Southern demo-
Gratis and their Northern allies are mistaken in
their estimate OF the character and honesty of
the men who have been commissioned by Con-
gress to inquire into the Louisiana case; sup
pose that they really intend TO forget their party
and do their whole duty without fear or
favor-suppose all these things, and still there is
but little reason to believe that their report
will be anything but a partizan document, and
that in the strictest sense of the term, To prove
this we need only refer to the way in which Con-
gressional committees are received by the white
people of the South, and how former investiga-
tions of the same kind have been conducted. For
instance, as soon as it was announced in New Or
leans that the President had requested committees
to go South 9 number of prominent business men
met and arranged for their entertainment. The
wild young men, were ordered to keep quiet and
not show themselves more than was absolutely
necessary; a number of the "native and best
those who live in the finest style, keep the choicest
wines, and give the best dinners, were instructed
to be ready to do their part for "the cause" 1t
being understood that their part was to send to
their remote plantations and into the Teche coun-
try Tor tat game, fresh vegetables and ripe fruit,
and all this to tickle the paates of the investigat-
ing committee. Indeed, no sooner had our friends
than they began to have a taste of what has been
aptly called the warmest hospitality on earth
At every railway station they were met by delega-
tons OF citizens who came to pay their respects
and tender refreshments. The visitors were
passed free over all the railroads They were
eheered and toasted at every hamlet from Rich
mond to Mobile, and when they arrived at New
Orleans they were received and escorted to their
hotel by large party of well known citizens-all
democrats of course. During the stay Of our
ytStin thau
many princes If they were unsteady inclined
there were dozens Of beautiful and accomplished
ladies to solve for them the sweet mysteries of
Schuman and Beethoven; if they were fond of
1.-THE good things of life they were grathed to
the full; If they admired fine horses, the best the
city afforded were always at their disposal. In
short, all New Orleans was at their feet-tb enter
tain them apparently, but really to curry favor
with them; for while all this music and Teasing
and fast driving was going on, the Southern poll
ticians--and every white man and woman in the
South, and almost every boy and girl, is a poll
tlcian-never ceased to assure their visitors that
these stories Of outrage and intimidation are all
untrue, trumped up for political effect The
citizens OF Lou'slan are as law abiding as any in
the country, Sir we are an abused people, Sir
The Southern whites are, and always have been
the best friends OF the negroes. we would all
be at peace and prosperous if it not for these
corrupt radicals; they are the cause of all our
troubles, and we can never be happy again till we
have driven them out of power These and a
thousand other set speeches of the same sort were
dinned into the ears of the visitors morning noon
and night, until they almost began TO believe
them. The House Committee in New Or
leans, is being treated in precisely this way. All
the White League implements of torture have
been removed from sight. very much as they were
from Charles Reades private mad-house just be-
fore the Lunacy Commissioner visited it, and as
far possible all the eeding victims of the bull
DOING democracy have been hidden away. OF
course, the unfortunate negroes can give no din
ner parties; their cabins echo more frequently to
the cries of dying men and women than to the
music of the fiddle and the bow" They have
been warned that death will be their punishment
If they tell all they know about the shotgun de-
nocrscy, and they know from bitter sxperie nee
that these threats are not idle ones. In spite of
all these difficulties. however, the House Commit
tee can get at the truth If it will honestly try to
do If two or three of its members will go
| through the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Ou-
ehits, East and West Feliciapa and Morehouse,
under the guidance of Gen. Brooke, or any other
impartial non pa.tsan United States Army officer,
they will discover that, at the last election in
Louisiana, the bull-dozing democracy prevented
at least ten thousand black citizens Of that State
from exercising their political rights.
MIR. Eyarts believes that Hayes has been fairly
elected.