New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-30
THAT TERRIBLE WITNESS.

The spectacle of woman so mutilated
by political violence as to be unable to
walk. appearing before the Returning
Board to give testimony vouched for by
wounds and debility, will produce an
effect throughout all civilized society. 1t
will curdle the blood of humanity, and
tinge with shame the cheek of Christian
woman. It veri6es the identity of the
Democratic bulldozer with the Turkish
Bashi Bazouk, spread abroad by pictorial
presentation-so far as its shameful ma
ture will allow-the simple narrative of
horror will diffuse q representation of the
state Of society where such deeds are
possible, which no satirical wood cut can
counteract, and no cold sneer at the
"outrage mill" can contradict To such
evidence the technical objection of at
torneys can offer no bar. Such an appeal
to human emotion, the omission of .
party press to publish ''for want of space"
or its fippant references as Every dra-
matte etory," can neither suppress or
conceal.
With the testimony of Eliza Pinkston
and other undcubted evidence that col
ored people have been compelled to alb
stain from voting, or vote the Democratic
ticket to save their lives, there can be no
further question that of the returns certi-
fed by the board from such parishes
shall be based on general intimidation,
which defeated the intent Of suffrage. The
nation will sustain such q verdict and
humanity will indorse and guarantee such
doctrine and such decision.
We shall not clailn this as party
triumph. As citizens of Louisiana we
shall rejoice that such a verdict will vim
dictate the fair name of the State from a
federation of such atrocious acts. We do
not believe the cruelty demonstrated is
native to our people. It has been the
act Of men stimulated to these atrocities
by q party and q press which, having
taught that any means were justifable to
throw off the government Of one party
and install that of another, has left to I'M
restrained brutality to employ intimida-
ton, torture and death to achieve the pur-
pose commended and committed to their
agency. But for the testimony produced
before the eyes of strangers, and commit
ted to the current of intelligence which
flows throughout the world, these revolving
facts would have never gone beyond the
precincts where they had been perpe-
trated.
With the authentic evidence now COL
lected and presented to the American
people, can there be any longer q question
as to why no white immigration has pene-
trated into the fertile soil and genial eli
mate of Louisiana? Has not the assassin
alton of Republican leaders-has not the
murderous intimidation of the colored
voters, convinced immigrants that mel
ther freedom of opinion nor safety of life
exists in what are naturally some of the
most attractive sections of the South?
We have reason to know that the con-
sentative interests of property, business
and intelligence are under an intimida-
ton somewhat analogous to that which
has kept the poor negroes from the polls,
or even compelled them to save their
lives by voting the Democratic ticket.
Will the conservative interest remain in
the same dread indefinitely? Will it not
pronounce and declare itself? Will it not
speak through press of its own? Can it
not see that the Republican party means
to preserve this Union against all attacks
overt or covert? Business and property
must now see that the ter
rible responsibility of the political crimes
poven by the terrible witnesses now be-
fore the Returning Board rests upon them
in common with others. Will they not |
take measures to shrive themselves Of all |
complicitv in such abomiuable abuses?