The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-05-07
A LITTLE PLAIN TRUTH.
Something About Coushatta In 1871
Why Murder Is Rampant.


Editor Democrat There has been, 1t
seems to me, good deal OF premature
and mawksh sensibility spilled out by
some of your contemporaries in regard
to the shooting of tho man Twitchell,
let the facts turn out as they may.
Every man depores bloodshed and in q
community governed by laws. admins
tered Justly. there Is no apology for IT,.
But when great wrongs arc committed
with impunity; when the law cannot be
invoked for the protection Of society
when the sacred rights Of person ana
property arc on system assailed under
The color Of law itself. when justice is
perverted and poisoned ut its source,
and. in short. when corrupt officials.
whose lives stink with undisguised rot
tenness, strike down without shame
every right which holds society TO-
gether, and when the last remedy or
the ballot-box Is virtually destroyed.
men. If they continue TO be men. must
right their own wrongs or sink out OF the
semblance Of true manhood
This affected sensibility at the shoot
ing of this man let the special cause
which prompted the act be what it
may--is ridiculous. and worse than
ridiculous: It is q crime against human
nature, which is SO constituted bya wise
Providence as to resist wrong and op-
| preston ana aJ alI nuItIus.
The history OF Red River parish, since
It's fOrmation-an act einanating from
the fertile brain Of this man. Twitehell-.
would warrant any act on the part Of
the wretched people to vindicate their
claim to some OF the best feeling OF
| human nature, resistance to wrong, and
determination to be freemen.
In vindication OF what | say. ! refer
you to u history of the Coushntta affair,
published in the Bulletin, February 4,
1875. It is a long narrative, having the
impress of truth in every line, too long
for quotation, but which can be read in
connection with this affair with great
profit, and by none more than the Bit
letM itself. quote the following pass
ages as In point:
From the very inception OF the cam
paign 1t became apparent to Devices
and Twitchell that they could not hope
to carry the election against the white
people, even with their fraudulent regis
tration and election laws. without the
Intervention Of Federal troops to intim-
idate the whites"
"The Radical press and politicians
cried continually for troops. Every |
strong expression Of an indignant people |
against the corruption or the men In
power was represented to the authori- |
ties i'm Washington. and the country ut
large. as indication Of TN intention. only |
waiting an Opportunity. to murder me-
groes and Republicans.
But these efforts failed, and these
tiendish men resorted to the criminal OK
pedient OF creating strife between the two
races, in order to give Kellogg the much |
coveted excuse for calling United States
troops No fair man. when he reads the |
following letter. can doubt this theory
ICopy Of II. NJ Twitchols Lettnrl
New ORLEANS. Aug. 4. 1876.
J. s. Edeerton. sheriff of Red River Parish. In.
| received your letter this morning. |
Have seen the Governor and United
States Marshal. AS soon rs some overt
act has been committed a United States
Marshal can be sent up thcre, and will.
doubtless, take United States troops
with him. ] will advise you in case n
demand is made for your resignation, to
be certain first that violence Is to be
used I'm case you do not, and to save
your life resign.
II. M. TwITcHELI.
The narrative above referred to, and |
which has never been contradicted.
shows how this parish was created to
Twitchell and Devices were chiefs how |
the assessment was five dollars per acre,
which, taking into consideration that
much Of the land was swamp and not |
cultivated, that this figure is the same
and the same as now levied
on the adjoining parishes, 1t shows also,
how in this small parish Of about $50
property holders, the taxes did not pan |
out in sufficient quantity to satisfy the
cormorants How that being, by con
stitutionai clause, prohibited from levy |
ing parish tax in excess OF the State |
tax, which was about two per cent, they |
raised the assessment from So per |
acre to $40, or 500 per cent. How
that this put all the property in the par
ish virtually in the hands of Twitehell
e Co., and how to produce a riot and |
give pretext to invoke the assistance
Of the United States forces. steps were |
taken to induce the negroes to murder
number OF the whites assembled at a
ball in Coushatta. How the conspira-
tors assembled under Twitchell' s honse,
the brother of H. M. Twitchell, lately |
shot. but who was known to be the main
instrument in the hands OF his brother.
How two gentlemen were shot in
pursuance of this perilous scheme and
the terrible results that followed. All |
this, Mr.. Editor. and much more Is mar
rated in the article above referred to,
which might enlighten sentimentalists
at a distance. and ii men OF sense, they
would see that there are crimes even
worse than assassination, and for which
ii is the only remedy.
Yes, sir. Terribly odious and fright
full rs that crime is, greatly as it is to
be deprecated, 1t is not that which is to
be condemned in this case. But rather
that condition of things which renders
assassination a necessity, not only be
cause it il resorted to to redress private
wrongs. but for the protection OF SO
ciety ITSELF ts Ese RED RIVER.
JcRersOn Davis.
The Rayville, La, Beacon expresses
only the truth in the following para
graph
If Jefferson Davis had renounced his
nnliticaI fuith aftnr the Nar and ininel