Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-11-30
Address Of the COIOred Men of
Louisiana to the People of the
Country.

NEW ORLEANS, La, Nov. 10: 1876.
To the People of the United iStdtes:
We, the colored people, are but a
simple folk, plain and uDleCtered, but
nevert rtheless we hope we shall be un-
derstOed. We desire plainly and brief
ly to relate the actual political condi-
tion OF our race in Louisiana, and to
ask the just people of the North to rem
der US that moral aid and protection
which our peculiar situation requires.
Tne Government clothed US with the
various duties of American citizenship,
among which was the right to vote,
which has SO incensed the Southern
Democrats against US that they nur-
der our people and outrage their famis
lies after such beastly modes that we
dare not relate them even in our nm
lettered manner. We are unable to
cope with the white. man without that
backing and moral aid which the
Northern people have so sNdiously
withheld frO.n Us since the war. The
most OF ns have been slaves and driy-
en- like beasts ali our younger days, and
the terror inspired by the white slave
driver from our infancy up has made
US fear the white man and know and
believe that we are not his equal in
combat. The use of firearms was de-
MED US until after the war, and feel our
iuferiGrity in their use when confront
ed with the heavily armed, staggering
Democrats. Thus when the issue is
reduced to one ofarmed hostility, as it
has been during this Presidential can
vasS iD Louisiana, our numerical
strength counts for naught against the
Ear ~ 1a1 L.. lad
White League Democracy of the State.
Their murders sre more gentlemanly
and humane than the other outrages
(some of which must be nameless)
which they have and are at this time
inf1icting upon our people. The whip
ping of colored Republicans who know
how to read or write has been carried
to such an excess that the recital of
these enOrmities would scarce be be-
lieved. OF the signers to this appeal
two have been whipped for refusing to
vote the Democratic ticket at the Pres
idential election. One of these, strip
ped naked and whipped, is covered
with welts and gashes from his head to
his heels, and escaped from his fend-
ish tormenters through United States
military escort. The other was taken
from his cabin on the night before the
Presidential election, at midnight, and
stripped, and whipped by a dozen
or more white men, each taking turns
as they became tired, sometimes three
or four whipping at q time, until his
finger nails and two fingers were whip
ped off. He was then left fainting and
alone urOn the ground. Next morn
ing the same Democratic 'bull-dOZers'
marched him to the polls, the victiIn
so stiff and sore that every movement
of the body in endeayoring to drag its
slow length along caused the most eX-
cruciating agony, and they compelled
him to put in the ballot-bOx q Demo-
cratic Tilden ticket with the bleeding
stumps of fingers their generous chiy-
airy had yet left him. These outrages
were not committed by Insignificant
Democrats, but their leader is practi-
cling physician in the parish, and his
assisting bull-dozers are some Of what
/ they call the first families. Thousands
of cOlOred people have been subjected
to these outrages at every election for
attempting to exercise the right Of free
men in the State of Louisiana. 1t
seems As if the Government and people
OF the North had turned deaf ear
upon US and forgotten US. We do not
ask bread or money. These we have
the muscle and industry to produce,
but we do ask an assurance from the
people of the North that some method
shall be provided for our security in
the exercise of our rights as American
freemen. SAMUEL ESTELLE,
EZEKIEL GLOVER,
AARON MCKENZIE,
gr his
GEO. WASHINGTON, x
mark.
And others.