Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-12-13
THE LOUISIANA CAMPAIGN.
How the Democrats SystematiZed
the -DOzing Business Report
of Senator sherman and Others.

The following is the message which the
President sent to Congress to-day;
To the Senate and House OF Representatives
have the honor to transmit u letter. accompa
MED bv testimony. addressed TO me by the Hon.
Holm Sherman and other distinguished citizens,
in regard to the of the vote for Electors in
the STATE of Louisiana. L. 5. GRANT
EXECUTIVE MANSION. Dec. 3.
The letter transmitted by the President
is as follows
To the President of the United States:
In pursuance of your request that the under
stoned should proceed to New Orleans, and there
witness. the canvass, by the Returning Board of
the STATE OF Louisiana OF the votes cast in that
State for Electors of President and Vice President
of The United States, we have performed that
duty and now most respcc fully report that on
our arrival in that city found several gentle
men who came representing Republican State
carnations who have throughout co.operated
with those who went at your request and whose
names are also appended to this communication.
Retyeen the gentlemen representing the Demo
cratic party and ourselves correspondence in
writing ensued. a copy of which is appended
here,o Reference to it will disclose tina con-
ference with us for the purpose of exercising an
influence upon the Returning Board was declined
upon the ground that the only duty devolved on
ns was to attend before the Board caref nlly note
it, proceed ngs. and finally report a faithful his
tory hereof, with such opinions concerning the
same as tru h and jusiice should demand. such
report we are now shle TO present, and we take
Measure in stating that our ability 10 do so is due
10 a courtesy and kindness of the Returning
Board which entitle its me nhers not only TO our
thanks but to that confidence which just public
extends toward every tribunal which desires that
Mi its proceedings should be duly presen ed to
public scrutiny. 1t was our earnest with that this
publicity should be attained, but we shonld have
felt deicacy in requesting any priv ege not in
harmony with the usage OF the Board. We We're,
however relieved from ali embarrassment by the
receipt of its formal invitation hereto annexed,
delivered to Us. and to the gentlemen who at
tended at the request of the Chairman of Dem
ocratic Committees, inviting the attendance of
five Gentlemen from each delegation as spectators
and witnesses of the proceedings of the Board,
and this invitation was accompani with an offer
TO furnish stenographic re orters, select d by
each committee. to be present and make full re-
port OF al the hroesea,nhss ana a. teesnmony ana
The undersigned made arrangements for that
purpose with the proprietors of one Of the daily
newspapers printed In New Orleans, and thus, per-
haps there and elsewhere, have been enabled to
give such proceedings and test mony the widest
circulation. In justice to the Board ii should also
he stated that this privi' was freely accorded
cordially united with US in the desire TO have all
their proceedings published throughout the coun-
try THE scrutiny invited by the Board has been
con family exercised Gay by dav. Both commit
tee, have been in tendance before the Board
with their stenographic reporter and III addition,
a privilege rendered TO both committees OF m
wiling gentlemen from States tn than Louisi-
ana has b en- several times ava led f. As the re
turns were opened, whether contested or not, the
papers nclosed have been freely rendered TO the
commit ees for examination. and have usually
been carefully Inspected; and. as a means of de
tectng any possible changes in the retu ms after
leaving their res ect We Parishes both Com
mittecs were furnished by the respective
parties with statements of the vote as ceimed
by them respectively, that by comparison it
mi hit be known II any altera ion had been made
in the returns be passed upon by the Board,
with which statement the returns usually agreed.
Whenever ii known to the Board that a re-
turn was to be contested, the at torneys for candi
date. interested sent or to be present at the
ceremony of opening. and when s1ch knowledge
was attain bic only by inspection of the inside of
the package con aiming such returns, these attor
news were invited to be present before any action
was taken upon IL. There were thus secured in
this manner the publicity OF all proceedings of
the Board. the most careful scrutiny ofe cry pack
age of returns they ope ed. and an opportunity
for candidates insisting upon the validity OF re
turns to appear personally and by counsel before
the Board in many instances before the returns
were opened and in every instance before action
was taken upon them. II has been believed quite
unusual to give such full and widespread pub
licity to the proceedings Of Returning Board
nor do we think that better means for permanent
ly recording every word and act OF Its memb re-
whilst engaged in the discharge OF their duties
could have been afforded than Were enjoyed.
Hav NJ thus presented statement OF the means
accorded of witnessing the canvass. ii may be well
to state briefly the causes which led to the crea
tion of such Board in Louisiana, and TO call at
tention 70 the statute which devolNes on il powers
and duties of great public IMPORTANCE. The white
people OF that and o her southern States had, by
their rebellion, forfeited all right to representa-
ton in Congress, or to any participation IN the
Government of the Union and had been COM
PEELED, as ndi ion of resuming their former
political rights, To assent to the constitutional
Amendments by which, in hostil y 10 their will,
those who had been but late their slaves were
made cizens, and although 1t was their duty to
submit TO this political reorganization. the annals
Of he South. and especially of Louisiana. dis
close a widespread and persistent determination
OF its ruling white people to prevent the
exercise of the elective franchise by the
coored race. except subject TO their will:
Thi- manifested by violence, out ages and
murders perpetrated in that sta just preceding
the Presidential election of 1858. They wall be
found stated in various Congressional Reports.
From these il appears that over 1850 persons were
Killed, wounded or otherwise injured. IN that
state within few weeks OF the Presidential cleo.
non o. that year; that hal the State was overrun
by violence, midnight raids, secret murders and
open no :, which kept the people in constant ter
TOT, until the Republicans surreDd red all claims,
and then the ton was carried by the Democ-
raey. J he Parish If Orleans. which contained
%t1iO voters 81 90 of which ~ete coiored. and
winch IN the spring lad given 1873 Republican
vote, IN the fan cast for Gen. Grant but LIT
falling OF Of q H5 votes. Riots prevailed for
Weeks, filling NV Orleans with scenes o, blood.
aho hu-hlr2 notices scattered throughout
tue city war ing colored men not TO vote. In be
Parish of CsCdo here were ~ Republicans, who.
II he spring of 1s65, carried the parish. Which in
NE inll gave to Gen Grant but vote, and tn re
ais bloody riots occurred
In the Parish OF saint Landry the Repub leans
Ia1 81 registered majority of l. OIL votes. and in
lAr r,n- Of that year carried it by 81 votes.
WHIST 30 the faIl not vote was cat Tor Gen.
GRANT whilst FIR Seymour and Blair the Demo
'ra'- cast the fl vote of the Parish. .5s7 votes,
eAa Were occurred once of the bloodiest riots on
F-'.r1 Iu which the kY-klux - led and wounded
,'es Republicans. hunting and chasing them
l" Two days and nights through fields and
NN .F. Thirteen Captives were taken from jail
aa1 SHOT. and pile # TWEEN y-iiye dead bodies
was found buried in the woods. Having thus con
taeaa e Republicans, and killed and driven of
,.r-i white leader The masses were captured by
h--hllZ marked with badges Of red hanDels en-
f"..al ID clubs, led 10 the poll and compelled 70
'gi the Democratic ticket after which they were
--trl cert Gates of the fact.
These me ~ the outraces which marked
.t' pathway 10 political supremacy ~ tho@e.who
li few YEAR, hefor had obtained the mercy %