New-York tribune., 1876-11-22
PROF. SUMMERS IMPRESSIONS.
HE PAINTS GLOOMY PICTURE OF THE CONDITION
OF LOUISIANA.

| OF LOUISIANA.
Prof. W. G. Sumner, who has just returned from
New-Orleans, whittier he went at the request Of
| Abram s. Hewitt, Chairman of the Democratic Ma
tlonal Committee, gives his impressions of his visit
to Louisiana IN letter to Charles X. Ingersoll of
New-liaven, dated Nov. 81. 1t is in substance as
| follows:
The gentlemen who requested by the National
Democratic Committee to go to Louisiana expressed at
once To one another the determination to certify TO the
Northern people the truth with regard the vote OF
Louisiana without party bias Several of them expressly
declared that tney had not to NewOrleans to get
the State vote for Mr.. Tilden, and all acquesced
| The first effort was therefore to ascertain the
| fact. Judging from the usage Of Northern States
| this would not be difficult. On addressing
| the State Committee for information. 1t
found that that body been obliged to contend
with unneardof difficulties in their efforts to obtain
returns. These difficulties partly physical due to
the lack OF means Of communication with remote
parishes but, for the st part they due to ar
fetal and malicious distractions placed in their way
The election held under complicated and elaborate
corps or officials appointed by the State Government
and free from any OF those popular checks which in
the North regard essential selfgOyernment. The
efforts of the press and the party committees obtain
information We're treated as impertinent. The Demo-
cratic committee warned by tho experience OF
1877 and 1874, took, II appears energetic
measures 10 trustworthy returns, duplicates
the returns sent the Returning Board The suspicion
OF the latter body implied in this OF IL
abundaDtly Justified by its history. have before
detailed statement by parishes Of the which
received a result of the efforts Of the Democratic
mttee. with memorandums OF the authority wheheach
parish return IL based Allowing for possible OF
detail, this statement establishes moral certainty that
Gov. Tden carried the State by 1000 majority accord
ing TO tie returns. met person IN Louisiana, and
mixed as freely possible with persons OF all classes
hof Nhn cd hat hfs wa
the true result OF the election
No counter claim Is made regard to the returns The
only answer made Is hat there have been outrages and
intimidation In Ave parishes and that the Return
Ing Board will have to the returns by throwing
out the votes OF those parishes. The Republican
paper O the 18th inst went further and declared that
would be necessary to insert the votes which would have
been cast for the Republican ticket If the intimidation
had not taken place met no person whatever who adj
mttcd any other hypothesis than that the Returning
Board would bring out Republican majority. 1t was
not dlsoussed IL assumed as of course. The pro-
posa tneu is that the Returning Board shall destroy the
OF large number OF persons who really voted and
supply the votes OF large number OF persons who did
not vote because they think some persons voted under
coercion and others reirancd under intimidation Could
anything arbitrarily destroy the whole theory OF
popular electoral government
obvious could not enter into the question
Of iact rs outragcs heard abundant complaints Of
ticket and taiAed with number of persons who had
such complaints 10 make Other charges OF outrage
which hcard or slw intangible and uncertain. /
could lot brng amy OF them to distinct shape. All of
them denied lnd especially the broad and general
descriptions Of systems OF intm:d on were energeti-
cay denied By OF unquestiOnabc character and IN
tegrity.
guarantee against frauds except m the vigil
lance aud interest Of the opposing parties Such guaran-
tees exist in LonsaLa with the vast nOnderance OF
the chances In layor OF tue party IN power which APP
poiuts All the officers election has the lie era officers
on its side, and controls the Federal troops Every
effort made by the D.mbcrats to prevent auis - TOR
turrd proof OF Intention To commit frau ara runs
through the North IN the present temper OF the people
finding ready cr.dence: ,.,
Tue only conclusions could reach IN regard 10 the gem
eral maticrs. In dispute were as follows: Society IN
Louisiana almost entirely disorgnnized Ihe eecu9n
law IL intricate, and Whle HpparrhtS nuapfn 70 i1Nuo d
for all contingencies, really cfrales hundred cchhlcal
ton, impossible The play OF its various parts allows
scope for fraud, chicanery, ana abuse Inc ingenuity
producing fraudulent results Is slulpy, ui"poi
ica. The party In power. having control OF this s
the community finds itself locked in network OF
crafty arrangements from which escape seems ihpo7s
bic Now. against this prodgious y ranny Tue people oI
Louisiana have made one united and determined
They know no other WAY 10 set Ild Oh II Wlthout
MANY slid one of item to me: We have tried every
could conceive oi inside OF law ana honor 10
they knew of. They urrayeI committees courle s.
agents. to prevent frauds 20 defeat corihp pufp9ss
meetings. organlzcd clubs, had torchlgnt pro-
cessions, gave out badges, aud empioyeI psaG nsrn
presidents OF negro Democratic clubs When asked Why
they had fornen or joined these eos, .Ty ~ me coma
try They thought that the promises made 70 tnen @ ha
not been KEPT Thty complaned sS%"oS % & ,Is ,Ie5 Ia.
zled. They said that the Democrats made r promises,
aud they disposed 10 try them Colored men nhue
speeches to this effect through the Disputed parishes
The Democrats made the most oi this ushn'S % @ a
eXered themselves TO win the election just us po'n par
ties did at tno North. -, 49,, .,
Oh the other all seem to have been used 10
defeat them. aud read an Original spccheh Oh
circular Issued by Republican Conntee 10 tIo Hae
Supervisors OF Election IN which Tue person ihuccu 70
ordered 10 bring up the Republican vote oil s ais" b ~
certain figure, aud Is told that his RECOGNITION p{ tno
future Administration will depend on tne muuy @
and with which he does TINS lhs uoouiGn, h
was sent by party committee To state oiccI; WI" ~
ot pay from the parish In winch ne serveu ~ ~ ht w
sale hands and can be prOducru' II - iu ~, III
polls established at the last moment or III u
inoway places aud were not opened lor INC M ,'
opened before thr hour appohtu, " hm the
leans a sewing machine circular was Sent sl"uEn o
posl-oicc voters who had registered These circulars @
were often misdireeted In some wa, OF ., % n "a ~ r,is
they returned not found" Enc one Itn tt o
aon number IT, and me person VINO siI Iot u bs ar
rest Issued but not served .-s., o,,,- T o,or
New Orleans to-day the most mouInfu ety ieseI
The city Itself is sqnad ana m ~
ance aud the people are dsplrled sd" u" l, o,,
all that there could be any use I1t oops - c i'm ia
importance OF tho election seemed 10 he 10 hc w s
national aspects The Federal power nus tmi9e i a.
yecd NowO leans u sustain tue ~ illns 1 L % ~" ~
sttng aside the will Of the people as eNpftsseu W m
election. the ground tnat they ana not coce rai
10
interference Is the key the situation Mltpou. @
Re urling Board would nave to exercise i,s S'oS %
dangerous power under responsibility 10 PuDlc opiiIH -
at least. With that interference the Returning 5i 10 20
AN engine of tyranny which Is the more s,iicrn
cause IL acts under "a grOesque ttaVesty oi IoPupt.
government The people OF tine Nortn nave too onS -
iectcd the OF louisiana as II IL "eio ai VI" anu
foreign. . ..,. ,,,a man
found sentiment Of dsunlon among ,I ,ne ngh h1
met They only seemed To despair OF Delns oiid
the North. | found sentiment IN laNor ol sun
SouIb" and no ambitions to satisfied AT "ashngo'
Tue iabsurbng SUBJECT the redemption ol a i,
ann from mIsrulr found hostility To negro snrase.
People did not sem about IT, or II lhey u oey
approved of it, Tney thought that tney t couiu ,
g lf-goyernment for people OF the state tne!