Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1877-12-15

chose ard appointed the Tilden election
iu due and legal form. this is proved b,
evidence clear and decisive enongh t,
strike all contradiction dumb.
In less than two days after the election
it was known all over the county thai
III Louisiana there had beei, 4 full poi
and heavy majority for Tilden. Very
soor afterward the official counts made
and recorded in the several parishes by
Republican officers of election were
brought together, and the exact vote OF
each candidate was ascertained. The fig.
ures could not be made to lie, and all par
ties agreed that the majority for the Til
den elections averaged nearly eight thou
sand. Now. remember, this was a pub
lie act-not done in corner, but trat1-
sacted in the face Of the world; and the
uncontradicted report of it carried per-
feet conviction along with It. Upon evi
dence of this kind the most important
fact in the history of the universe was
accepted as true in all parts of the earth
Immediately aft it happened, and for
moro than eighteen centuries the most
powerful minds in Christendom have
stakcd upon it their highest Interests in
this world and their salvation in the next
But there was other evidence. Commit
| tees of Congress were sent down, charged
with the special duty of inquiring into
the matter on the ground, and they re-
ported the true result of the election to
be as previously stated, that is to say,
1859 majority for Tilden. Even that is
not all. The original documents and 1e-
| cords showing what the vote was, as ac-
tually counted by Republican Commits
sioners of Election, authenticated by
their sworn certificates, and verified by
| the oaths of many credible persons, were
produced before Congress and before the
Electoral Commission. These were con-
elusive proofs; they Were submitted to
your inspection, and if you do not know
from them that a large majority of the
people at that election voted for Tilden
electors and the Democratic State officers.
you are wholly unfit for your business.
But you do know it; and cannot deny it
without totally destroying your charac-
ter for vcracity. Forced by the irresista-
ble strength of the proofs, You admit, or
assume, that the majority for the Tilden
electors was 1859. So, therefore, that is
settled.
LEGAL AND PEACEABLE ELECTION.
There is another point of fact tat is
also established. The majority for the
Tilden electors was made mp by tho votes
of legally qualified citizens. do not
say this merely because the reception of
the votes by the proper election officers
was per Sc an adjudication in favor of the
voters right, but for the further reason
that the election at all the polling places |
was in the hands and under the complete |
control of the opposing party, who would |
certainly not permit any Democratic vote !
to go in if they could legally keep it ont. |
Besides, the House committee, when they |
went to Louisiana with power to send !
for persons and papers, could not find |
anybody-not carpet bagger or Gus |
tom-House oificer-har'ly enough to as
sert that the Democrats lad polfed illegal !
votes. You have not denied, and I sup
pose will not, that the majority of 1869,
which you admit was cast for the Tildcn
electors, was cast by properly qualified
Another thing: The election was free
and peaceable. The officers reported no
disturbance. Every polling place was
by policemen, deputy marshals,
and soldiers in the interest of the carpet
baggers, and all of them testify that
there was no violence Of any kind which
called for their interference. The same
is true with regard to the registration.
That there could have been no force or in
at other places or times, which
kept people away from the election is
proved by the large number that came.
The vote was the heaviest ever polled in
the State; and larger in proportion to the
whole population, as ascertained by the
census, than in most other States where
Ill the exertions of both parties were used
to bring out their last man.
The necessary result, briefly stated, of
Ill the facts known and proved is this;
that the people of Louisiana, having the
power to choose their own
electors, did regularly, duly and legally
appoint the Tilden electors upon full
ooll, at free election and by a large ma
ority; and the persons thus duly appoin-
ed ny the people were exclusively capa-
lie of casting the presidential vote of tie
State. 1t followed, as the day follows
he night, that the count of the eight ell
,ctoral votes from Louisiana for Hayes |
vas q false count.
THE RETURNING BOARD.
But you say THAT the officers of the Re-
urning Board, by virtue of certain judi ;