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

is thdt the State by her qualified voter
chose ard appointed the Tiltlen election
iu due and legal form. This is proved b.
evidence clear and decisive enough t,
strike all contradiction dumb.
In less than two days after the electio,
it was known all over the county thai
il Louisiana there had beet full pol
and n 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 electors averaged nearly eight thou
| sand. Now. remember, this was a pub
lie act-not done in a corner, but tran
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 r it happened, and for
more than eighteen centuries the most
powerful minds in Christendom have
stakcd npon 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,
1863 majority for Tilden. Even that is
not all. The original documents and 1e-
cords showing what the vote was, as &C
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 char,c-
ter for vcracity. Forced by the irresista-
bic strength of the proofs, you admit, or
assume, that the majority for the Tiltlen
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
Iilden electors was made MP by tho votes
Of legally qualified citizens. 1 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, hut for the further reason !
that the election at all the polling places
was i'll the hands and under the complete |
control of the opposing party, who would
not permit any Democratic vote
20 go in if they could legally keep it out.
Besides, the House committee, when they
vent to Louisiana with power to send
or persons and papers, could not find
a carpet Dagger or Gus
oificer-harly enough to as
ert that the Democrats had polled illegal
'otes. You have not denied, and I sup
'ose will not, that the majority of 1869,
Which you admit was cast for the Tildcn
electors, was cast by properly qualified
itizens.
Another thing: The election was free
nd peaceable. The officers reported no
disturbance. Every polling place was
canned by policemen, deputy marshals,
nd soldiers in the interest of the carpet
aggers, and all of them testify that
here was no violence Of any kind which
allied for their Interference. The same
} true with regard to the registration.
hat there could have been no force or in
at other places or times, which
ept people away from the election is
roved by the large number that came.
he vote was the heaviest ever polled in | :
1e State; and larger in proportion to the |
hole POPULATION, as ascertained by the
ensus, than in most other states where {
II the exertions of both parties were used {
} bring out their last man. Il
The necessary result, briefly stated, of {
Il the facts known and proved is this; s
lat the people of Louisiana, having the {
ndOubted power to choose their own t
cctors, did regularly, duly and legally
Dpoint the Tilden electors upon full ,
,ll, at a free election and by large ma ,
rity; and the persons thus duly appoin. +
ID by the people were exclusively capa- {
IL of casting the presidential vote of tie e
ate. 1t followed, as the day follows y
10 night, that the count of tho eight ell n
toral votes from Louisiana for Hayes r
as q false count. r.
TIE RETURNING BOARD. n
But you say that the officers of the Re t,
rning Board, by virtue of certain judi a