New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-16
no nowR CoMmIrrgE.



o'clock, the trst witness neing DR.. A. A.
Carruth.
To Senator Saulsbury-Reslde in East
Feliciana, near Clinton; attended only Two
| meetings of my Owl plantation: employ
from forty five 10 sixty hands, all cOlOred
people; my plantation embraces about 1000
soress tesEifed that the canvass of the
Democratic party wac peaceful and con-
CiliAtory to the colored people; they APP
peared enthusiastic for the Democratic
nominees.
To Senator Oglesby-T Think that the rea-
son the oolored zOen went into the Demo.
cratic party was more. ut fret, on account
of the local ticket; do not know what argu-
ments were used to make them hurrah TOR
1ilden; know that the Republican parish
officials were driven from the parish; think
the negroes were sent for nv Ray; do not
know the reason; think that George T. Nor
wood would NOT have received as many
votes IS DR.. Perkins, because he is not as
popular; do not think the popularity of
| Ray, Gair, Smith and the other leading col
0Ted men had anything TO do with their re-
ceiging a majority of the vOtes; p. C. Har.
| dee has no particular prominence in the
Democratic party in the parish.
I. j. Fnqus recalled--fO Senator Ssuls-
buTy-There Was very great apprehension
among the white people in Clinton on the
| occasion Of the threatened negro uprising"
in July, 1875; it was on the evening of the
next day that Gaiy, Clarke and Ray we're
| driven away; one Republican asked me for
9 gun; he wanted to assist the whites; bis
name is D. Il. G0rham; he has been acting
as council for the Republican party before
this committee; he seemed excited.
| 10 Senator Oglesby-Wss elected sheriff
Oh East FelicianA in 1870, on the Demo-
Il cratic ticket over Richard Lewis, Repub-
hcan; the vote was canvassed in Clinton;
have heard that there were complaints of
| unfairness in the canvass; there was O re-
] port that the ballot boxee had been stuffed
In my favor; Lewis believed he had re-
| oeived more vOEes than l; / was one of q
committee of three who waited on Re-
publican justice Of the peace at Port Uud.
son, and demanded that he resign; he did
resign; the instice did not live in my par
isl.
Jesse Harris, oOlored, sworn-TO Sena-
tor Saulsbury--Teshfied TO q peaceful can
vass and election IN East FeliciApa; had
been q Republican, but had joined the
Democratic party for purposes OF reform.
Aaron Robinson and JOhn Motion, COL
Ored-Iestihed in q manner similar tO the
previous witness.
Judge James G.. Kilbourne sworn-Re-
side near Clinton, East Felioiana; was Ap-
pointed by Governor Kellogg in June,
1874, and held the office during the balance
of the year; testified that the canvass was
peaceAble; the main question at issue in the
parish was between those who favored the
redregs of grievances lawfully and those
who believed in taking the law into their
own hands; that question was decided in
the primary election, and there Was perfect
unanimity on election day; do not think
that Gair, Ray, Clark and Smith were
driven from the parish for political reasons;
Smith was not so Objectionable as the
OtbeFe; be was regarded as \ goOd-hearted
fellow, but ignorant; think Gair was violent
man; he ard that he made thrests against the
parish after his defeat for State Senate;
Major w edge Yves chairman of the parish
campaign committee lDsmOcI aticl; he was
q law-and-order man, and was put in that
position for that reason; there was eousid-
cradle disturbance in jackson in 1874 be.
tween the friends of Breaux and GRir;
both were candidates for the Senate; GAR
was shot and wounded while coming into
jackson; it was said by the friends OF
Breaux.
The committee took a recess until half
past seven o'clock.
EVENING SESSION.
James g. Kilbourn-To Senator Howe
The troubles in East Feliciana commenced
with the "Jones difReulLy;" / went down
with others To see if could disperse il; al
the entrance TO lane we we're halted by q
gentry; 1t was not public highway; : left
about 300 armed white men three miles
back; these men were not there 81
my request, or that of the sheriff; it is nc
moro lawful or unlawful for cOlOred men &c
assemble armed or unarmed; l went to eX
postulate with the blacks; did not expos
tulste with the whites; understood that the
latter were there to act as posse, or some
| thing of that eOrt; think the RBsemblage o.
armed eOlOred men who assembled to pro
tect Jones was more dangerous than th'
larger body of armed white men; the white
men assembled to protect the community
the colored men made no demonstration
against any member of the community
than to take two c0lOred men prisoners
they claimed to be there simply for the pur
pose of protecting Jones from q threatened
whipping; by the terms Of the treaty of peac,
both whites and blacks were TO return Il
their homes, without prejudice to fnturt
legal proceedings; the next insult to tn
community was the charge of Judge Dow
ing on the trial of Jones and othere; thinl
! the charge was incorrect in that the judge
l think, assumed that Jones had been
threatened; if the charge did not assume
that / think it could have been madI
palmer to the Jury; should have charged
that Jones' first duty was to make affidavit
before o Justice OF the peace; did not in
struct the armed white men that the
r should go before q justice and make att
davit against Jonee; think the disintegra
ton of the Republican party commenced IL
, 1874, when they were much divided Of
local officers; was not aware that the part.
/ vote that year on their candidate for Stat
/ Treasurer was greater than ever before.
DIR. Louis g. Perkins, sW0rn-To Senator
} Saulsbury-Reside in East Feliciana; was I
Democratic candidate for State Senator; die
, not send any threatening message to Chap
man.
, George B. Loud. sworn-Reside in Ibel
vile parish; am division superintendent 0
public education of the third district, whicl
} embraces East FelicianR parish; the schoo
/ | affairs in that parish have for the past wv
, | years been in the hands of the Democrats
/, there have been 8 Democratic president AM
: q Democratic treasurer Of the school board
. last year there were twelve schools, kept o.
an average OF seven and half monthe; the
year before, eighteen and the year betoE
that 1922 so was expended In that parish
for school purposes, last year, the year oe
fore received no report, as Mr.. GAR. tn
treasurer of the board wRs killed at th'
time the report should have been made
there was no report for 1874; the treasurer
/ of the board, the latter year, was ineom
! petent, and the president had been maxim
his report but had left the parish; his nam
! was Cook; previous TO Cook, Mr.. n,
, Gross, presidential elect0r during the las
campaign, was treasurer; examines
Cross' books in his presence; found dis
, crepancy Of about $4,000 in his accounts
the books showed that that amount ha
been raised in excess of the expenditures
il was never turned over TO his successor
could not find Gair's books.
To Senator Sanlsbury-Creas dispute
J the correctness Of the account; no suit be
2 been instituted by me, but informed tn
district attorney, which is as far IS m
duty extends; after Cross was nominate
for presidential eleetOr he sent to me Tor
quietus.