Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-04-23
Alefan0):la Q6ax&tte
MONDAY, APRIL q, 1877.
EntimidRtiOn,

Ona OF the most noteworthy elements in tn
Louisiana difficulty is the intense bitterness 0
feeling with which, colored traitors 10 the re
publican party are regarded by the people o
their own race. 70 illustrate this need onl
relate an incident which occurred in Ncy
Orleans a few days since
Seeing that it would greatly strengthen lhci
clse TO break up the Returning Board quorum
in the Packard House, the Nichols men, JUS
before the arrival Of the Presidents Commits
sion, made Tic most desperate efforts 10 bring
lntO their Legislature = sutilcicnt number OF re
| publlcils to effect that end. They approached
among others. Henry D5mas, Of the Parish Of
81. john the Baptist, who for number o!
years has been regarded as one OF the most in
! !urutlal negroes 10 the State Alter q time he
| yielded 10 their wishes, and, as is alleged, in
consideration Of large brlbc, be deserted his
republican friends, and tool, seat 10 the Mich.
| oils House. From that day forward he was a
| marked man among the cooreJ people Of New
| Orleans. They would neither speak to nor re.
c0gnizo him. Ills old friends anu acquaintance
turned their backs on him n the streets, and
| he was IN every way as completely ostracised as
arc The wives and children of Southern repub.
Iicans By their democratic neighbors. Finding
that this treatment was DOT likely to have any
effect upon him, and that lie was determined
TO stay 10 the Nichols Legislature. number
Of his old friends and few Of his relatives set
about what they called redeeming him from bis
siu. Their abors resulted 10 depriViDg him of
L home. His own house was locked and barred
against him, and lis vile wrote him that she
would never see nor communicate with him fur.
thcr uutiI he had "purged himself Of his guilt
and returned to his people," Still he refused
TO leave the democratic House
Then all the machinery Of the church was set
to work against him, and co the Sunday follow
Ing bis de=crii1n from the republican ranks he
vas read out of meeting, aud refused admission
10 tic sacred cdtiec in which he had at one
time been the chicl pillar This was too much;
lie could 20 longer withstand the pressure which
was brought to bear upon him, aud he went to
d numbc: OF the prominent men 10 the Nichols
party and told them be was going back to the
republican Legislature. They tried by every
means in their power to prevent him from do.
ing 50, but to 10 purpose. He was deaf TO
their prayers, threats, curses and entrcaties
Then, by further offers Of money and place.
they tried 10 bribe him, but he could not be
made to break his resolution. lie returned to
the State House, took his scat in the Packard
Legislature, ard COW declares lie would not de-
scrC it again for all the money 10 Louisiana.
Dcmas experience was not an extraordinary
one. All col0red traitors to Pa ckard and the
republican party arc treated by their own pcO-
pie 10 the way described, and, a5 result, it
may be stated that OF ell the deserters from the
returning board Legislature who now occupy
seats III the Nichols House oal two are color
ed men. OF course there will be 4 stampede
from the republican claimant as soon as the
compromise bargain has been carried out, but
as long as there Is any hope lett the negroes,
almost 10 = man, will act with the party that
made them free. Times may change, and white
statesmen, un the ground Of cSpcdcncy, may
bcliay high trusts but the colorcd lacn and
wcmcn Of the South deep down in their hearts
will always be republican.
There ii no rule without an exception, and
perhaps in al! the South tbs chief exception to
the general rule that all coIorcl ncu a1c rcpub.
Iicaas is to be found 10 the person Of =. 3. s.
piuchback, the notorious mulatto claimant for
4 seat in the United States Senate. This man
Of ali others was at one tine the most iDfucn
,ial negro leader 10 Louisiana, and perhaps OF
all others he proGtcd most by his posliOO. lie
sas at one time the idol OF the colorcd people,
but for his own ADVANTAGE aud benefit lie has
betrayed the trust they rGpoScd 10 him, he has
accepted an office under the prctcndcr, Nich-
oils; and to-day lie is cursed, hated and de-
spiscd by every black man and woman in the
State. Their only excuse for him is that he is
more white than c3lOrcd, and 10 truth this Is
the onIY Plea that can be urged 10 his behalf,
for if ever a man lad cause to BE- republican
to the death, TO hate Southern demo: :rata as
long Us life lasted, and 10 continually ntcr
thanks to God Tor the coming OF the Union
Army and the liberation Of the slavs, that man
IS plGctback. The story OF his lIir as II Is
Ind here, not only proves the truth rt what l
saw. but at the same time lorclblY illustrates
some Of the beauties OF life in the South 10 Tie
uuch lamcmcu days that are gone. Ills
m3,hcr was 4 beautiful Coiulcd girl, >ald 10 have
been more Iodian than negro. His father was
Major Holmes, we'll known III Georgia, Ala
bana and LOUIS ana a5 an extensive platter,
icpp uriukar and good liver. Having !. pas
sion for poetry, and being dccL in his cups,
he named the h1y horn to the slave girl Percy
B;,s!.e Shelley piochback i Percy Bysshe
Shelley GU oi respect to his lavorltc au,h9!,
and plnchnack Jceausc, Us he SAID him sell, the
child VA, not gold, uOt copper, not whlte, not
black. not Iudian-iu shor,, neither one thing
nor the other, but Il little of all. What kind
Of hl. little Pinch led uudcr the care ni
his father aud uwurr ulay be gathered lrom the
following incident: Oac day he was with Major
Holmes on a Mississippi steamboat; the sun
wa; hot, aud iu tic shade Of an awning The
planter with his friends played poker for high
stakes, and 10 quiet his nerves drank deep
lrauybts OF iced whiskcy punch: The slave
boy sat in i. corner watching the game, and
waiting for auy orders which might be given by
| the players While he Was occupied IN this way
tic Captain stumbled across him, and with
curse, demanded, Whose nigger are you?'
"WeII, Massa Capin, dootzac'Iy know,
| was Piuch' srcply. Il war Maj Holmes boy
hnt he looc bet me On two little pair and lost.
I'sa got TO sec the game through fore can
! answer your question. -.
The boy had told the exact truth. His un
natural father, having 10 other stake, bet him
against 81 900, aud lost. To-day the boy SO
cambIcd away, having risen to power aud place
! by the support Of black men who were slaves
| Ike hImseI deserts his party and his race and
takes sdr3 against lham with men who, like
II n ctnn~ n