The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-10

uulOu. Altci war lut White people o. the
states lately in rebellion manifested spirit OF
intolerance and hate toward the people who
had been their bondmen and were
and suffrage, and for some years
this spirit made its record in deeds
of frightfuI violence and crime. But a Eind-
lier feeling has been gradually evoked, not
withstandlng the efforts of demagogues and
carpet-bag thieves 70 perpetuate the cstranye-
ment OF the races. Free labor is now generally
conceded TO be a success by the men who
fought Tor slavery. They would not restore IL
If they had the power, nor take the ballot
from the negro. Their old hostility 10 the
Union has measurably persisted with the In
stitusion which inspired il. They have SUI
fered very severely from the raVageS of war,
and have endured with singular patience and
long suffering the cruel infections OF state
government which has been fastened upon
their neckS b. fraud ana supported by federal
despotism. What they now ask is good gov
eminent ana a fair opportunity to rebuild
their shattered fortunes. They are intensely
anxious TO rid themselves of the remorSeleSs
usurpatiOn nnder which they have long
groaned; and IN the scuftlc for deliverancs
against powerful and perfectly I'M
IL they had not sometimes sought
the votes Of the colored people by the
they have practiced Intimidation, the repub-
hcans of Louisiana are not the men
to upbraid them. The kellogg govern
timidation and standing menace of all
honest men, while IL has taken into its en-
brace the rogues and rufflans of the state For
-
practiced intimidation extensively and rigOr-
ously. The United States marshal for the
state has used cavalry to intimidate demo-
Gratis. In his official capacity, ana while Mt
the same time chairman OF the state republic
can committee, he has on several occasions
employed federal soldiers in the service OF his
party, just as the army and revenue officers
were used in Alabama in securing the election
of spencer to the senate Of the United States.
The white and colOred testimony submitted
TO the returning board during its late sessions,
and subsequently taken more FUZZY by the
congressional committees now in Louisiana,
shows that the negroes themselves are among
the most savage and ,ferOcious intimidatOrS in
the state, and that the crimes and outrages in
nlcted on tDeir cOlOred brethren Tor daring 10
vote as they please are a full match for any of
the kindred performances charged to the dem
ocrats. The more intelligent classes of them
are powerfully inpelled by the reasons already
mentioned to break their party ranks; but in
attempting 10 do so they are often obliged TO
FISK their hEes. Inc wives OF eolored men
frequently threaten 10 leave them If they
vote the democratic ticket, and for doing 30
l believe this threat has sometimes been ex-
ccuted and q divorce demanded from the
husband. ColoTed democrats are turned out
Of church for the same cause; and case has
recently been reported in which the rite of
baptism was denied to 4 colored man because
he had left the republican party. Mr.. Nordhoff
says that in parts Of southern Louisiana the
negroes are still summoned from the fields TO
political meetings by order of General Butler;
and he mentions a case where q candidate
for a county office circulated printed 'gener-
al order, commanding all colored men TO vote
which secured him the solid cOlored vote. In
Il political canNa ass in Louisiana the negroes
are thoroughly indoctrinated with the idea
that they will be sold into slavery If the dem
ocratic ticket should be elected, Just as Senator
Morton told the people of Indiana i'm the late
canvass that II Tilden should succeed, slavery
would cert ainly be re-established, the rebel
debt Saddled upon ~, and the loyal debt re-
pudiated The republican howl about intimi-
dalton, which is now sounding through the
land, comes with an i'll grace from the leaders
of party who demanded the votes of eighty
thousand oificeholders for Hayes and Wheeler
on penalty of dismissal and teStedtheir idel-
ity 10 their masters by levying contributions
upon their earnings. But still more utterly
preposterousi is the complaint OF the republican
party of Louisiana about intimidation i'm that
state. With such leaders as kellogg, War
moth, Packard, Casey and Pinchback, armed
anc equipped with the whole power Of ,he
state government, and reinforced by the army
and navy with the entire patron age OF the
federal government super-adoed, the cry OF
democratic intimidation is like the whine of
mailed giant for military protection against
an unarmed boy.
THE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE.
But perhaps It will be said, after all, that
have not met the question i'm dispute. IL may
occur TO some of you that have dealt only i'm
dispute. II may occur to some of YOU that 4
have dealt only in generalities, and while in
dicating the strong probabilities of the case,
have not considered the specific issue to be
tried in its relations to the evidence. l i'm
agine some one saying: "Nou have been IN
Louisiana and witnessed the proceedings of
You have had access to the testimony on both
sides, and have mingled with the people of
both parties. Tell US. If you can, the truth
about intimidation. You say that under the
law of Louisiana the board had no right TO in
yestigate this question, since the proper foun-
datiOn for the Inquiry was not lald but put
ting tho law aside. let know the facts. I'm
doubtedly there was intimidation on both
sides, but does the testimony show such a pre-
ponderance of democratic intimidation over
that practiced by the repub leans as to Justify
the action OF the board in its wholesale rejec-
tion of votes? IL not, did il warrant any in
reference with the votes actually cast, as
shown on the face of the returns?" Let me
endeavor to respond to these questions:
No gretence is set up that the vote was not
actually given. There is no charge Of repeat
ing, ballot stuffing or fraudulent returns. The
sole complaint is intimidation, and for this
cause alone the declared result of the election
is TO be reversed. This charge is made by the
republicans, and of course they are bound TO
prove it, They must establish IL affirmatively
by clear and conclusive proof. The right
of representation is sacred, and il must
not be taken away from hundreds and thous-
ands of citizens on any ground of conjecture,
or suspicion, or uncertain testimony. ! have
already pointed out the strong moral impr0b-
ability of the truth of this charge, drawn from
the considerations / have presented. l have
founded on the VIGOROUSLY bad character of
the institution which has adjudicated upon IT,
and which defrauded the people of Louisiana
in 1874 by false count. have mentioned the
fact, shown by the evidence, that the acts of
personal outrage and violence which have
scourged the state during the past few years
have seldom had any connection with politics
or the relations of the races, and that the fail
ure to suppress such lawlessncss has not been
the fault OF the democrats. The charge of in
tmidatlon is not proved by Senator Sher-
mans array. of crimes and outrageS, running
back six or eight years, and having nothing
whatever to do with the recent election. IL is
not proved by the increase of the democratic
majority in the recent election over that of
two years before, since this change is much
less than we have seen in various northern
states in which DrpfPnSe of intimidation
has been suggested. IL is not proved, certain
ly, by the fact that the aggregate vote of
Louisiana in thu late election Is over 1900
larger than ever cast before, of which Increase
the republican party is shown 10 have had its
share Ii is not proved by the fact already
stated, which the evidence fully establishes,
that intimidation was largely and very effect
lively practiced by the negroes of the state on
their colored fellow citizens. II is not proved