New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-16
THK NEW HAmPsHIRE CAMPAIGN.
Letter from senator wadlelrh,


Letter from Senator WadleIgh,
The political campaign in New Hamp
shire, which came TO such a satisfactory
conclusion on Tuesday last, had great
deal of the Louisiana question in it. Mr..
Daniel Marcy agreed once more to take the
Democratic nomination for the governor
ship, for the purpose of righting the wrongs
inflicted upon the poor, innocent Democrats
of Louisiana. The Republicans Joined is
sue with him, and some of the ablest men
of the South, including Judge Hugh j.
Campbell and Hon. ]. E. Leonard, of Lou
isians, took an active part in the campaign.
At nearly every meeting that was held for
the fortnight prior to the election resolu-
lions were adopted calling for the recogni-
ton by the President and Senate of Gov
ernor Packard and the Republican govern
ment of Louisiana. New Hampshire's
senior Senator-sble, honest and eloquent
employed several weeks, as q member of
the Senate committee, investigating the
political situationihere. In answer to some
observations of Mr.. Marcy, Senator Wad-
leigh wrote the following letter, which was
widely circulated during the campaign:
WASHINGTON, D. c., March l, 1877.
Ron. Daniel Marcy:
SfR-In your letter accepting the Demo-
cratic nomination for the Office of Governor,
you say:
"My personal acquaintance with the
State of Louisiana makes me certain that
decisive majority of the citizens in that
State have given their votes tor Tilden and
Hendricks at an election as free and fair
as the circumstances of the people would
admit; that crime and disorder should ex-
ist in State 80 misgoverned and oppressed
as Louisiana has been, was to be expected
but believe the effect has been to dimln.
ish, and not to increase, the Democratic
vote.
"The repeated and most positive assur-
ances recently published by some of the
more distinguished citizens of the State,
two of whom, formerly citizens of the city
| of POrtsmouth-Adams and Gains-ought
to satisfy every unprecedented person that
the election there was fair and free, as
| far as the people are concerned, and that
/ all disturbances there have come from the
misconduct or deliberate intention of the
bad men who have usurped the government
/ of the State and even without their testi-
4 mony, none but the most credulous would
| believe the stories that q majority of the
voters of the State, having possession of all
the offices and supported by the military
force of the President of the United States,
could be put down and overwhelmed by an
unorganized minority"
Five weeks of labOriOus investigation and
the examination of some hundreds of wit
nesses of all parties in Louisiana have led
| me to conclusions wholly unlike those ex-
pressed by you. believe the late election
there was not free nor fair; that there was
no justification nor excuse for the atrOciOus
crimes perpetrated by the Democratic
"bulldozsrs;' that those crimes increased
che Democratic and lessened the Repub-
lican vote, and that, instead of being ''un.
organized" as you say, the Democratic mi
uority was thoroughly organized in military
fashion and armed to the teeth.
A brief statement of admitted facts will
convince you that your views are wrong
There are forty parishes, or counties, in
Louisiana, in which few or no political out.
RACES were committed in the late election
The Republican vote was doubtless lessened
by the general feeling of insecurity, but in
them the election was comparatively free
and tair. In those parishes, on the day o.
election, were registered 81 ,999 cOlOred and
1904 white voters, being cOlored major
| ity of 1886. There we're actually cas-
65,747 Republican and 1892 Democratic
votes, Republican majority of 6353 votes
The remaining seventeen parishes were
the theatre of atrocious political crimes
The testimony to that effect was over
whelming and unanswerable. Bands o
armed Democrats on horseback patrolleI
the couAtry at night, carving terror wher
ever they went. Leading Republicans wer
killed; others we're whipped with hundred
of lashes, and others were driven int
exile. The story of Eliza Pinkston, hOI
, rible as it is, is sustained by weight o
testimony which leaves no doubt of it
truth. Nor does that picture of iendisl
cruelty stand alone. The numerous TRACE
dies which resulted in plotting out the hon
est Republican majority in Louisiana woul
fill the hardest heart with pity end horror
Your idea seems to be that the effect @
= these outrages was to increase the Reput
lican majority. The facts destroy tina
8 theory. In East Feliciana, where, at tn
: election before the last, the Republican
D had a majority of nearly two to one, no
Q one Republican vote was cast in 1876.
Ouachita, the scene of the PinkstOn mu
der, which in 1874 gave Republican mi
ioTity of nearly two to one, there was
1876 Democratic majority of more tina
two to one.
In those seventeen parishes were regi
tered on The day of the last election 81 81
colored and 20320 white vOters-a cOlOre
majority of 6949. But the vote as returne
+ showed 81, 1913 Democratic and 1890 Il
Il publican votes.
Il In the forty parishes where there was
l. buIldozing registered colored majority
d 1865 yielded Republican majority of 60
at the polls.
registered colored majority of 6942, yield
10 a Democratic majority of 10,l 1853. The @
dence proved beyond all doubt that this
10 markable change was due to organic
10 murder, torture and rufianism.
Ha1 ouu ona haljpVa n the faQa of an
facts, that the disorder and violerce, who
existence you admit, did not diminish {
Republican and increase the DemOcra
i. VOtef
=, But it is claimed that the colored RepT
licans voluntarily voted the DemOora
IL ticket because they were dissatisfied VI
the Republican party. The evidence prov
that there was some such dissatisfactiI
II. but that it arose from the fact that the e
eral government did not protect them IF,
at the outrageous cruelty and oppression
" the bulldozing Democrats.
ID The manner in which the colOred peol
in were induced to Join Democratic Clubs
a. shown by the resolutions OF DemOers
to club of West Feiciana, passed February
to | 1876.
be The first condemns the Outrages of
at bulldozers in that parish. The second CO
We | on all good citizens to abstain from GO
Di- hitting such ontrages, The third and |
is as follows:
e. Resolped, That we call upon all citizens
e. respect the certificates of membership issl
.e, by the club, and sacredly to observe
~ rights of life and property of every mem
&C. of this club and to extend to each and ev
ul member q cordial approval and protect
lrt This model Democratic club, more c
nd sentative and law abiding than most, pr
* ises protection against Democratic ruff
all but only TO those who Join the Democri
,ur party. Such was the persuasion which