The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-22

Col, Hacharie to Tensas, as @ special commits"
sioner, to investigate the causes OF the trou-
BILE and ascertain what steps are necessary 10
| restore peace and secure the enforcement or
Che laws. Whatever Col. Zacharie may tln0
| it necessary to do In order to enforce the
peace; and sustain the dignity Of the common
| wealth. we have no doubt will be done, ana
| thoroughly DONE Upon this point no man
who knows aught of Gov. Nichols can enter
tain the slightest doubt.
| But there is in this instance, as in all SINH
lar race troubles in the South, one fact that
| Is always q source Of regret. The poor fgno-
| rant, deiuded negroes, the mere dupes ana
| tools Of bad and designing men who use them
for their selfish and evil purposes, are the VIC
Tins that have to bear, invariably. oil the
dreadful consequences, while those who
inStigated them and melted their laWfeSS
conduct, the really responsible parties, just
as invariably escape all harm and punish
ment There Is not the slightest doubt but
that the disturbances in Tensas and Natehi-
toches and at Sumter South Carolina, were
all the results of q general conspiracy,
planned and organized at the Radical head
quarters at Washington, whose agents In this
State are the Nationals, whose secrets we
have fully exposed to precipitate race
conflict for political purposes. The
facts OF the Sumter affair, as re-
lated by the Washington Post, leave no
room for doubt that it was oil arranged
ct Washington, and that the plot failed only
because "none Of the ecoundrels who were
base enough to sit and plan such diabolsm,
had the physical courage 80 go to South Caro-
lima and direct the execution of it, but left
that vital part Of the transaction to the hands
of poor, ignorant negroes, less intelligent in
deed, but also less cewardly than them
selves The story of the Sumter affair Is
thus told by the Post:
Some time ago q notorious negro from that
and, after consultation with Hale and Gorham,
or their agents. called on Hayes. Soon after
yards the letter Of Gen. Devens relative to the
Federal election statutes came out. Lee mean
time had gone back to South Carolina and
having armed 1000 or 5000 negroes WITH weanons
headquarters here. issued @ call for them to as
semble en- nansse at the, town Of Sumter. on q
certain day which had long pr9gvioqEsIIy, been
stated that, the negro mass meeting would be
addressed by Gen. Grant. Gen. Sherman and
be he TO
tassembled to the number Of about three
thousand. and were met BY the Democrats with
This proposition Was ignored: and Sam Lee, |
not being equal to the occasion he had conjured |
up, ,decamped. This left the negroes under the
leadership Of an aged white man named Cog |
Ian, who hArangued them at length and melted |
them to dietul b the Democratic meeting. They |
did So and at one moment general row was
imminent. but. thanks to the GOODNESS and in |
tropidty Of two or three Democratic lenders |
peace was resored and enforced by the arrest
IT several Of the more disOrderly negroes, and !
the remainder Of the mob left the town.
The circumstances Of this affair are almost |
identical with those which attended the dis
turbances at Natchitoches. which resulted In
the hegira Of Blunt and his co-conspirator.
The same wicked brain that conceived the
one contrived the other-the same cruel and
cowardly hand directed both. Gorham and
Hale are the really responsible parties, and /
upon them will rest alike the gnominy of
inevitable failure as well as the responsibility
for the fiendishness of the conception. Theirs |
is a cold, calculating vilainy that words can
neither portray nor fifty denounce. Secure
in their retreat, they can plot murder and
rapine without fear Of vengeance. while their
miserable dupes, the hapless and ignorant |
negroes are left to bear the consequences.
This is greatly to be regretted, yet there is
but one course for us to pursue. The Gov
ernor of Louisiana at least has q militia upon
which he can absolutely rely to suppress riot
and maintain the dignity of his authority.
He needs no federal troops and will ask for
none. We believe that manifestation Of his
ability to enforce obedience to the lawful au
thority would just now have a most salutary |
effect and would, indeed, anticipate all trouble
in the disturbed district.
In place Of sending commissioner to in |
vestigate these troubles, it would probably be
better to send a regiment Of State troops to
Waterproof and march them to Delta. Such
a show of the resources at his command
would we are satisfied, have an instant and |
most beneficial effect. 1t would give the tur
bulent and insoent negroes proper idea of
the power with which they are provoking q
contest.
While strOlling along Canal street yeSter-
daV we overheard the following conversation |