New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1878-10-19

of Vidalia.
He thus explains this statement:
The Democrats of the parish had few
days before nominated their ticket, COM
posed Of two members of the Legislature
and sheriff who had always acted with
the Republican party, and in fact sup
ported Hayes and Packard in 1876, but
were good men and enjoy the confidence
of the people.
This course seemed to give umbrage to
to Fairfax and a few of the worst of the
leaders, and they called convention to
meet in the town of St. Joseph to NOM
mate straight out black ticket. On
account of fear of yellow fever, the town
was strictly quarantined against all per-
sons without and the authorities notified
them that they would not be permitted to
enter the corporate limits.
So both the towns of st. Joseph
and Waterproof, of the parish of
Tensas, were determined that no
Republican parish convention should
assemble within the corporate limits
of either. Waterproof, because she
had quarantined the parish of Con-
cordia, and st. Joseph because Of the
fear of yellow fever and of ga straight
out black ticket"
We have just seen that no fear of
epidemic or of political meetings had
prevented the Democrats of the par
ish of Tensas from having a meeting
a few days before, at which they
nominated their parish ticket.
1t seems that the people of Water
proof were naturally alarmed" at
the threat that the convention
"would come with five hundred
armed men and ride down the
guards" and as Captain Peck, Of
Catalonia parish s...e. f..
Commanded the nearest company of
State troops, they applied to him to come
into the parish and visit Fairfax in per-
son, and demonstrate with him and notify
him that the State troops were prepared
| to sustain the authorities of Tensas par
ish, To this Captain Peck readily as
scented, and reached Waterproof with q
| few men about dark on Saturday evening.
| He proceeded at once to the house Of
Fairfax, about one mile above the town,
/ and dismounting from his horse, and sus-
pectipg no evil, walked up on the gallery
| for the purpose of knocking at the door.
| As he entered upon the gallery tive shots
/ were fred from the house and he fell
dead. The few men with him were natu-
rally infatuated, and returning the shots,
unfortunately wounded three negroes in
the house, but Immediately repented and
spared their lives. They then immedi-
ately returned with the body of Captain
| Peck to his home in Catahoula.
We are utterly at loss to imagine
what authority an officer of militia
company from an adjacent parish,
without orders from his commander
in-chief, had to go the house of any
citizen with an armed party and re-
monstrate with him 2 About what
should he demonstrated The man
was peaceably at home. He had at
tempted to attend a meeting of his
own fellow citizens in his own par
ish, within mile of his own house,
and had been prohibited from doing
SO because the town of Waterproof
had quarantined the inhabitants o.
another parish What authority had
Captain Peck to notify Fairfax that
the State troops were prepared t.
sustain the authorities of Tensal
parish z" Had the Governor giver
him authority to employ the military
process at his Will Could a militia
captain declare martial law against
any place or any bOdyl
The consequence Of this unwar.
rantable invasion of a private house
was deplorable. Captain Peck. wal
killed and the armed party that &C
companied him returned the shot
wounding "three negroes who were
in the house,"
We have no word of justification
for the killing Of Captain Peck. I
is not our custom to herald and en-
dorse with head lines any er part
statement. but We suppose that M
one can read the incidents as re-
ported in Connection with the aifaii
without being struck with the coin
cidence between the arrest and exil,
Of Raford Blunt, aa the leader Of tn,
Republican party, upon tho chargl
Of meditated assault upon the tow
Of Natchitoches, end the prohibi
ton and similar conduct in respee
to the Republicans Of TeDsas ani
towards Alfred Fairfax.
We shall. grow ppeehensiys ths
Bis excellency Governor Nichols
mot in the possession Of the sam,