Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1878-04-13
]. DAWSON AUSTEN, ESQ, Editor SENT

DEAR SIR desire to cali your atten-
ton to an outrage perpetrated recently
on colored people residing on the Rose
down Plantation in this parish. The
facts stated briefly are these:
During the night of April End the cabins
of two of the 1aborers on the place We're
visited by5 armed masked men. The &C.
cupant of one cabin ESCAPED through the
window, preferriDg to take the chances
of y voliey which was fred at him.
Tho attention of the men was then
turned to the other cabin; shot fired at
the door, threats used to burn the
house, and finally the door forced open
The inmates of the house, father and
son, We're beaten on the head with revol-
vers, ropes placed around their necks, and
made to double quick. for u mile when
they were bucked and gagged and bru-
tally beaten, from the effects of which
one OF them is still confined to his bed,
and probably will be for some time to
come. No charge was made against the
men, and the whole proceeding can only
be considered by the pubic as sequel
to their trial before the district Court for
the larceny of two silver Spoons, when
they were acquitted by a mixed jury of
white and colored members. imagine
Mr. Editor, it is only necessary in COM
nunity such rs this, by calling the at
tention of the public to these acts of
awlessuess and brutality, to cause
some steps to 10 taken to prevent their
recurrence. 1t is a disgrace to the fair
maine OF our parish, and if the law is
powerless to convict and punish such Of
fences, it bchooves the Democratic Party
as a body to remember the pledge given
at tho last election to insure private
rights and personal security.
JAS. T. BOWMAN
It was our intention to. notice the &C.
anrrcnce to which the above communion
ton refers, in our last issue, but the diff
culties attending the publication of our
paper on that day precluded the possible
ity of doing SO.
At the time when the abuses and mi
Duties ola government constituted of a
band Of thieves, cut threats and incendi-
aries had driven the people to despera-
tion when the laws were not admins
tered in tho interests Of peace and good
order,-were.w wholly imperative for the
protection oflite and property when the
vilest and most dangerous tea chings
were poured into the car of a large Gle
ment Of our populationby base and design
ing men whe. every vestlge of hope
for relief 10y legal means had vanished,
the best men Of the parish organized and
took the execution of the laws into their
own hands, in so far as the protection
of their families and property was con-
cerncd. Thus organized, headed by
were controlled by wise counsels and had
the effect of putting a stop to tho local
abuses with which we were afflicted,
without resorting to any unnecessary vi
olence or without committing, in the
main, any acts that the circumstances
did not Justify. They did their work
well, and when the State government
passed into the hands of men who we
promised in the late campaign could and
scould execute the laws in the interests of
justice ard society, their mission drew
TO Il close. This organization was called
Regulators and they did regulate things
that had become deranged, with admir-
able precision.
The condition of affairs that called for
that ACTION of the people has passed a
way; the courts of Justice are competent
to reprcss and punish crime ard to them
tho people should appeal for the redress
of grievances.
cation, few individuals, perhaps none of
whom ever belonged to it, seem to he
seeking to wreak vengeance for real OF
supposed injuries. We imagine this case
to be one of the kind, from tho particu-
lars given by Mr.. Bowman.
Let the Democratic party see to it that
the sacred pledges given in the late cam
paign are carried out to the very letter.
Let every citizen, be he white or be he
colored, know that the party will be true
to it's promises, that every man shall be
protected in his rights, and that the per-
petrators of all such outrages shall DO
punished, and lawlessness suppressed.
Unless this is done, we are recreant to
every principle of honor and our triumph
over carpet-bag government miserable
and disgusting failure.
We have no fear for the result howey-
er. The Democratic party ,ciH sec to it
that the laws be execctcd, without fear
or favor or hope of reward.r Let all I'M
tlerstand this fact
DR.. Harter's Elixir of Wild Cherry