New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1878-10-02
THE NATCHIToCHEs HORROR.
The RePwblican State Central OonHifte'
70 G0vernOr Nicholls.

tral Executive Committee of Louisiana,
for the purpose Of asking at your hands
authentic information in regard to certain
acts of violence aud intimidation within
the past few months towards the Repub-
licans, and especially the coiored Repub-
licans, citizens u the State. We are
actuated by q naHiral anxiety TO ascertain
whether the law and the administration
of the law may be relied on to allow the
free expression Of our political principles
among a violent part of the people, who
have threatened and taken the lives of SO
many colored Republicans, and of those
who defend them. IL s.-
We beg your excellency to believe that
we do not approach you with any object
of making party capital at home or abroad.
We conld have no hope of aid from either
quarter which would Justify the peril of
life or rights for any such purpose.
We have appeared before you because
we are your constituents, and part of the
people of Louisiana, equally entitled with
others to the benefit and protection of the
laws. We make this appeal with the
more confidence because we have con-
sideFed you under peculiar and personal
obligations TO protect us; and because
our judgment of your character has led
us to confide in your sincerity in keeping
the pledges made by you and on your
behalf 1t is through you to the whole
people of Louisiana that We submit the
obligations incurred by yourself and rati-
fed by their votes in your favor.
In your speech, twenty-frst July, 1876,
in response to your nomination as Gov
ernor by the Democratic Conservative
convention, at Baton Rouge, you said:
81 will state that if / be elected Governor
of this State, I will go and take my Office
untrammeled towards any man, or set of
men; that / will do my whole duty, and
after the interval between this time and
the time shall take my oath as Governor
of the State, shall cease to represent the
Democratic party, and be the represents
tive of .people-not of one set but the
whole"
''I recognize, gentlemen, each and
every obligation incumbent on me under
the Constitution OF the United States, and
all the recent amendments thereto, and
under the constitution of the State of
Louisiana, and the laws under them; and
/ propose, in so far as it is in my power,
to enforce them without regard to race,
color or previous condition.
refer to cur colored citizens. 1 believe,
gentlemen, that you have selected as your
standard bearer q man who has always
felt kindly, in fact I don't know a man
who has kindlier feelings towards the
colored people than have. My record
on that point does not date from to-day,
nor from the war, but it goes back from
the earlier period of my childhood, and it
is well known among the colored people
af AocurnVNfiOF1. ,Vpd 10
and l1dnt you to k7aolo that ,oiH unfiacb-
ingIy protect them in all their rights 1 feel
satisfied that none of you are disposed to
interfere or deprive any one oftheir rights,
and if you are so disposed, you will find
me opposed to you"
The State election of 1876 took place
and was succeeded by events which are
historical. Two claimants of the State
government stood face to face in arms,
and conflict was iminent. The Federal
troops stood between those hostile forces
with orders from the President of the
United States to permit no collision of
arms. An informal negotiation took place
of persons desirous to prevent this coll
lision, of which negotiation we say no
more than that there is to be found in the
legal records of the State. On the seven
teenth of April, 1877, certain "joint res
olutions were adopted by the Legislature
of Louisiana.
They recognized the Z" wise determinina-
ton of President Hayes, as expressed in
his inaugural and already happily exc
cuted in South Carolina to restore local
self-government to the Southern States,
and peace and prosperity to the whole
country. In consequence of this deter.
mination, it is declared, "That it is and
will be the purpose of the government oi
Louisiana, represented by Francis T.
Nichols as its executive head" to per
form certain acts, of which We note the
following, to wit; "To accept in good
faith the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fif
teenth amendments to the Constitution O
the United States, in letter and spirit.
Second-The enforcement of the laws
rigidly and impartially, to the end thai
violence and crime shall be suppressed
and promptly punished, and peace ana
order prevail, and that the humbles
laborer on the soil of Louisiana, through
out every parish in the State, of eitbe
color, shall receive full and equal protec
ton of the laws in person, property
political rights and privileges.
In addition to the official announce
ments essential to the validity of thest
resolutions, your excellency transmitted
them officially to the Hon. Charles B
Lawrence, Wayne n. Weigh, John NJ
Harlan, James R. Hawley and John c
Brown, tine recognized negotiators for tn,
execution of compact conditioned fo
the performance of certain acts, to whicl
your excellency, as head and representa-
tive Of the State government Of LouAiAni
stood pledged.
From this letter we make the following
| extracts:
"I desire to say that they (the resolu
tions Of the General Assmbly) expires
not merely abstract ideas. but the convic
tions Of our people, ,0hich tDiF be practical
h executed by them HsrosGgh their representa-
tsues, their courts and their eaecatti0s goy
er7tnlent
81 have earnestly sought to obiiterat
| the color line in politics, and consolidat
the people on the basis Of legal rights ant
common interest, and it is e source o
| sEatification to be able to say that this gred
| object is about 10 bere0lised. feel do bu
speak the sentiments Of the people WheI
I declare that their government will secur
vigorous and Efficient enforcement of II
ldtos, so that al persons and property toil
be fully and equally protected, and shOtdt
occasion require u, I loiA proceed IN persoi
toheTe any disorders May menace the publ
peace or political rights Of any citizen.
81 desire to add that the most emphati
assurances that the withdrawal Of th
troops Of the United States 10 their bar
racks, instead Of causing any disturbanc