National Republican., 1878-11-11
"GOyERNoR" NICHOLS BROKEN
PLEDGES

On page 62? OF the POTTER Committee
testimony will lie found the following
pledge made at the Wormley Conference:
The NICHOLS government guarantee the
acceptance Of the civil and political equality
| Of all mon, and agree not to attempt to do.
rrivo the colored people Of any political or
civil right, privilege, OF immunity enjoyed by
any other class Of men.
| This.pledge was about the same time
embodied in resolutions of the NICHOLS
Legislature, 1t not at that time, February
q, 1877, having obtained control of the
State government which II subsequently
did, about the 25th Of April following,
upon tho United States troops being with
drawn from New Orleans Since that time
the NICHOLS government has been in the
full control Of every department of the
State government
The late election Is the fist that has been
held since that time. aud Is the frst oppor-
tunity that has been offered to test the sim
cerity Of Governor NICHOLS aud the DEM
ocratic party In making the foregoing SOL
emn professions and promises. The ques-
ton now arises have those professions and
promises been carried out? The occasion
that brought out those professions and
promises vas the violence, bloodshed, and
intimidation practiced by the NICHOLS or
Democratic party at the election in 1876
against the colored votes, which enabled
that party to claim an election in that
State. The answer Is, that those professions
and promises have been utterly ignored at
the late election OF Congressman and State
officers, and that there has been more vio-
lence, whippings, murders, and means Of
intimidation resortcd to during the late
canvass, than that of 1875 or any previous
canvass In this State.
These outragcs commenced in the parish
Of Point Couple, about the 1st of July,
when mob hung five negro men; then,
about the lst Of August, in Ouachita Par
ish, when a mob took four negro men from
the jail and hung them; then, later, in
Nachitochez Parish, when n mob drove the
leading colorcd men from the parish, and, II is
supposed murdered some of them, as they
have not been heard from since. Then,
again, the murder Of three or four colored
men in Ouachita Parish during October, for
no alleged crime, and, about the same time,
the murder Of great number of colored
men in the Parish of Tensas, perhaps over q
hundred-lno one outside of the perpetra-
tors yet know the exact number, but It is
known to be great number.
SO far as can be ascertained, not one Of
the perpetrators Of these outrages has been
arrested or attempted to be arrested, al
though Governor NICHOLS has been urged
and earnestly importuned to have it DONE
particularly in the Nachitochez outrage.
and he has utterly neglected to do so.
In the parish of Concorlir, in which SIM
liar outrages were perpetrated, when the
civil authorities attempted to interfere they
were most outrageously maligned and
abused for it by the New Orleans Democrat,
the leading and official organ of Governor
NICHOLS and the Democratic party In the
State.
No doubt but that similar outrages have
been perpetrated in other parishes in that
State which have not yet been made public,
as the Democratic newspapers do not pub
lish them, and there are very few, perhaps
no Republican papers outside Of New Or
leans, and but two wceklies there.
1t may safely and truthfully be said that
outside of the first and second Congressional
districts, which lie chiefly in New Orleans,
the Congressional districts are all largely
Republican. The least majority on q fair
election would be over 5000 in the third
district, aud from 5000 to 10000 in the fifth
district; and yet these districts have gone
largely I'VE do not know the ligures) Demo-
cratic.
Another suggestive feature in this eec.
tion is that Major L. A. BURKE, the agent
Of Governor NICHOLS at the Wormey Con-
ference, and who pledged Governor NIciI.
Oils and the Democratic party to the
above, was the Democratic candidate fol
State Treasurer, and claims TO have been
elected by $1,000 majority under this state
pledge at the head OF the organization COM
mitting the outrage and prodting by il
more than any other person.
: 1t is quite clear the State laws will not be
attempted to be enforced against those who
: have perpetratcd these outrages. In fact
in the parishes where these outrages have
been perpetrated they cannot be, as til,
whole white community, as well as the OH
cials, sympathize with the perpetrators
So far as the laws Of the United State
have been violated il is different Th,
United States Court for the District o
Louisiana sits at New Orleans, where til,
jury is not in sympathy with the outrage
perp;trated in the parishes and if thes
violators Of the United States laws ar
: brought before the United States courts il
New Orleans 1t Is safe to say they will b
fairly tried, and II proved to be guilty the,
: will be found so by the jury. So, we think
o it is entirely with the United States author
4 tiles 70 have violations of civil rights an
: elective franchise laws of the United State
punished.
The colored voters have right to de
mand of the United States Government tn
protection the laws afford them, If executed
$ and their Yiolators punished. Beside tina
= humanity demands it, as if those laws al
e not enforced a repetition of those outrage