New-York tribune., 1878-07-25
THE FARCE At NEWORLEINS.

to call certain witnesses in relation to the
charge OF intimidation, the Committee refused
consent The Democratic mcnbcrs had de-
cided not to go into that question. Besides
these witnesses had already been examined
before another Committee; it was impossible
10 believe them; why should time and trouble
be wasted III hearing them againl When Mr.
sherman repeated his demand, the Committee
hesitated a little. They could not see what
business it was of Mr.. Sherman's to bring up
that controversy; however, they would think
about it, and after the Subcommittee at
New Orleans had made a little more pro-
gress they could Judge better what it
might be safe and convenient to do
Wei, n month has passed. The Sub-C0mmit-
tee has heard Il great deal of testimony tor
the prosecution, and has made a few umid cX-
pcrimcnts with witnesses for the defence; ahd
at last, everything being nicely fixed, the door
is thrown oDen and Mr.. Sherman is invited to
come IN. and be contradictod.
The frank and engaging manner OF these
gentlemen Is the most charming thing, in It's
way, that we ever saw. While th,rc was
chance that the witnesses would tell the t.uth,
they could not think Of Sparlng time to listen
to them, But as soon rs Ii Is discovered thnt
Republican, do not consider it safe to tell the
truth III Louisianl under Democratic
rule, oh the state OF things is braycly
altered. a witness who had been sum-
moned from DOnald>ouyi,lr refused t.
attend because " if hc came ho would have to
" tell the TRUTH and if hc told all he knew
&" he could not aitcrward live there
From the beginning Of the series OF iuvcsti-
gallons into the mysteries and iniduijts Of
Louisiana politics The complaint has been in
cessant that nobody could tell The truth about
Democratic violence in the back counties un-
less hc WAS prepared to go away and i've
somewhere else. Even Anderson hcsit3tcd to
tell the truth unless the Government could
find him a home. lie liked warm climate;
but Louisiana would be altogether 100 hot
for him under a Democratic admins
uation. The Republican politicians who
visited NcW-OrioaUs at Che time Of the count
and aftcrwud were 50 strongly convinced Of
the sincerity of these complaints that they
had no hesitation in recommending to the
fayOrs OF the Administration number Of per
soEs who were practically cyilcS from their
homes because they told thc story OF Demo
cratic violence.
Now that the power Of the bulldozcIs seems
to he permanently established in Louisiana,
and the protection of the Federal Government
exhausted, there is not much difficulty in COM
pciliug the remnant of the F,hCaHa witnesses
to recant. Their fortunes, and perhaps their
lives, are at stake. A compact, INSCRIPTIONS,
determined patty supported BY al the author
Ity of the State, Is aiTayod against them. Most
Of them are weak and ignorant negroes They
have already been terrified into staying away
from the polls, and it does not take mich more to
tclrlfy them into denying an affidavit. The
Subcommittee consequently is calling them up
by SQUADS and listening tO them while they
imneach their own previous testimony They
step forth with Il suspicious readiness to de
clare themselves liars and pcjurcrs. They
beg the gentlemen OF the Committee to be-
licye that they are entirely unworthy Of be-
lief. They kiss tn" gospels and with uyIifted
hand swear that they have been swearing
falsely. They deny everything; they contra
diet everything; and one colorcd wines, over
dId the business 50 far as TO contra
diet most of his contradiction before
ne left thc stand. II this is jhe way the
current sets, no doubt the Subcommittee
would be very happy to have \lr. sherman
relieve them Of the odium of calling such wit
ncsscs 10y adopting them as his own, and 80
binding himself, Of course, by Their testimony.
II is sorry business in which The Commit
fee has engaged. For none Of these new
statements can have weight with reasonable
mcn. They cannot be treated as confessions.
A man who has committed a crime, and
makes an acknowledgment of his guilt, is
believed, because it is not to be sup
posed that sane person will lie to
his own disadvantage. But if a wit
ness who has testified for the plaintiff on the