The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1879-03-15
The Verdict.
n. 0. Times,

The backbone Of the political pro
secuti"ns has been br"ke0. The YER.
dict which was yesterday rendered in
the Natchitocles case. and which sent
f"rty-eight If the best and m"st
prominent citizens If the State back
to tier homes, may lie accepted a.
the result which will be t+acl,ed in
most, If not all, If the political cases
now pending. lfany c"nvicti"us at
all are secuted, of which there is "uly
bare p"ssihility, they will he in
that class where officers of election
are charged with interfering with
United States deputy marsha:s. There
may have bepn instances where cleo
ton officers, excited by the isolence
and "verbearing manner Of these
federal officials stepped beyond the
limits If their authority. In all Of
those cases, however, were it is
charged that there was a conspiracy
or settled purpose to prevent the
Republicans fiom voting or support
Jog any particular candidate, there il
M possible chance Uf q conviction.
Of this class Of cases, that in which
the accused parties were Yesterday 40
triumphantly acquitted was by far the
strongest. 1t was perhaps chosen to
be tried first because the government
considered that if a conviction could
he obtained in any Of these cases it
could be secured in that. The gov.
eminent failed in making out case,
and failed 50 conspicuously that there
is M longer any ground for the North.
ern Radical press, and the stalwarts in
congress, to charge that Republicans.
10 Louisiana, both white aud black
are not allowed q free expression Of
their will at the ballot bog. It can.
not be said that there was not a full
and fair trial, or that the jury was
biased in their feelings. The Jury
was selected with tho greatest care.
and each juror could, aud did take
the test oath. There is no question
but that the jury VAS satisfactory to
both sides, since neither the govern.
ment nor the defendants exhausted
all Of their challenges. If there was
any leaning IN the rulings Of the
court It was towards the prosecution
The witnesses for the government
were as clear headed and as intelli>
gent men as there are in the Repub.
licao party, and were fully capable
Of telling all they knew. Notwith-
standing all Of these favorable cir.
cumstances the jury found q verdict
Of acqnittal. The tact is, the gov.
eminent had no case. The disturb.
ance that took place 10 the town Of
Nstcl'itocl'es ~ the twenty first sen.
tember last was not the result of a
conspiracy tn prevent Republicans
from supporting and voting for whom
they pleased t"r office. Ii the iury
had heard only the witnesses for the
government aud accepted their inter.
pretati"n IT the meaning If certain
events which occurred in the parish
1T Natcl'itocl'es they might have found
a different verdict. A searching
cross examination, however, together
with the clear and straight forward
testimony of the defense, showed be-
yond question the true explanation
of the Disturbances upon which, the
prosecution vas based. That ex.
PLANTATION entirely disposed Of the
charge Of conspiracy. It did more
than that. It showed that the tron.
b'es in Natchitoches parish werv
partly. it not wholly, brought about
ny tho arrogance ami overbeariur
Of the Republican leaders.
The conclusion which has been
10 this case viii be hailed
with satisfaction not only BY the
friends Of the accused parties but
throughout the State. These polit,- |
al prosecutions are regarded, aud