The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-10

here and there Few bad men, or q few FOOL
ish men, breed trouble, which all good mer
regret, and whilst the good men In some
places have not taken the determined, active
stand against them that / had hoped and ex.
pected, am satisfied that day by day and
month by month we are surely moving for
ward to the condition OF things which all
good citizens are hopefully anticipating.
would regard the retarding Of these results
by iDjudieious action, which some might
deem wise and right, as great calamity tc
the State. say this under full sense OF the
responsibility which attaches to my position
It has so happened that some OF the acts Of
lawlessness (which / condemn and regret
have been directed against colored men, and
1t Is sometimes supposed that they have beer
80 directed by reason Of their being colored
men. This Is not true The fact results
from the circumstance that the greater
number Of the infractions Of the law are
necessarily found In all communities among
those classes who. from ignorance or idle
ness or thriftlessness, fall to understand and
appreciate their duties and obligations; and
that, In this State, the mass Of these classes
Is found among the colored people. The fact
OF their being colored people is merely acct
dental and incidental The same acts would
take place under the same circumstances,
without regard to color. 1t Is notorious
fact that for over twenty years there have ex-
listed, In some parts OF Louisiana, organiza-
tions known as vigilance Committees, =
whose acts have stricken white men oftener
than colored men. 1t Is said that some OF the
troubles In this State, within the last year,
have had their origin In politics. do not
suppose that there is any State In the Union
in which politics have not been. more or less,
the cause Of difficulties. The passions and
interests OF men In every community become
SO much excited that here and there, In every
State troubles take place on that account.
Louisiana does not differ In this respect from
her sister States. Troubles do not exist In
Louisiana based on opposition to any man
voting on account Of his color. The exercise
OF that right In a manner different
from that wished by other individuals
causes opposition here, just as 1t does In
Maine or Oregon. This sometimes resultsin
personal difficulties, and whenever matters
reach that point there springs up here an
not the cause Of the difficulty, but resulting
from 1t and from the fact Of there being two
separate races In the State. A difficulty orr
ginating In politics, which goes to the point OF
blows or bloodshed, Is apt to be participated
In by others from that time forward, not on
account OF the politics involved In It, but race
sympathy or race fear. found this, In my
opinion formed after q personal investiga-
tom, to have been the case In the recent dis
turbances In the parishes Of Tensas and Con-
cordia. The proxlmate cause Of that trouble
was Lie going at night of party OF men
from twenty to twenty-five to the
house OF one Fairfax, . colored political
leader in Tensas parish, which act resulted
In the killing sof Peck (who seems to have
been the leader of the party, and the wound
Ing by Peck's companions OF three colored
men who were In Fairfax's house, one Of
whom afterwards died. The visit OF
these men to Fairfax was utterly
my opinion, utterly without
be justified upon the ground that they went
In the interest Of peace to expostulate against
a rumored proposed attempt OF the colored
people to force the quarantine lines at the
town OF st. Joseph, am satisfied that such
was not the purpose, but that 1t had politi-
cal object. do not think the purpose was to
kill or harm Fairfax, but do believe it was
to influence his course and the local campaign
In the parish. The killing Of Peck and the
Of the colored men was, in my
opinion, totally unexpected and attended by
Ia vrynt0 ~ xovfio
plated, and from which political considera-
lions utterly disappeared. Just as soon as
these men were killed and wounded reports OF
The same spread with astonishing rapidity
through Tensas and Concordla, and instantly
armed bodies Of colored men, evidently organ
lied prior thereto moved from every direc-
lion to the scene Of the occurrence. Whilst
this was taking place the parish judge of
Tensas, who had been informed Of the circum-
stances OF Peck's death, issued warrant for
he arrest of Fairfax. who was charged with
ng the parish, IL he believed himself
lbout to be wronged, or at once sur
'endering to the authorities, who were
pursuing the forms OF law, Fairfax
ematned with the large number of
men who had assembled, some Of whom
we're making the most horrible threats.
These threats produced a feeling Of terror
nd apprehension In the parish, and with the
vents which followed, in my opinion, politics
lad nothing to do. The situation will be I'M
erstood when / say that Tensas is a parish |
( large territorial extent with an exceed
ngly sparse white and very dense colored
opulatlon, the proportion being nearly as
en- to one in favor Of the latter, and that the |
odies Of armed colored men parading through |
he parish are variously estimated from 1000 |
D 1000 men, whilst the whites seem to have |
cen totally unprepared. The fears enter
aimed by the latter Of general bloodshed and
illage, am satisfied, were fully justified by
ppearances, and were beyond question tho
oughly real. Their completely defenseless
ondition demonstrates at once the folly and
7fong of the original act which brought
bout the situation, and also the fact that it
7as unexpected. cannot conceive that men