The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-01-15

of that trouble was the going at night
Of a party of men numbering from
twenty to twenty five to the house of
one Fairfax, colored political leader
in Tensas psrish, which actresulted in
the killing of Peck (who seems to have
been the leader of the party,) and the
wounding by Peck's companions of
three colored men who were in Fair
fax's house, one of whom afterwards
died. Tho visit Of these men to Fair
fax was utterly wrong lin my opinion,
utterly without justification; and
whilst attempted to be justified upon
the ground that they went in the in
terest of peace to expostulate against
a rumored proposed attempt of the
colored people to force the quarantine
lines at the town of st. Joseph, I am
satisfied that such was rot the pur-
pose, but that it had political object.
lido not think the purpose was to kill
or harm Fairfax, bat l do believe it
was to influence his course and the To-
cal campaign in the parish. The kill
ing of Peck aud the wodnding of the
colored men was, Ia my opinion, to-
tally unexpected and attended by re-
suits which none of the parties con :.
templated, and from which political
considerations utterly disappeared. -
just as soon as these men were killed
and wounded reports of the same
spread with astonishing rapidity
through Tensas and Concordia, and
instantly armed bodies of colored men
evidently organized prior thereto,
moved from every direction to the
scene of the occurrence. Whilst this
was taking place the Parish Judge of
Tensas, who had been Informed of the
circumstances of Peck's death, issued
q warrant for the arrest of Fairfax,
who was charged with having killed
him. Instead of either leaving the
Parish, if he believed himself about to
be wrong, or at once surrendering to
the authorities, who we're pursuing the,
forms Of law. Fairfax remained with
the large number of men who had as
sembled, some of whom were making
the most horrible threats. These
threats produced Q feeling of terror
and apprehension in the parish, and
with the events which followed, in my.
opinion, politics had nothing to do.
The situation will be understood when
I say that Tensas is parish of large
territorial extent, with an exceedingly
sparse white and very dense colored
population, the proportion being near
Is as ten to one in favor of the latter
and that the bodies Of armed colored
men parading through Che parish are
Variousiy estimated from 1000 TO zoos
tneu, whilst the whites seem to have
been totally unprepared. This fears
entertained by the latter of general
bioodshed and piliage, | am satisfied
were fully justified by appearances,
and were beyond question thoroughly
reak Their completely defenceless
condition! demonstrates at once tile
: folly and wrong of the original act
Which, toma ght about the situation, and
also the fact that it was unexpected.
J cannot conceive that men could wan
toniy and deliberately place the lives
and property of their fellow citizens in
such peril as they were then in. AS
sistance was Immediately called from
neigllboring parishes, and when it
came it found the people of. Tensas,
white and black, almost solidly ar
rayed against each other.
u needed but spark TO Ignite the
train, andit was given by The firing of
nbody Of colored men upon party,
under the parish judge proceeding to
put an end to the armed demonstra-
ton. This FIRE was returned, and from
the best information I can receive sew
sral persons were wounded, but not
killed. The return fire caused the ne
groes TO disperse. In the meantime q
negro set fire to a gin id the neighbor-
hood of Waterproof, containing seven |
ty bales of cotton. It Is asserted that
this was a preconcerted signal for a
general rally of the colored people
This man was afterwards, by some
persons unknown, found and killed.
This, together with the killing of an
other negro, also by persons unknown
and for cause unknown. were the on
~ lives taken at that time that have
heard Of.
The strife thus recklessly originated
III the parish Of fensas spread to the
parish of Concordia. Large bodies of
armed colored men from that parish
hurried toward Tensas and manifested
their presence in various parts of the
parish.
An armed body of white men, acting
under q warrant for the arrest of
Fairfax, who, il was supposed, had
passed into Concordia, entered that
parish for the purpose of the execu-
ton of the warrant, and whilst there
some eight or nine colored men were