New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-14
in the management of fires in mid-ocean' and
deserve high commendation for their conduct
4 NEGRO L" RISING

sents all the familiar. features Of " race wars"
Il began with fight during a parade Of tho
Fire Department 1t is not said who were the
acgressors, but two whites were stabbed, and
the release of their negro assailants on small
bail by negro Justice OF the Peace caused
bitter feeling. Three days afterward there
was an appeal to Ncw-Orleans for assistance, on
the ground that the negroes were rising"
report that the negroes are rising' is always
held sufficient in the South to justify the Sc
verest measures but, somehow or other, the
negroes seldom rise" The Chief Of Police
came over with a large force and found every
thing quiet, but general expectation that the
negroes meant to "rise.o Saturday morning,
shortly after midnight, some white roughs set
fire to an engine-house belonging to negro
company, with the avowed purpose Of destroy
ing guns that were stored there belonging to
negro militia. These guns would have been
excellent things for the negroes to " rise" with,
but they neglected the opportunity. Next n
negro church was in blaze, but Still tho
negroes did not rise" When the flames came
into contact with the guns they were dis
charged, and this, it is gravely stated, created
a rumor that the negroes were firing on the
whites"
It is astonishing how easily such rumors get
into circulation in the South, and yet, 1t is the
almost iuyariable rule that the product OF shoot
ing afTrays down there is dead negroes, and
not dead whites No doubt the negroes intend
10 "riser and try TO RISE but the whites
usually succeed in rising" before them. Many
white men were on the ground, 1t seems, with
rifles and pistols, no doubt in anticipation that
the negroes would rise,n and when the guns
in the burning building began to go of, and
the negroes, seeing the danger they were in,
ran away, the white men opened lire on them
as they " fled down the railroad track" wound
ing four, one Of them fatally. 1t must have
taken q lively imagination to believe that
negroes who were running away in utter panic
were rising" But we have had many illus
trations before now that tho Southern white Is
very easily convinced in situation like this
that the negroes mean to rise" number OF
other dwellings were burned, among them that
of tho coOrcd member Of the Legislature from
the parish 1t is doubtless merely com
cidencc, but the only structures named as being
DESTROYED by fire belonged to negroes. After this
n gang Of white men marched about the town
firing many shots, but iniuring no one, it Is said
The negroes had taken care TO get ont OF range
having probably decided that it was not good
time to "risc.n The dispatch SAYS: " The
negroes seemed completely panic stricken, and
not one was 10 be seen anywhere on tho
s,reetsD We quote these details from the
columns Of n Democratic contemporary, " The
Sum- H. is added that tho affair is 4" very gen
al nd that tho unlawful nets
were committed by the rough element under
the influence Of whiskey, and rumor that the
negroes were going to rise" II would PROB
ably be safe to say that hundred black men
have been shot dead in the South because oil
an alleged fear that the negroes were gong to
" rise" where one white man has lost his lifo
because they did "riSc.'
This affair was not outwardly political al
though the same motives probably lay ut the
bottom OF it that dictated the recent outrages IN
Lafayette, and before that in S.. MartinSiIle
and before that in New-Ibcria In each OF
these places tho AIRED regulators who were or
ganizcd year ago for the purpose OF prevent
ing the negroes from voting. did SO. In Lafay-
otto there were no Republican candidates in tho
field, and the negroes were dividing themselves
Northern dough faces have always insisted that
whom this situation arose, the rights OF the black
man would be respected, but their panacca
failed lamentably in this case These crimes
are committed by the rough element but the
better element, warmly as they may dcprecate
them, do not succeed in bringing the criminals
to Justice. II is interesting 10 observe the man
ner in which the outrage at Lafayette was
deprecated by the leading Democratic news.
paper OF the State Tho New-Orleans Times
Democrat:
II IS InrxcussbIc, because white supremacy Is not
endangered I'm Louisiana the south today and least
OF all I'm Lafayette. Both the parish and town have
white majortcs and hAvo always elected whIto men
10 office and In the Municipal election no question OF
negro domination or negro officials was at issue
"Tho Times Democrat believes, and has al
ways believed, In white supremacy, and that the
prosperity and civilization Of tho south depend upon
H. but IL must not be made excuse for moblaw,
disorder and violence when this question is not NJ
stake.
The inference that mOb-law. disorder and
violence arc juStiiiablo when this question is
at stake does not seem unfair. At all events,
that is the view which tho Louisiana DemOc-
racy illustrate by their practices if not by their
professions.