Year: 1868

there exists no protection for the citizens
in the Courts, and that men are shot down
in the roads in their homes and elsewhere,


without question being asked or any
steps taken to bring the offenders to JUS
tice The Judge of the 18th Judicial
district refuses to 90 to the parish of
! Franklin unless force is sent with him
to protect him from violence, and he is not
obnoxious on personal or political grounds,
for in politics he was opposed to the new
Constitution and is lifelong citizen OF the
State


The Sheriff of the parish of Franklin,
Democrat, has resigned, confessing his
inability to make any arrests or discharge
the duties of his office on account of the
condition of affairs there. Prominent I'm
| ion men in parish of Coddo write me that
their homes are beset by desperadoes, and
that their lives and property have thus far
been saved from destruction only by armed
men who volunteer to guard them. As you
will see by the letter of Mr.. Hudspeth,
District Attorney for the Eighth District,
men, women, and children have recently
been murdered in the parish of St. Landry
by bands Of armed men, who remain, thus
far, unpunished and unmolested. The
enclosed newspaper, Democratic journal
published in Madison parish, shows clear
ly the condition of affairs there, in corrob-
Grafton of the statements contained IN the
petition of Judge Crawford, Judge Wyley
and other gentlemen of North Louisiana.
From the very best information, Mr. Pres
ident, | have no doubt that one hundred
and fifty men have been murdered IN Lou
isana in the last month and u half Start
ling as this statement is, letters of the most
reliable character fully confirm it. There
seems to be settled determination on the
part of those men who adhered to the
rebellion to either kill or drive away the
Union white men and leading colored men,
so as to be able to terrify the masses OF
colored people into voting as they shall
dictate There is Il secret organization
throughout the State known as the X. W.
c., the full details which questions, oath,
&c, Col. Deane will explain to you. It's
founded for the purpose of placing and
keeping the colored people in condition
of inferiority, and with view to this end
contemplatcs and designs the precipitation
of conflict between the two races. Many
prominent citizens Of the State are leaders
in it, Its members are sworn under oaths
of the most binding character to carry out
the purposes of the organization at all
costs hazards and sacrifices, and by
measures however desperate that their
leaders may adopt 1t has now transplred
that the mob which threatened the Legis-
lature some weeks since were only prevent
cd from enacting the scenes of the 3oth OF
July, 1866, by the presence of the l. ,.
troops. 1t was the deliberate determine
ton Of the secret organization to assassin
ate the Lieut. Governor and Speaker of
the House of Representatives for having
decided questions preliminary to the or
ganization of the General Assembly in a
manner obnoxious to them. There are
military organizations in fact in this city
under the auspices of this secret organiza-
ton. They drill openly in our streets at
night or in halls easily TO be seen. In
short, l fully believe there is meditated a
bloody revolution, the certain fruit of which I
would be long continued if not hopeless /
confusion, disaster and ruin to the State. I
The presence of United States troops in my
judgment is necessary to prevent this. The
organization Of militia is of very question +
able expedency, inasmuch as it will be /
under the present excited state Of mind one
political party armed to support the gov
ernment against another. | wish to avert
this if possible and respectfully request
your excellency to put two regiments OF
cavalry and a regiment of infantry togeth-
er with a battery of artillery under the
command of some competent officer with /
orders to cooperate with me in repressing
II Il hn
inals and protecting the officers of the law
iu trying them. The breaking up of all
secret political organizations and few ex-
amples of condign punishment of offenders
will secure peace in the State as soon as
the great excitement attending the present
political campaign is over.


| have the honor to be, very respectful
", your obedient servant,


H. c. YARMOUTH,


Gov. of Louisiana.)