Year: 1877

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alton Of rulers as we'll ~ Of the people.
The pleasure with which 1 receive my
credentials from the representatives of the
people is clOuded with the recollection that
many of our co-labOrers in the causs Of
republican freedom have fallen in death,
for no fault, but the assertion of an honest
opinion-that thousands were constrained
to avoid the ballotbox for fear of their
lives. or to register and vote aRaiDst their
will, for candidates not their choice, and
hostile to their interests.


The un.Amerioan and barbarous election
practices resortGd to was the result OF q
wicked and most audacious conspiracy or
ganizsd for the purpose of enabling mi
nority, determined, and, mostly armed, to
override timid and deienseless majority.
In proof of the deliberate purpose of this
conspiracy, and that the means employed
were most violent and unlawful, l quote
from the truthful report of United States
Senator Sherman and other distinguished
gentlemen who recently visited this State
at the instance of the President:


Organized clubs and masked, armed men,
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| Democratic Committee, rode through the
country at night, marking their course by
whipping, shooting, wOundioR, manning,
mutilatiOn aud murder OF women and chill
| dren and defenseless men, whose houses
were fOroibly entered while they slept, and
their inmates fled through fear the pistol
and the rifle, the knife and the rope were
employed TO do their horrid work; crimes
/ like these, testified to by scores of wit
nesseP, were the means employed in LOuisi.
ana to elect President of the United
States.


A candidate for President of the United
States, together with my opponent in the
late election for Governor, supported by
their partisans, are now urging their claims
to these respective offices by virtue of the
result of q pretended election at polling
places in certain parishes, partly or wholly
under the control of armed bands of white
men known as "bulldozers."


The result of this pretended election at
these polling places, relied upon, was
reached at the expense and by the commits
zion of the most appalling crimes, even to
to the murder of women and children, as
has been testified to by Trustworthy wit
nesses,


| 1t is not strange that at q time of great
political excitement men are found who
will plot against and strike at the Just ex.
eroise of the free ballot, but 1t is strange
/ that those can be found shameless enough
to take Office by such prostitution of the
elective franchise. As crimes have been
committed to obtain pretended majority
Of the votes, would not the officer whose
title would be perfected only by ballots go
occurred become accessory after the fact to
such orimesi


| Why have recourse to violtneei Msjor-
tiles have no occasion to use force; minor.
tiles alone resort to it,


Thousands of political murders have been
committed in this State upon defenseless
colored men, since reconstruction, as shown
by the reports of investigating cOmmitte es
of Congress. Very few of the perpetrators
of these crimes have had the penalty Of the
law executed upon them. Indeed, go well
grounded has become the belief in the
minds of those STRIVING to deprive g
class of their political rights that
there is immunity for the crimes com
mitted, but little care is taken by the
perpetrators to conceal their identity
The testimony taken before the United
States chief supervisor, and also that sub
mitted to the Returning Officers, teens with
the names of persons accused of almost
every orima known to the common law.


Our oppressed and coBfdiDg people who
have so nObly stood by the rights conferred
by the nation look to the representatives in
the General Assembly, the judicial officers
and the executive of the State to devise
means and apply them, which shall remove
the night riding bulldozer from their midst
that shall mete out justice to those who
offend the law that shall mako every poor
mans cabin his castle, absolutely safe to
him and bis dear 0nes


1 received an undoubted majority OF
the votes freely and fairly and lawfully
cast for Governor. / have been declared
the Governor elect in the manner and form
required by the constitution and laws of the
State. The legal returns made by the law
full Returning Officers show my election
The General Assembly has sOlemnly de-
Clared it, in the manner pointed out by the
c0nsitution. All officers of the State who
have taken the oath to support the cOnsti'
tuition and the laws, as well as the executive,
must enforce obedience to the lawful gov
ernment.


Notwithstanding the threats against my
life which are freely banded about and fre-
quently appear in the more or less obscure
bulldOEer prints, as Governor, shall in.
woke all the powers conferred upon me by
the constitution and laws OF the State and
of the United States to enforce obedience
to them and to command an enduring
peace for Louisiana.


In several parishes existing oombina-
tons have thus far thwarted the ad.
ministratiOn Of the criminal laws Of the
State. To the end that these conspirAt0rs
against peace and order may be brought
to Justice, the law defining the prac-
tice in criminal cases has been SO
amended as to provide that prosecution
in capital cases may be by either indictment
or information. and the Attorney General ID
now authorized to change the venue to any
parish in the State, when in his judgment
far trial can not be had in the parish
where the crime was committed, the State
has against Jurors an equal number Of
psremptOry challenges with the accused
These amendments will enable the
Law officers to remove the accused foI
trial beyond the influence and power Of
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