ing election for the Republican ticket.

In the years succeeding 1868, when some restraint was imposed
upon political lawlessness and a comparatively peaceful election
was held, these same Republican parishes cast from 33,000 to
37,000 Republican votes, thus demonstrating the purpose and the
effects of the reign of murder in 1868. In 1876 the spirit of
violence and persecution, which in parts of the State had been
partially restrained for a time, broke forth again with renewed
fury. It was deemed necessary to carry that State for Tilden and
Hendricks, and the policy which had proved so successful in 1868
was again invoked and with like results. On the day of general
election in 1876 there were in the State of Louisiana 92,996
registered white voters and 115,310 colored, making a Republican
majority of the latter of 22,314. The number of white Republicans
was far in excess of the number of colored Democrats. It was,
therefore, well known that if a fair election should be made the
State would go Republican by from twenty-five to forty thousand
majority. The policy adopted this time was to select a few of the
largest Republican parishes and by terrorism and violence not
only obliterate their Republican majorities, but also intimidate
the Negroes in the other parishes. The testimony found in our
public documents, and records shows that the same system of
assassinations, whippings, burnings, and other acts of political
persecution of colored citizens which had occurred in 1868 was
again repeated in 1876 and with like results.

In fifteen parishes where 17,726 Republicans were registered in
1876 only 5,758 votes were cast for Hayes and Wheeler, and in one
of them (East Feliciana), where there were 2,127 Republicans
registered, but one Republican vote was cast. By such methods the
Republican majority of the State was supposed to have been
effectually suppressed and a Democratic victory assured. And
because the legally constituted authorities of Louisiana, acting
in conformity with law and justice, declined to count some of the
parishes thus carried by violence and blood, the Democratic
party, both North and South, has ever since complained that it
was fraudulently deprived of the fruits of victory, and it now
proposes to make this grievance the prin