450 



LOUISIANA. 



politan police force M part of the militia of 

 the State, to be called the Metropolitan Bri- 

 gade, and allowing the commander-in-cbief 

 to send them to perform military duty in any 

 part of the State. 



In Grant Parish there had been much dis- 

 satisfaction among the negroes. The Lynch 

 Board made no returns of parish officers elect- 

 ed in this outlying parish. Kellogg hod either 

 made, or they anticipated that he would make, 

 appointments of persons elected under the 

 Wannoth count. Judge Rutland, a Repub- 

 lican, wag exceedingly unpopular among them, 

 being suspected of having counseled snch 

 appointments. Predatory bands of colored 

 men rode about the parish, threatening murder 

 and outrage, and firing into houses. They 

 sacked the residence of Judge Rutland, forcing 

 his family to cross the river for safety, and 

 throwing the coffin containing the dead body 

 of his child into the highway. They killed 

 two colored men who would not join them, 

 robbed women of valuables, picketed the 

 country and held possession of the town of 

 Colfax from April 1st to April 18th. 



Sheriff N'a-h. appointed, hut not commis- 

 sioned by Kellogg, arrived with & poise of one 

 hundred and twenty-five white men. The 

 negroes, about three hundred strong, though 

 deserted in this emergency by their white and 

 some of their colored leaders, were well armed 

 and provisioned, and had fortified the court- 

 house with breast-works. When summoned 

 to surrender, they refused. The sheriff 's party 

 having taken the intrenchtnents, the rioters 

 fled for refuge to the court-house and displayed 

 a flag of truce. Two of the attacking party, 

 sent forward to parley, were shot, one of them 

 after being dragged inside of the building. 

 The court-house was immediately fired by the 

 assailants, and as tlu-y attempted to escape, 

 many of these misguided negroes paid the 

 penalty of their rashness with their lives. 



On the 18th of April. General Emory ap- 

 plied to Washington for more explicit direc- 

 tions thus: 



Requisitions by the United State* mirth*,! in the 

 execution of judicial process hare been receive.!, in 

 owe* occurring in the disturbed district and other 

 parixhes, and I have ordered troops to Monroe and 

 Alexandria, La., to act aa a pouu eomiialvt to the 

 marshal. But the Governor of the State has made 

 requisitions for troop*, covering ground in various 

 part* of the State, stating tho inability of the local 

 authorities to keep the peace. It will then-fore be 

 seen how important it Is that I should have tho right 

 views of the instructions of the fith. 



The instructions of this date would seem to im- 

 ply that I waa expected to act only on the requisition 

 of the United States Marshal in execution of judicial 

 process. Aa the order of the 5th of March now 

 stands it is very comprehensive, and it is on that, no 

 doubt, Governor Kellogg bane* his requisition. 

 (Signed) W.1B. KMOKY, Col. Comd'f. 



General McDowell telegraphed on April 18th 

 that Colonel Emory ordered troops to Grant 

 Parish, but all steamboats refused to take 1 liein. 

 averring that it would destroy their trade. lie 



adds, " The Governor states that the local au- 

 thorities are utterly unable to keep the peace." 

 The United States troops, however, arrived at 

 Colfax on the 23d, but order had been r. -Mured. 



In St. Mary's Parish the appointees of Gov- 

 ernor Kellogg opened court, but the bar unani- 

 mously refused to acknowledge them, and the 

 court adjourned. Outbreaks occurred through- 

 out the State. 



The inhabitants of the parish of St. Martin's 

 held a public meeting and bound themselves 

 to resist the collection of taxes by the K . 

 tax-collectors. To enforce the collection of 

 these taxes the Metropolitan Police Brigade, 

 armed with rifles and carrying field-pieces, 

 was sent to St. Martin's. The citizens of that 

 parish, under the command of Colonel Do 

 Blanc successfully resisted this body for sev- 

 eral weeks. On tho 1st of May a detachment 

 of United States troops having been sent to 

 support the marshal, received the surrender 

 of Colonel De Blanc and the leaders. The 

 citizens, fully organized, returned to tlieir 

 homes. They stated that, " while they bowed 

 to tho mandate of the United States Executive, 

 supported by its military force, they were in 

 arms to prove that throughout Louisiana no 

 official of the Kellogg government could ex- 

 tort submission from the people save at the 

 point of the bayonet, in the hands of United 

 States soldiers." 



Subsequently the President of the United 

 States issued a proclamation requiring the 

 people of Louisiana to disperse to their re- 

 spective homes, and cease from opposing the 

 Kellogg government. 



Governor McEnery then published an ad- 

 dress to the people, counseling them to abstain 

 from futile resistance to the power of the 

 Federal Government, and, without yielding 

 their rights, or giving countenance to usurpa- 

 tion, to await the action of Congress to re- 

 dress their wrongs. 



In response to a call from the " State Com- 

 mittee of Seventy," an election was helil for 

 a convention of the people. It assembled in 

 New Orleans, on tho 24th of November. It 

 claimed to represent the conservative element 

 of the State, and that its object was "not to 

 maintain tho interests of any individual, but 

 the right of the State to bo governed by the 

 officers duly elected under its constitution." 

 Raving considered the political situation, ex- 

 pressed tho non-:ici|iii.^ccnce of the people 

 under the KelloL'L* government, assorted the 

 fairness of the fleet inn, devised measures to 

 ameliorate the deplorable condition of the 

 State, laid their grievnnees before the people 

 of the Union, and appointed a committee to 

 present their appeal for relief to Congress, 

 the convention adjonrned. 



An assemblage for a similar purpose was 

 held by the Kellogg party. But, on the 18th 

 of December, the Louisiana case waa argued 

 before tho congressional Committee on Klec- 

 tions and Privileges. No decision was at- 



