LOUISIANA. 



477 



to foment such a conflict, being satisfied that 

 it hit. Tests of both race* lie in a just and har- 

 .is adjustment of the relations of race, labor, 

 iitul, and tho united efforts of all good men 

 oto tho conuiioii interest, and we believe 

 ith such peace and harmony, and such united 

 i, the return of a high degree of prosperity to 

 suiaiana will not bo long delim !. 



11. That wo approve and indorse tho olvll-rightl 

 ill now pending before Congress. 



12. That wo sympathize with the patriotic men in 

 3uba who fight for liberty, and that wo urge upon 



thu national Congress the early recognition of tho 

 ink-nee of Cuba, and hereby instruct our Rcp- 

 i in Congress to uso their best efforts and 

 influence to this end. 



Early in July tho Democratic State Central 

 ( 'ummittee published a call for a State Conven- 

 tion, to assemble in New Orleans, on the 24th 

 of A ugust, for the purpose of nominating candi- 

 dates for Congress, the Legislature, and State 

 Treasurer. The selection of New Orleans as 

 tho place for holding tho convention was un- 

 favorably received by the Democracy of the 

 country parishes. This feeling of dissatisfac- 

 tion was specially strong in Northern Louisiana, 

 whore several papers and many prominent 

 men united in a call for a convention to bo 

 held out of New Orleans. In consequence of 



this opposition, tho State Central Committee 

 changed the place of meeting from Now Or- 

 leans to Baton Rouge. Tho convention, there- 

 fore, assembled in Baton Rouge on the 24th 

 of August, and nominated John C. Moncure, 

 of Caddo, for Treasurer, and tho following 

 persons for Congress: First district, Randall 

 Gibson; second, E. John Ellis; third, J. II. 

 Breaux; fourth, W. M. Levy; fifth, B. F. 

 Spencer ; sixth, Joseph M. Moore. The follow- 

 ing platform was then unanimously adopted : 



We, tho white people of Louisiana, embracing the 

 Democratic party, the Conservative party, the White 

 Man's party, the Liberal partv. the Reform party, 

 and all others opposed to tne Kellogg usurpation, do 

 solemnly resolve and declare : 



1. That tho government now existing in Louisiana 

 originated in and has been maintained by force and 

 fraud in opposition to the will of a largo majority of 

 tho voters of tho State, in opposition to the prin- 

 ciples of the Constitution of the United States, and 

 in violation of every principle of justice and liberty. 



2. That tho dominant faction of the Radical party 

 in this State haa, by lube and fraudulent rt; 

 tation, inflamed thu passions and pn-judict o of the 

 negroes M a race against the whites, and ha* there- 

 by made it necessary for the whito people to unite 

 and act together in self-defense and lor tho preser- 

 vation of whitu civilization. 



3. That the rights of all men under tho Constitu- 

 tion und laws of tho land must bo respected and 

 preserved inviolate, irrespective of race, color, or 

 previous condition, but wo deny that Congress can 

 constitutionally enact laws to force the two races 

 into social union or equality. 



4. That tho whito people of Louisiana have no de- 

 sire to deprive tho colored people of any rights to 

 which they are entitled; but we are convinced that 

 the reforms imperatively demanded can be effected 

 only by selecting to office white men of known capa- 

 city and integrity, and we believe that large num- 

 bers of colored persons will vote with us to secure a 

 government which must bo beneficial alike to both 

 races. 



5. That wo disclaim earnestly any intention of 

 currying or attempting to carry the approaching 

 election by violence, and that charges to this effect, 

 emanating from our Radical enemies, are without 

 foundation, and are falsely made for the purpose of 

 obtaining the aid of tho military force of the United 

 States, in order to overawe the people and perpetu- 

 ate the existing usurpation end subvert the true 

 principles of government. 



6. That W. P. Kellogg is a mere usurper, and we 

 denounce him as such ; that his government is arbi- 

 trary, unjust, and oppressive, and that it can main- 

 tain itself only through Federal interference. 



7. That tho election and registration laws^ under 

 which this election is being conducted, were intend- 

 ed to perpetuate the usurpation by depriving the 

 people, and especially our naturalized citizens, of an 

 opportunity to vote, but we announce distinctly that 

 it is the determination of the people to have a free 

 and fair election, and to see that tho result is not 

 changed by fraud or violence. 



8. That we extend to nil of our race, in every 

 clime, the right hand of fellowship and a cordial iu- 

 vitation to come and settle among us and unite their 

 destinies with ours. 



9. That while we are in favor of meeting punc- 

 tually the payment of the legitimate debt of Louisi- 

 ana, we are immovably opposed to the recognition 

 of the dishonest and fraudulent obligations issued 

 in the name of the State, and wo pledge ourselves 

 to make a searching investigation in the matter. 



10. We advise our people to vote against the 

 amendments to tho constitution proposed by the 

 usurping Legislature, and pledge ourselves, on the 

 restoration of the government to honest hands, to 

 provide for the payment of all honest indebtedness 

 of tho State. 



Near the close of August great excitement 

 was caused throughout the Stato by the an- 

 nouncement of the Coushatta tragedy. This 

 was an affair near the town of Coushatta, in 

 Red River Parish, which resulted in the arrest 

 and deliberate shooting of six Republican of- 

 ficials ; but, as in the case of every other al- 

 leged outrage, the reports were so conflicting 

 that it is impossible to determine upon the 

 facts with accuracy. On the one side it was 

 alleged to have been a merciless war waged 

 by tho whites upon tho blacks, while other 

 reports attribute the origin of the difficulty to 

 an uprising of the blacks. The account given 

 by one side was to tho effect that a party of 

 citizens attempted to arrest a band of negroes 

 for having shot at a white citizen, and were 



