protection to all who wished to vote. However, there appeared in the newspapers a mysterious proclamation, signed by "The Council of Seven," and headed "A White Man's Government or no Government," which declared that none but the blue-blooded should be allowed to vote. The Republicans said that this emanated from the Knights of the White Camelia or the Ku Klux Klan, while the Picayune promptly declared that it was a forgery gotten up by the radicals to invalidate the election. The Democrats, in a quiet election, were sure of a large majority, and did not wish the election put aside on a charge of intimidation. However this may be, the Republicans, asserting that they feared violence, did not turn out in large numbers. Of the forty clerks and commissioners of election appointed by them only three appeared. Warmoth himself admitted that he advised Republicans to stay away from the polls. The election turned out just as both parties expected. The negroes for the most part stayed away from the polls, or if they voted at all, voted the Democratic ticket. The result was that the Seymour and Blair electors received 80,225 votes and the Grant and Colfax electors only 33,225. The Republicans published the returns showing that in seventeen parishes, where no disturbances had occurred, the Republican votes in 1867 was 28,509 in a total registration of 39,812, and that in 1868 it was 25,088 in a total registration of 43,348. In sixteen other parishes, where disturbances had taken place, there was a tremendous falling off in the Republican vote. The registration increased from 63,441 in 1867 to 73,783 in 1868, but at the same time the Republican vote fell off from 28,737 to 6047. This great diminution was of course attributed to the violence and intimidation by the Democrats, and to these causes much of it was certainly due; but it is also certain that a large number of negroes were persuaded without any threats of violence to cast their fortunes with the rehabilitated Democratic party. Warmoth showed that he had received in the spring of 1868 64,901 votes and Taliaferro 38,046, and the Republicans spoke as if he had received a Republican majority of 26,000; but it will be remembered that the Democrats had no organization at that time, and that those who voted for Taliaferro, who was a native Republican, regarded him only as the lesser of two evils." Hence this vote was 66 not a fair test of the Democratic strength in the fall of 1868. INDEX. Denison, G. S., 36, 42 (note), 43 (notes), 69 (note), 129. Dunn, Oscar J., 202 (and note), Durant, Thomas J., 46, 47, 83 Elections in Louisiana, 16, 21- 22, 41-42, 46–50, 51, 55-62, Executive reconstruction, 45-66, 99-145, 149-155, 175-179. Flanders, B. F., 41 (note), 42, 57, 190. "Forty acres and a mule," 102, 184, 204. Free State party, 45-47, 50-52, Freedmen's Bureau, 133-137. Hancock, Gen. W. S., 191 (and Hebert, Gov. P. O., 14-15. 73, 93, 96, 157-158, 173, 174. Johnson, Andrew, reconstruction under, 99-145, 149-155, 175- Jonas, B. F., 12 (note), 20 66 in, 9-28; events of the war, Merrick, Mrs. C. E., 29, 126. party. Louisiana, Congressional re- Report on New Orleans Riots, Republican party, 112-115, 155- 179, 203, 210, 212, 214-215. Republican, leans), 194-195. Riddell, J. L., 47-48. Riot of July 30, 1866, 146–179. St. Bernard parish, riot in, 228– Secession in Louisiana, 14-28. LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY CALIFORNIA 50, 76, 77-79, 95, 115, 176– Union party, 40-42, 45-59. 203, 205-206, 230. White Camelia, see Knights of |