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IOrigin of lhe.Sk Martinsville Conflict.We copy the. following letter from the South-Western Telegram. ft* giving a better insight into the origin of the troubles in St. Martini parish than -'fanything else we have seen:—[Natchitoches Times.New Oblkaxs, May 0,1873. While the telegraph bears yon the details of the conflict at St. Martinsville,I will give your readers a brief insight into the* underlying causes of its origin. To do this fully would compel me to run back tbrough the history of tin* parish for half a century and trace the progress of the feud between the Bien-vciui and Fonrnct families, which has always risen, above party allegiance and virtually eliminated politics from their local elections. Every white man in St. Martins is an adherent or relative of one of these two powerful Creole clans, and their bitter contests for the parish office* have fieipuntly been fruitful of duels, bloodshed and base intrigues. Before the war the Fournets were generally Whigs, and the Bienve-II us, per contra, were deep dyed and bloodthirsty Democrats. The leading men of lotn elans were astute- politicians and some of them very talented men, but the mass of their poor relations and followers, commonly called “ Cadiauswere grossly ignorant and always ready to do as they w'ery bid. Bnt the war passed, and the formation of the new parish of Iberia left the Biunvenns with a small minority of the whites in the territory remaining, and the Fifteenth Amendment gave the negroes a majority of some two hundred oyer aTl the whites put together. This altered the old political situation, lmt the common hostility to the blacks did not smother the feud which had lieen engendered through several generations and transmitted from father to son.Ttow a wide held for intrigue was open, and the Fournets have, since the war, by hook and crook managed to beat their adversaries and hold the offices. In 1870 they were hard pushed both l»v the negroes and the Bourbon B envenns, when they joined in with two carpet-lwvggers W armotli had sent out from the city-as registrars. The two carpet-baggers came to the Legislature, where they stood by Warmoth through the Crter war, ami the Four-uets got the parish offices. The negroes got mad, and the Bienveim Democrats Cot madder! The cry of fraud rang out londly and ballot-l#»x stuffing was proved, but all in vain.Last sntiimer the Fournets were Warmoth Lilwrnls, and the Bienvenus were Last Ditchers up to the time the latter formed an alliance with the negroes by which two innlattoes were sent to the Legislature and the Bieuvenns got the local offices. Thi* gonibo was called the “Republican ticket”—although every man on it except the colored legislators were Democrats—and was undoubtedly elected. The election was fair and orderly, and there was no complaint of unfairness in the count, but the Fournets came to the city and in-dncicd the McFnery returning Board to throw out the whole parish-in order to enable McEnery to appoint the Four-nets after he should be installed. They ins rifled this course on the ground that United States troops were stationed at St. Martinsville on election day, and their voters were therefore afraid to come into town.Gen. DeBlnne is the brains of the Foumet faction, and such is tho bitterness of the parish and district, judge* elect toward him. his large law practice will lo utterly destroyed if'they are installed. Train and Castile are the names of these judges. They are both Creoles and are ignorant, venal and malignant, and a disgrace to the negroes who undonbtedly elected them. Kellogg has tried to get them to resign, so that he can appoint- decent men in their plnres, bnt they refused, and in their judicial capacity called upon him for militia to take possession of their offices and enforce their mandates. He could not refuse to respond withont giving the discontented rngnes in his Legislature a chance to impeach him. Tf a compromise he effected, no impeachment for onposine rascals will l»e thought of; Castile apd Train will lie addressed put of office, and a justly in-, dignant. minority of the voters of St. lcl Martin will he reconciled.'J This candid statement of the case I gathered chiefly from old man Fournet nfllhimself some weeks ago. He then as-TiunSt,Ylt;Fijnifn-iulitidofvs11.litulinmill♦rinatedlieerrno-n-orn-Vlt;laiSnto\v«indrtl»riHipcsetoStmofheadttyatveursured me that his people would rather die than submit to such wretches as Castile and Train, and that, nothing but United States troops could keep^ them on the liencli. From theso facts let. the render draw his own conclusions—according to his politics! Dp.t.ta.
Newspaper Details
The Opelousas Journal
Opelousas, Louisiana, US
Sat, May 31, 1873
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 19 Jun 2022
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