, 1865-11-30

Special Message Of Coz. Humphreys In
Favor Of Admitting Freedmen 10 the

EXECUTIVE OFr1cE, [
1AcEsoH. Miss, Nov. 70, 1855.
Gentlemen Of The Senate and Houac Of Eepet
eentatyes:
In view Of your resolution to take ut an
early day, recess until after the holidays, I
deem 1t proper to call your immediate atten-
tion to . few subjects Of vital importance TO
tho welfare Of the State.
By the sudden emancipation of over three
hundred thousand slaves, Mississippi has in-
posed upon her d problem Of yast magnitude,
upon proper solution Of which depends tho
npes and future prosperity ec:. @eaa1c Of
ourselves and out children.
Gndcr the pressure Of Federal baronct5,
urged Oh By the mlsdIrected sympathles Of
the world, In behalf of the enslayed All filcan,
the people Of Mississippi have abolished tho
Institution Of slavery, and hare solemty de-
elred In their State Constitution, that the
Legislature shall provide BY Law for the pro-
crty Of the freedmen Of the State, and guard
them aud the State against any evils TINT
may arlse from their sudden emancipation"
How this important proyislon and require
nept of the Constitution is to bo carried into
effect Is the question now presented 10: our
solution. We must now meet the question
Is 1t Is, and not Us ne would like to have It.
whether We like It or not, VIC must realize
lint E:ct now and forever. To b. free, how
rvcr, does not make him citizen, Or
cntttte him to political or social equality
With the white man. But the Constitution
md justice do entltle hun to protection In
his person aud property, both real and per-
eonat.
In ny humble judgement no person, bond
or free, under my form of government, can
be assured Of protection or security In either
person or property, except through IN indc-
pendent and enlightened Judiciary. The
courts then should be open to the negro.
But Of what nyaii Is 1t to open the cns;;tt + ed
not permitted to testify himself, aud intro
aucc such testimony rs he or bis attorney
nav deem essential to establish the truth and
Justice Of Ills case. Whether the Witness be
white OF black, It is tho denial OF the most
coumon privilege to freedmen-an ensnaring
de1usioI-the merest mockcry.
As measure Of domestic policy, whether
Of the freedmen, or for the protection ol
society, the negro should be SLOWED and re-
quf1cd to testify for or against the white and
black according to the trnth. There arc few
men living in the South who have not known
many white criminals to 60 "unwhlpped Of
permitted in the .courts-and now that
the negro Is no longer under tho re-
strafnts and protection Of his master,
be will become the dnpe and "catspaW'' Of
the vile and vicious white man who seeks his
association, and will plundcr our land with
entire security from punishment unless he
can be reached through negro testimony. II
is an insult to the Intelligence and yistue oi
cur courts and jurics Of white men to say Of
suspect that they cannot or will not protect
the innocent, whether white or black, against
the falsehoods and perjury OF blAck witnesses.
The question of admitting negro testimony
for the protection Of their person or prop.
erty, sinks into lnsigniacance BY the. side Of
the other great question Of guarding TEN a'al
their sudden emancipation. What are the
e.ils that have already arisen agufnst which
VIC are To guard the negro and the State
The answer Is potent to all. Vaerancy and
pauperi6m, and theirfner1table concomitants,
crime and misery, hang like dark pail over
our once prosperous and happy, but now
detolatcd aud ruined land.
To the guardian turc OF the tFeedmtn'e
Bureau have been entrusted the emnncipated
a,,res. The civil law and the white man out
side Of the Hureau, haye been deprived OF all
;,,risdictfnn oy2r them. Look around you
md sec thc result. Idleness and vngraucy
have becn the rule. Ou7 rich and productive
fields hayo been deserted, for tho filthy EaT'
re,s md sickly cellars Of our toEns and cities
From producers they are converted INTO COZ
sumcrs, and IS winter approaches Their onig
.oiyatfpn from starvation and want Is Fedef3]
ratious, plunder aud pftlage. -Four years ol
crur1 war. conducted upon principles Of van-
dalis1n, diseraceful to the civilization Of the
agc wcrc scarcely more blighting and destruc.
| tire in horror{to tho white man ,impogertshing
and degrading to the negro. than has resulted
| istration Of this black incubus. Many Of the
| officers connected with that burcan are gen
! t]pmen of honor and integrity, but they soen
| incapable ol protecting the rights and prop
l crty OF the white man agalnst the vi}lianies o
the vile and vicious with whom they arc asso
ciatcd.
Heaven, is 10 be allowed to rule and ruin on
| unhappy people, Iregret 1t Is not IN my powe
| Ia riye any insurance, further than can b
gathered from the public md private declara
lions Of President Juhnson-that " the troop
viii alI be withdrawn from Mississippi whe,
in the opinion Of the Government the peac
| stored, and can be maintained without them
In this uncertainty rs to what will satisi,
the Government OF our loyalty, and ability tt
mnintn1n order and peace, and civil govern
ment, our duty under the constitution t.
guard the negro and the State from the evil
arising from sudden emancipation, must no
he neglected. Our duty to the State, and +
the freedman, seems to me to be clear, and
respectfully recommend
1st That negro testimony shonla be ad
mitted In our courts not only for the protec
tion Of the person and property Of the freed
man, but for the protection Of society agains
the crimes OF both races.
I'd, That the freedman be encouraged a
once to engage in some pursuit Of industry
Tor the support Of his family and the educa
tion Of his children, by laws assuring him c
friendship and protection. Tax the freedmal
for The support of the INDECENT and helptcs
freedman, and then with m iron will an
tbc strong hand of power take hold Of tn
idle and the vngrant and force him to SON
| profitable employment: -,
I'd. Pass militia bill that will enable th
! militia to protect our people against insul
| rcction or any possible combination of Eiciou
white men and negroes.
deem the passage Of these measures befot
| YOU takc recess, Of yital importance D
| them we may secure the withdrawal Of th
/ Fedcral troops, and thus again inspire or
people with hope and confidence IN the I,
tnrt. and encourage them to engage in asr
cultural pursuits upon which our all depend
If We fail to pass them, the future is al ~
i certainty, gloom and dependency.
B. G. HuMpHREIs,
| Governor Of Mississippi.