The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-08-07
CORRESPONDENTS.
LETTER FROM MISSISSIPPI.
The Regfstration-A Case Of Hard
ship Under the Reconstruction Act
President JOhnsOn's Bitterness
Towards Old Opponents.
CONooRDIA, BOLIVAR COUNTY,
Miss, July q, 1867. J

slayed in this County by the loss of
books and papers shipped to the Board
of Registers. The work began on the
22d, and is now progressing as fast as
possible-one-fft being already ac-
complished. The people here mani
fest very generally a disposition to
accept In good faith the present situa-
ton and to meet the demands of Con-
gress, though the most of them re-
gard the doctrine of universal suffrage,
as applied to the negro, step be-
yond the limits of reason or policy.
They affect to overlook that their
own obstinacy made universal suffrage
a necessity aside from its expediency
to protect the masses against the pow
er of capital, and to make their child
rem the wards of the State.
No human laws bear equally, and
so this Reconstruction Act disfran-
chises some good and loyal men, while
some bitter and hostile to the gov
eminent are not DISTINGUISHED by its
provisions. Many an original seces-
sionist, who used his influence and
assisted to crowd the State into rebel
lion, and some of them just as bit
ter now as ever, can come In under
this Act, and register in case they
held no Office, State or federal, which
required them by their oath of office
to swear allegiance to the United
States.
On the other hand here is case of
q L Il
particularly hard. Almost any mem
Der Of the old Third Indiana (Mexi-
CAM Volunteers, will remember Ma
jor A. B. Bradford, of the First Mis-
sissipppi Rifles. Col. Davis was
wounded early in an action. and |
Major Bradford virtually commanded
the regiment. / say all men,
bers of the Third Indiana will
remember him, for he insisted at all
times, as he does now, that the Third
Indiana 1ever were towards, and that
JEFF: Davis report was a lie and a
ford never speaks of the Third Indi-
many of them formed on his regi-
ment and fought as bravely and
worthily as any of the heroes of Bue-
|
that their commander was aota cow
ard, but incompetent. In the seces-
sion movement General Bradford was
an earnest and violent Unionist. He
took an active part In the canvass, and
always denounced the movement and
its leaders. He insisted that
the only result would be de-
feat, and ruin, and emancipation
n o,fu |
ford became very unpopular This
county. however, was carried for the
Union ticket, and sent Union can
didate to the Convention. After Sc
cession-as bid for the Cancellation
of the Union party-Gen. Bradford
was sent to the Confederate Congress
by the Mississippi Legislature, and,
hoping to be useful to the country, he ]
accepted the position, think ing it not
too late to effect a reconciliation. {
This DISTINGUISHES him. II is really ;
very hard case for Gen. Bradford,
who, with distinction, served his
country In two wars Florida and
Mexico-always patriotic and la bor-
ing for the union and prosperity
of the whole country General
Bradford, In 1851. and afterwards in {
go, strenuously opposed all factious
and dlsloyal principles, wherever they l
appeared; consequently, he was al
ways an opponent of Jeff Davis. and {
probably was the most PROMINENT
man in the canvass of the State In ]
the celebrated contest between Foote '
and Davis Ia 60. In spirit, General t
b. never was a traitor, and never a
affiliated or sympathized with the G
leaders of the rebellion. Like poor |
Tray, he was caught in bad company,
and now suffers for it. c
An anecdote of the General may T
not be out of place. At Buena Vista, t
when the action became pretty warm, 1
and Colonel Davis was wounded, Ma u
jOr Bradford was advised to dismount .
from his horse, and replied, Sir, the II
United States Government put me In a
this saddle, and the Mexican Govern 7
ment must take me out of it.
General Bradford is thorough re- q
constructi0nist under the Sherman L
Bill Under the amnesty G.
proclamation of President Johnson
General 3. applied for pardon. But
General B. was Wing in the Ten
nessee Legislature, and the honor
able President of the United States +
could not overlook the old political
hostility, and refused to grant the
pardon. The harshness of this pro-
ceedure is the more marked from the
fact that l.. p. Walker of ALBANIA.
once member of the Federal Con- =
gress, an original secessionist. and
man who conspired to betray the
State into rebellion by something u
very like the bribery of Jerry h.
Chumms. elected as a JTnion