Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-10-13


 black and white-men, women and chil- dren.e
 A large assemblage of negroes gathered from surrounding counties, led by these white men, and all armed, and to be exci- ted by in1ammatory speeches, and many of them by other causes, placed the peo- pie, families, and houses of that little will age in danger of pi1lage rape and burning, with the alternative, if prevented, of fear ful "rehel outrages," to kill negroes, and prevent free speech, scattered all over the North just as the State election was ap- preaching which, it was believed, would determine the Presidential election
 know both Pierce and Murphy, the two white men who conducted this whole affair. They are of the most emphatic specimens of what are termed carpet bsggers. Before the passage of the Re- construction measures, there was no com plaint heard against them. These mea- sures distranchised every, intelligent white citizen who had held office in that county. Pierce settled as Bureau agent in Lee county, and Murphy in Dougherty county, adjourning the county in which Camilla is situated and in the counties of Lee and Dougherty there are five negroes to one white. I have no idea that one dozen white Republicans could be found in the three counties. Thus, you see at a glance the temptations offered to Pierce and Murphy to get offices by the large ne- gro votes. Accordingly since the passage of the reconstruction measures these men have sorted with the negroes. Pierce was for time candidate for Congress at the last election. He has now received the nomination for that position from a convention of negroes Murphy was elected Sheriff by the negroes at the last election, but was unable to give the bond. He is now, I believe, on the electoral ticket. We have narrowly escaped several bloody riots in that region before. Our people here belieued these men, especially the latter, melted them. They were both distinctly in view, with others, when we counted the difficulties in the way of preserving peace, and when we sought to secure the proclamation.
 But in spite of that proclamation, and all the renonstrances of our people, and the fears of our women and children, they persisted in holding armed assemblages of negroes, and the Camilla riot is the unfortunate result.
 The Camilla riot, properly understood, will exhibit to the Northern people more clearly than thousand speeches could, the eract reason why the Southern ,chites are, at present, unwilling to extend uni versal, indiscriminate suffrage to the ne- groes. It is because they can be taken possession of by very few bad white men seeking office at their hands, and made terrors to society, and destroyers of safety for property and security for families. Many of the more intelligent understand and repudiate these influences, but the greater number do not.
 In these very counties of Lee and Dougherty, in which Pierce and Murphy reside, 1 do personally know (for plant in both those counties) that in 1S66-after the surrender, mark you-lands were sell ing from sl0 to S20 per acre. Immedia- tely alter the passage of these reconstruc- ton measures these very lands commen- ced declining, and do know that some of them have recently been sold (with cotton as high as it was in 1866) ds one dollar per acre in gold!
 To have our families and our lives thus constantly menaced, and our property deprec;ated, is certainly fearful condi- tion. Let every man in the North place himself, his family and his property in this condition in his native country, and then, when he makes the most peaceable efforts possible, in lawful way, tu avert these dangers, let him hear himself de- nounced as Ia rebel" an enemy" and ia traitor" and guilty of "rebcl eutrages," and he will have some idea of the exact condition of tho Southern whites, many of whom did all in their power, like the writer, to prevent secession, and who have never seen the day when they would not give their lives to preserve the Constitu- tion
 Our people bear these evils. Is there any other people on earth who would bear them so patiently? Why do they bear them Because they look hopefully to the Northern people to rescue them. They love every man North who is willing to rescue them. They want, above all things, peace. They will make any other sacrifice, accede to any other demand the North can make, to secure peace. But they cannot and they will not consent, by their own act, to dishonor themselves by disfranchising their wisest and best men, and agree to scheme which must place their wives, and their children, and their little remnant of property, under the do- of ignorant, semi barbarous ne- groes, excited and led on by few bad white men, who have no desire but to get office at the hands of these negroes, Why should they, for peace, consent to that which must destroy all peace
 Yours, very truly, B. H. HILL. NEW YORK, September "A, 1868.