Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-08-21
CORREsP6NDE NCE.
HOLMES COUNTY, MISS, Aug. 4, '8s
DEAR CHRONICLE:

HOLMES COUNTY, MISS, Aug. 4, '6s.
DEAR CHRONICLE:
After 80 much on business matters,
I'll exc out the balance of my sheet
with jottings for your readers. First
a word about our f..f.
RECENT ELECTION,
in which the carpet-baggers were SO
ingloriously and astoundingly routed.
There was majority of twenty thou
sand registered negro voters over the
whites, and the triumph of Radical
ism seemed a foregone conclusion
Besides this, the Democracy had not
begun the canvass until two or three
weeks before the election. But dur
ing these two or three weeks the en-
tire white population of the State
went to work with coats off, sleeves
rolled up and collars unbuttoned, and
on the day of election attended the
polls in a body and each one selecting
his sable "man and brother" kept
him under so warm fire Of both the
"drguneertuna dd hon, ineD," and lad
frdtrem" that many saw the right
and voted it. But one great reason
for the better political action of the
negro in Mississippi than in Tennes-
see and some of the other Southern
States, was the comparative paucity
of carpet-bag adventures throughout
the State. Whilst these are as thick
in some few localities in Mississippi as
in any other spot they blight and
curse, yet they have not spread them
selves over the State as a devouring
pestilence, like they have done in
Tennessee. Hence, although they
have doubtless enrolled most of the
negro voters of Mississippi into the
loyal league lists, they did not have
agents enough to look after them in
at least half the voting places of the
State. On this account at many, If
not most, of the precincts, the negroes
were pretty equally diffused, and not
herded like cattle by the league fats,
at one or two points in each county,
as they have been in Tennessee. Thus
the white people Of the South had
free access to them separately and in
dividually on the election day, and
hinc lilac lachrynede Radicaloruns.
THE MILITARY
sent a force to all of the hcprecincts dur
ing the election. They would send a
squad of twenty to fifty men to each
county, and as the polls were opened
at only one precinctof the county and
the same ballot-box carried to another
after receiving all the votes Of the
first, and SO on until all the precincts
had voted, this enormous force could
move unbroken over the county, maxi
ing the earth quake and shaking
many q drowsy chicken from his mid
night perch. In this county ut seve-
raj of the precincts these soldiers at
tempted to control the election and
exclude all but themselves and the
Radical Judges from near the polls
except those approaching to vote. But
this was in every instance met by the
determined veto of the people, and al
once desisted from. The people ev.
cry where through the State, whilst
submissive to the rightful orders and
rulings of the military gave them
plainly to understand their improper
interference would require, for its sue
cessful exercise, a slightually grandel
army than the one on the ground
You seehOw much greater advantages
we had in appealing to the negro vot,
than carpet bag-ridden Tennessee hal
or has.
Otis oDoR FLED, AS SOON AS SHED
So thinks now n close neighbor o
mine, of Ethiopia's fragrance, whicl
erst he deemed so rich and rare. Sale
neighbor l may briefly sketch for yo,
as feeble portrait of Radicalism from
its first fly-blown beginning to its ful
maggoty riotings in corruption. Thi
: fellow came here since the war, will
pockets well lined from n @. NJ. posi-
ton in the federal army, and bough
a fine plantation. The two disastrou
years to the cotton planting following
the close of the war, tempted him t,
resume his whilom vocation of thiev
ing, and SO he abandoned his shor
acquaintance with honesty and De
mocracy Mt the same time, and bic
among the highest for Radical an,
Niger favors, Being proved exper
in changing tuunl into meuD', he wa
: given the nomination for State Treas
urer. So confident was he Of the sue
cess of the negro constitution and hi
own election, he actually allowed hi
hands to let his crop go to grass, Will
they disported themselves with pic
: MICS, festivals, religious exercises an,
'glory hallelujah" generally. r
these latter gambols, the negroes d
the neighborhood were invited tina
he might deliver them Radical ha
rangues. These Arcadian pastime
:, Were varied with ball at night Il
his own house, where his importe
t. Radical overseer, with his wife, sis
ters and daughters, did the honors an
: "tripped the light fantastic," q