Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-10-16
The Camilla Riot.

In is not easy to ascertain accurately the
facts in any case of violence in the late
rebel States. Usually, however, when it
is a conflict between rebels and Union
men of any color, the fair presumption is
against the former. The Union men,
knowing that the feeling Of the old mas
ter class is against them, are not likely to
provoke disturbance, while the history of
their conduct before and during and since
the war relieves them, generally, of the
suspicion of instigating trouble. Again,
there Is not a rejecting man in the country
who is familiar with the facts, who sup
poses that if the colored population in the
Southern States were treated with fairness
Fit would be troublesome or vindictive.
While there is certainly not man of
common manhood who supposes that any
class of men will allow itself to be thrust
back into a cruel bondage, from which 1t
has Just been delivered, without a struggle.
IF, therefore, we hear of riots and bloodshed
arising from the condition of society in
the Southern States, we may be very sure
that the final cause is the unjust attempt
of one part of the population politically
and socially to subiugate another.
A fortnight ago Colonel Pierce, Repub-
lican candidate for Congress in the second
district of Georgia. and Captain Murphy,
one of the Republican candidates for
Elector, went with a party of political
friends to hold meeting at Camilla.
They were met at some distance from the
town by the Sheriff and some of the citi-
zens, who requested them to retire, as the
people of Camilla wished to hear no Rad
ical speaking. The party declined, and
moving on, entered the town, where they
were presently attacked Both Pierce and
Murphy were wounded, and many of their
friends were killed The Sheriff says
that he asked them only to lay aside their
weapons. But it does not appear that
they were unusually armed, while the at
tack shows the townspeople to have been
fully armed. This request, therefore, was,
that party Of unarmed Republicans,
many of whom were colored, would take
the risk of holding a meeting in a rebel
town among armed rebels. Now it may
be the fate Of Union men to be summarily
shot in Georgia for the crime of holding
political meetings. But it is really ex-
travagant to ask them to submit TO slaugh-
ter without even form OF remonstrance.
The question upon reading this state
ment is, whether it was probable that the
intention of the party was, as the Asso-
ciated Press dispatch AYERS, to overawe"
the citizens of Camilla? Had not Colonel
Pierce and Captain Murphy right to
hold political meeting anywhere in their
district? If some of their friends were
armed, has there ever been a political
meeting in exciting times in that part of
the country where a large part OF those
present ware not armed? Has the con-
duct of their opponents been such as to
show the Republicans that it is not neces-
sary to defend themselves Have not
Wade Hampton and his associates every
where invited the Democrats to organize
against colored Union men and starve
them if they will not support Seymour |?
Has not the Georgia Legislature expelled
the colored members? Are not colored
| men thrust from the jury box? Are not
the black codes the living witnesses of the
feeling of their political opponents?
Governor Bullock has done what he can
to protect loyal men in Georgia, but the
Democratic majority left in the Legisla-
ture by the expulsion of Union men has
thwarted his efforts. These are the fruits
of the green tree If Seymour and Blair
should be elected, what fearful tragedy
must not everywhere follow in the South
ern States If while Seymour is a candi-
date merely there is such confusion, must
not his election produce chaos in that dis
tempered section? General Schofield has
ordered General Meade to return and to
keep the. peace in Georgia, He will in
vestigate the facts of the Camilla riot.
But we imagine they are already substan-
| tially known and understood Once more,
we say, let all sensible men decide whether
the election of Seymour. and Blair is the
road to peace Haqper's Weekly.