The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-09-24
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With only the first imperfect and evidently
istorted reports of what was called the Rad
ical rot at Camilla, before us, we yesterday
expressed the conviction that the affair would
prove to be a repetition of the diabolical mas
sacre at New Orleans two years ago. The
facts are now before us, and they fully Dear
out our prediction The affair was precon-
certed, deliberately planned, bloody rebel
butchery A meeting for the peaceable dis
cussion of political topics had been announced
at Camilla, by the Republicans of southwest
ern Georgia On the day appointed, the 10Th
inst, q considerable number of Unionists,
mostly colored, with Colonel Pierce their Con-
gressional candidate, and Captain Murphy, a
Presidential elector, set out for the place,
They were met on the outskirts of the village
by rebel who warned them not to enter the
town. A little later, the sheriff of the county
halted them, aud stated that the people would
not permit Radical to speak in the place.
They, however, proceeded to the Court House,
where were assembled their Republican
friends, who, in accordance with the procla-
nation of Governor Bullock, of the 14th inst,
had left their arms at home. Then began a
scene of heartless butchery. An armed mob,
composed of the same men who fought under
the stars and bars and starved our Northern
boys at Andersonville and Millen. set upon
the defenceless Unionists, aud endeavored to
murder them en- mdsse. Colonel Pierce as
dangerously wounded, and Captain Murphy
seriously injured. A negro woman and the
infant in her arms shot to death. The
outnumbered, defenceless Unionists sought
safety for their lives in fight, when they Were
pursued for five miles, and shot down by the
roadsides.
These are the facts as they appear even from
the account given by the rebel sheriff. which
is made as favorable as possible to the whites.
This mans statement says: "The mob was
vigorously attacked and driven back, and, pan
ic stricken, took to flight. The negroes lCere
pursued flee miles, losing Mirty.tfUe killed and
many wounded. Their total loss so far as as
certained acas from secenty.foe to one-hundred
in killed and acounded. Owing to the panic
among the mob, only fire whites aoere severely
a0ounded." Surely, the people of the North
must have parted with their common sense if
they are ready to believe that mob attended
by such fatality to the blacks, was conducted
by themselves; that panic stricken fugitves.
fleeing for their lives, and losing hundred of
their number killed and wounded, were guilty
OF massacre which resulted in the serious
wounding of only five rebels? In similar
manner they endeavored to ialsify and conceal
the truth of the New Orleans massacre, but it
was soon revealed in all its horrid enolmity by
General Sheridan's detailed report.
No: we repeat it, this bloody outrage is the
legitimate fruit of the rebelous and revolu-
tionary utterances of the Southern wing of the
Democracy, who, taking the keynote from the
New York Convention and Blairs letter tc
Brodhead, have for months been breathing
out threateniDgs and slaughter The expul-
sion of the Georgia Legislators, the dastardly
doings of the Ku-Klux Khan. the re-inaueu-
ration throughout the South of the reign of
lawlessness and violence are the direct result
of the PRONUNCIATION of the political gospel of
Seymour and Blair.
Are the men of the North who fought
through the years of the rebellion and con-
quered, are they prepared 10 give up all the
nuts of their victory; to tamely reinquish
the right of free discussion, the right of every
tAmerican to speak his thought on any spot of
American soil; prepared TO hand over the
southern Unionists white and colored, TO the
tender mercies of these bloody rebel butchers ?
That is what will be if the party of Seymour
and Blair are to come into power.