Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-10-12
MISSISSIPPI.
Judge Dent, Gen. AlcOrn and their
Friends.
Objectionable Character of the Cub.
ernat0rial Canvass.
elimination and RscrimlnatiOn thl
Order Of the Day.
The Candidates for Treasurer and
Lt.-GOV. on the AlCOrn Ticket.

1 Sn AttO FAtSOa
FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.
JACKSON, MISS, October 9.-At the
great barbecue held here a few days ago,
there was a vast assemblage of blacks.
-Four Radical orators, at the same time,
from different stands, afler Gen. Alcorn
closed his hortatory harangue, addressed
the multitude. One OF those sooty Ciceros
told hard story of Judge Dent. There
was an inflamed earnestness of manner
which gave share of credibility to the
speakers story, He said that when Dent
originally, perhaps two or three years
ago, lived in Mississippi, he tthe speaker
had been hired by him. When Dent was
going away he gim me-" said the
speaker, " this here piece oh paper and
tole me to keep ,um. De old CONAN
had worked, and had worked for i'm.
We didn't hsb muffin hardly TO eat, and
Mister Dent he went away, and we did
keep de paper, and I've got it yit. De old
CONAN and me had To trabel, and we
trabeled and kept trabeling till we most
starved. Some people gin us bread and
meat till We got work, but nobody
wouldn't hab dis paper" Perhaps Judge
Dent has forgotten the transaction, or il
may he fable, bat he should suppress
this and other like stories, which yester-
day were disseminated throughout the
State. Afiidavits were read, made by
na,sfs oolnraI on, plox-aaa IN xUl;oh Sava
raj similar stories were recited.
You will observe from these facts that
the canvass in Mississippi will probably
be as disgraceful in its temper and charae
ter as that which resulted in Senter's tri-
umph in Tennessee. Instead of discussing
principles and great facts involved in the
contest, partizanship will befoul personal
private character and conceive its task
accomplished when gresse-spOts stain pri-
vste reputation. No sooner is a candi-
date presented than the dirty work of de-
famation begins. The newspaper press
becomes a foul sewer, in which floats
every slander and every fancy and fact
that may do detriment to personal repu-
tation. So common is slander that truth
is no longer credited, and if an eX-cOnvict
of Sing Sing were placed upon a list of
candidates, no testimony could be ad-
duced to shake the faith of party in its
candidate. One party may be As guilty as
another of this shameful course Of con-
duct, and only by way of illustration do
refer to charges now made against Gen.
A
him in years gone by. They made him
Chief of Levee Commissioners with a sal
airy of $1,000. He held the place for years.
They made him United States Senator,
and yet he is gravely charged with enor-
mites, the bare recital of which makes
humanity shudder. These alleged crimes
were committed long before Gen. Alcorn
WAS made Senator. None save very stu
pid people give the slightest credence to
such foul calumnies, and, to such an ex-
tent does incredulity prevail, that no one
attaches proper importance TO well-fOund
ed allegations preferred against politi-
clans. The press should reform the evil
to which l advert. Its own power for
good is lessened by its sddictedness to
evil, and the South loses respectability
abroad because its own exponents ofchar-
acter and opinion would induce the belief
that in public life we have the most infa-
nous body of villains ever engaged in
public service. The adventures
who reigned and robbed in Ten
nessee may have begotten this habit
among newspapers of your state, bat
when the necessity no longer exists and
decent gentlemen aspire to public posi-
tions, their proposed policy, rather than
private characters, should be criticized.
1t may become utterly impossible to in
duee decent, modest, honest gentlemen to
occupy the position of candidates.
OF the men nominated here, besides
Gen. Alcorn, only know two, and these
would not voluntarily be associated or
identified with thieves, liars or murderers.
/ have concluded that the nominees are
altogether respectable. Col. Vasser, of
Aberdeen, the candidate for State Treas
urership, is only criminal TO the extent
that he was q Wing and ever opposed to
the party which ruled this State. He
deems Dent simply the impersonatiOn OF
fraud, and believes that If Dent were
elected he would be the facile tool of
those who, as Vasser alleges, once eonsti-
tuted a horrible oligarchy in Mississippi.
The platforms of the two parties are sub
stantially identical, and it may result
that the contest will be determined main
ly by the worth and personal history OF
the candidates before the people. In this
event Vssser, at least, will escape detri-
ment.
r. G. Powers, the candidate for the
office OF Lieutenant Governor, was a Col
onel in the Federal Srmy. For some time
he served as Sheriff of Noxubee county,
and there made himself the most popular
sppOintee ever sent abroad by Gen. Ames.
| He speaks, as l am told, earnestly and
with vigor OF thought, and is certainly All
amiAble, generous gentleman. He was
never, believe, identified with the ex-
treme men of his party. Ofother candi-
dates nominated / may tell you more here
amer. A. b. c.