The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-04-29
TIERY, Kinds Co, MISSISSIPPI.
April 22d. 1869. !


! IIoS. WV. YERGEE AND OTHERS,
/ GESrLEMEN:
/ Your letter Of yesterday. inviting AN eX-
I pression of my views on certain interesting
political topics, was received this morning.
/ You leave it discretionary with me TO dcliv-
/ or an address or write letter, for publica-
I ton. l take the latter course because
desire to be precise. Addresses to popular
/ assemblies are liable TO be misunderstood,
and therefore misrepresentcd; intend as
J far as possible 10 avoid this risk.
When | consented, mt the solicitation Of
/ large number ofour fellow-ctizens, 10 visit
/ Washington City. and there, in conjunction
with other gentlemen from Mississippi
to make known to the President and Con
1 gTcss, the true condition Of our affairs,
did 80 as some Of you are aware, with eN-
treme reluctance. leone, before our labOrs
were over, to change my mind, and instead
OF feeling regret that had gone, felt graf
flied. This feeling was produced, not alone
by the success OF our mission which certain
ly had enough in it TO crafty any rcasona-
bic man, but it resulted mainly from what
saw and heard. among leading Republican
Statesmen, including the President and bis
tives, in Congress.
It was gratifying 10 see the we'll laid
scheme Of evil disposed men for depressing
our people defcatcd-to see their Constitu-
ton" 20 down, and with it the men who
had been chosen by its coBtrivcrs TO put IL
in motion over ne; but il was more graft
tying still, to hear the words, and see the acts
of the great Republican leaders AZ they went
about the work of demolshng the Convcn-
ton, the Constitution, and The "oflicial dig
natares, who fancied that they already
had their feet on our necks.
Need / say to you gentlcncn, and to the
intelligent people OF the State, that but for
the course Of the President, and the cordial
cooperation OF many leading Republican
Senators and Representatives in Congress,
this work could not have been done. Your
Immediate friends - Conservatives. from
home, and the little band of Democrats in
Congress, worked unitcdly and manluly,
but they were powerlCss without Republ-
can aid. That aid came just in time to save
Us from the most dcspotic rule that was ever
attempted to be forced on any people. We
have reason to be grateful and TO express
/ our thanks in generous terms.
1t now remains with our people to reap
| the fruits of their present success, or, by an
unwisc policy, to dash il all 10 ruins
| The point which gave ms the most trouble,
was the constantly reiterated charge OF
lawlcssncss, among our people. lou know
/ told the truth when assured members 81
Congress that in twenty-five years, I had
not seen one in which there had been SO lit
tie law-brcaking q, in the last. Others told
a different story; and with wonderful in
dustry and perseverance, they managed 10
magnify every molc-hill into mountain
/ would surprise the good people Of Lex
ington, TO see 10 what huge proportions a
comparatively small affair in their town,had
grown by the time it got TO Washington.
The vicious and objectionable attempt 10
disturb n religious meeting Of colored pco-
pie, by throwing two or three lire-crackers
into "A courthouse during service, was mag
nilied into a terrible attempt at wholesale
murder.
Now there is but one way TO treat this, /
and all other acts of lawiessness, both great
and small and that is 10 lend ready, will |
ing and cordial assistance, 10 the authorities, /
civil anil military, in bringing the offenders
to justice. 1t Is not sufficient for us to obey
the laws ourselves. 1t is not enough that
we yield passive support to the authori- I
ties in suppressing lawlcssucs-. We must .
make our support active energetic and egi +
Client. This Is the most important advice I [
have to give. rus disregarded all the rest /
may be considered rs blottcd out.
am not asking persons to become com I
mon iuformers. am only asking them 10 /
sec to il that. few vicious men in their /
midst shall not be allowed to Involve the I
country in trouble and cndanger the safety +
of every man, woman and child, in the /.
State.
Ny next advice IS, against organizing +
any opposition 70 the Administration of
Gcn1 Grant. lie has, all things considered, /
been Kind 10 us. Let rs 10. meet his kind /
pess with heedless abuse and hostility. Am / I
asked in what this kindness consistsy / I
answer it was kind of the General 20 give +
our heroic Lee and his noble followers. lib +
eral terms at AppOmatOx. IL was kinder .
still to interpOsc and prevent their arrest ana f
prosecution in violation Of their parole. IL
was kindest of all in the president 10 lend
us the weight Of his great name in beating
down the most terrible scheme for our en-
thral ment, that the wits OF man ever work.
ed.
The Issue upon which we 20 into the APP
preaching canvass, il already made up. Let
Us state it fairly and then not allow il TO be
changed.
We had our propositions at Washington;
the other side had theirs. They thought
they had the President and Congress with
them. We thought that as our side was
fairest. and most comported with genuine
al fgun nrin rg- 10
President would take sides with "a. Aisa 50
they dill.
Now the issue fairly stated is this:
Grant and the conservatives on oNE side.
Scalawags, and carpet-beggars on the
OTHER side.
Let the watch-word in the canvass be:
Grant and equal rights on our sides
Down with scaIawags and carpet-bag
proscriptionists, on the other side.
They cannot escape the issue. They made
it, and urged it at Washington. We beat
them on it. The President and Congress
took sides with Us, as Is shown by tile result
and l have no idea Of allowing heissue 10
be changed.
1t has been said, and will be again, that
President Grant has appointed some of these
men to Office. So he has, but II will be
borne in mind that the list from which Sc
lections for Office have TO be made as the
laws now are, is a very short one.
The laws which disqualify so many OF our
citizens were all passed before Gen. Grant
was inaugurated President. lie has moth
ing to do but TO execute them. His idea, rs
lac expressed it in his inaugural speech Is,
that the best way to insure the repeal of an
l.. 4. t. A