The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-04-29
EX PARTE TESTIMONY RELA-
TING TO THE MISSISSIPPI
ELECTION.
TESTIMONY OF H. T. FISHER.

| years-since the close of the war. Ohio is
my native State, and l served in the federal
army during the war.
| BY Nj. Boutwell,:
/ @. Have you held any offices in Mississip-
a. Yes, sir; was registrar of our county
/ under the reconstruction acts, which posi-
/ ton held nearly year. when / was APP
/ q. Are you elected TO any office under the
new constitution:
\. Yes, sir; a representative from Kinds
county to the legislature.
z. Had you the means of knowing how
the election was conducted in Jackson and
vicinity. in June last:
\. had to a considerable extent.
q according to your observation was it
a fair election or otherwise?
a. 1t certainly was not fair so far as my
observation went, though our county was
probably an average county for fairness at
the polls. l was in the city of Jackson du
ring the election, and while | saw no open
violence committed upon loyal voters, the
presence of intimidation and unfair pressure
was very apparent. Very many cOlOred
men came to me and told me they wished
to vote the republican ticket, but were
threatened with every sort of revenge by
the rebels if they attempted to vote that
ticket. heard many democrats, neySelf, tell
cOtored men that they lc0uld drtrS them from
their plantations If they did not cote the demo
cratic ticket. 1 Temenl6er one old cOlOTed man.
plantation ttrO years, and tc0s then IN the employ
of the present treasurer of State, u Ohm III.
EchOls.) lie told me he wanted TO vote the
republican ticket, but had been threatened
with discharge if he did so. Many similar
cases came to my notice. The planters and
business men generally had declared all
republicans enemies TO society, and treated
them accordingly. Resolutions TO this eff
feet were adopted by them. i would here
like to make some alIusion to Rankin c0un-
fU IF tho counties thrown nv the
committee of five" have some knowl-
edge of the election in that county, obtained
from many cOlOrcd men living in that coun-
ty. In the first place | addressed repub
lican meeting at Brandon. the county seat
of Rankin county, about two weeks prior
to the election. There were several hun
dred colored men present. l mingled free
ly with them and learned their true senti-
ments, and am safe in saying that not one of
them had any idea OF UottRg the democratic
ticket they tcere al unanimously republican.
After the election, however, many of these
men came to my office and told me how they
had been compelled u cote against the c0HSttU-
ton. Ereyu species OF Outrdqe, naturalization
and rtOIence Icos used By the rebels to force
Ties men to cote the rebel ticket, and they |
were very successful. On one occasion |
seven old men, whose names | could men
ton, came TO me, and with tears trickling |
down their cheeks told me how cruelty they !
had been forced TO vote against their princi- /
piles. Hundreds of affidavits could be pro- |
cured to establish these facts aOttcitnStdnd-
ing the readiness II therebelS u Slcear that the
election there lcGS free and Jar.
BY Mr.. Bingham:
q. Which is the larger portion in Kinds |
county, white or colored.
A. About three cOlored to one white.
.. How did the vote stand there?
y. We had about thousand majority of
republican votes, but would have had at |
least two thousand had the election been /
perfectly free. At Raymond, and other |
points in the county, the rebel pressure upon |
our voters was very severe, and in this way |
secured many colored votes which other /
wise would have been cast for the constitu-
ton.
BY Mr.. Norris:
Q. You do not agree with Governor Shar- |
key. them
A. | do not, sir; | have had extensive /
opportunity to learn the sentiments and /
inclinations of the cOlored people of our |
State. and | assure you they are thorough
Iy republican. They believe in republican |
principles, and will always vote that ticket |
if they can but be protected in doing so; [ |
renttte the assertion that there are not ten cot
ored men IN Mississippi ,cho are democrats al
heart.
O. Have any meetings been held by re-
publicaus in any part of the State in oppO- /
stion to the proposed admission of the
State?
A. No sir; not that | have heard OF, and
| would probably know, as ] am chairman /
of the State executive committee, and have
considerable knowledge of the party in the
State. We held a convention at jackson on |
the 18th of November, composed ofdelegates |
from every portion of the State, and it was
firmly resolved then that the immediate ddnatS-
SION Ofthe State tcdS the ORty hope aud safety Of
the loyal people. This is the unanimous UOice
81 the entire party. There are few fdctiOuS
men who will disregard the decision of the
party on this point, and urge plans of their
own, but they do not speak for the party.
BY Mr., FarnSWorth:
@. How many white men voted for the
constitution in your county?
A. | cannot tell the exact number, but
there were not more than so. There are,
however, many white men in our county
who are in sympathy with us, and would
vote the republican ticket but for the relent-
less ostracism of the rebels.
O. DO you think that people who could
thus be deferred from voting almost en-
masse, or caused to vote Il ticket that they
did not want to vote, are i safe people to
manage the affairs of the State, and to have
deposited with them the reins of power IN
the State!
A. Well, sir, men possess different degrees
of moral courage, and while these men may
not apparently possess the requisite stamina
to base government upon, | am of the opin-
ion that they are quite as reliable as any
other class you can find there if properly
protected.
Q. DO you believe that they would have
more courage as a State than now?
a. do. sir, for then they could rely on
full protection. and would not hesitate 10
speak out boldly. believe this class OF
men very numerous in the State, but they
are the laboring class to a great extent;
men who have been domineered over so
long by the democratic leaders that they
can scarcely muster courage now to oppose
them; but they will do so as soon as We
protect them,
BY Mr.. Paine:
.. Have the former elections in Missis-
sippi under the military authorities seemed
to be on the side of reconstruction or OPP
posed to it?
A. There was little or no excitement in
the election of delegates to the constitution
al convention, which, excepting the June
election, was the only one held by the mill
tary authorities. The rebels, OF course, OPP
posed reconstruction, and sought TO defeat
It BY staying away from the polls, but
enough votes were east by the republicans
to carry the State for conventions; the
democracy OF the State have always been
opposed to every plan of congressional re-
Q. Was the influence of the commander
of the State in the State opposed to it, in
your opinion?
A. Yes, sir: at the last election, most as
suredly.
Q. Suppose the military influence of the
government should be thrown in the oppo-
site scale, would there not be more courage
exhibited on the part of the blacks?
A. L think there would be, out the loyal
people Of the State hare no confidence IN nall
tdry government. They do not find it at all
adequate TO their protection. Its influence
is felt only near the military posts or sta
tons, and does not reach the interior.
By Mr.. Earnsworth
@. VIII you please tell the committee how
much military would be required to keep
order in the State of Mississippi at all the
polls. and to prevent intimidation and vio-
lence?
A. With loyal government established
there and administered by loyal officers,
would say, sir, there would be no need of
military protection. The loyal men in Mis-
r;s fulI obi IN To- q of fhana-