Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-05-02
AmES, SI.aNnERS.


pose to convict the libellers of the South
of the atrocious calumnies they have
heaped upon the people of these States,
for they accomplished their purpose IL
getting Congress to pass law which
clothes the President with powers such as
the sovereign of England does not pos
cess. Still these exposures have served
to show what character of men have been
chosen by the Radicals as instruments to
defame and vilify the South. One OF the
most vindictive of this class is Gen.
Ames, who assumes to represent Missls
sippi in the Senate of the United States.
During the tendency of the ku hiux bill
he made himself conspicuous in bitter
TRADE he delivered in the Senate by
charges of violence and outrage against
the people Of Mississippi. There is
evidence for the assertion that
these allegations were fabricated
to aid the passage of the new
sedition law, aud sustained by few We
nal Instruments in that State. They
were promptly exposed and their falsity
established by Gov. Alcorn, who was
elected by the Radicals and continues to
act with them. But Ames' libels were
repeated by such Radical journals as have
been schooed in the gospel of hate, and
aided in securing the passage or the ku-
| Klux bill through the Senate. Now we
have the testimony of Rev. James Lynch,
the negro Secretary of State of Missssip-
nj. that Ames' representations of violence
and outrage are fabrications. He
denies. in emphatic terms, the statements
which were made in the Senate,
and in language which should cover with
shame the white advocates of tyranny,
protests earnestly against Federal inter
vention and the employment OF the bay
onetn His manly letter to Gov. Alcorn
presents a most admirable contrast in
spirit and candor, to the wicked efforts
of the incendiary partisans who arc striv-
ing to stir up strife as source of polit-
icar and personal profit, and who seek by
fslsehood, calumny and elimination, to
prepare the way for another civil war.
The following is his letter:
OFFICE SECRETARY OF STATE, Jackson,
April 10. 1S71.-Gov. Alcorn, DEAR SIR:
| have read with great pain the letter OF
Hon. A. Ames, United States Senator,
addressed to Hon. c. F. Norris, member
of the State Legislature, dated Washing
ton, d. G. March 81, 1871. The charge
which it contains carries its own reluts-
ton TO every citizen of the State OF Mis-
sississippi, and the testimony OF the peo-
Die of this Commonwealth, in your VIM
dica'iop, cannot be outweighed by that
from any other source. hope that du
ring your visit North you will do much
to convince the national legislators, and
nublic opinion, that reconstruction in
Mississippi is not failure, and that the
civil government of our State, to which
it has given birth, can protect all its citi-
zeps. without regard to race or color.
Anticipating a wise administration of
our State government by your Excellency
in the future, as we have enjoyed in the
past, | am full of hope, especially in
view of the general disposition of the
whites to recognize an identity of inter-
ests as regards the relations Of the races.
A sense of mutual dependence seems to
, be daily increasing.
. The deadly assaults on men OF my race
at Meridian, and other places along the
Alabama border, have their origin in
local causes rather than in the prelomin~
: ant feeling of the people OF the State.
This fact warrants the belief that the as
, sassins, who would veil the State with
: disgrace, will be no more successful in
, subordinaiing the peace of citizens to
I. their cruel strocity than the horse-thleVes
that trouble many of our counties.
AS representative man of my race, |
wish to see the experiment of self-gov-
!, eminent without Federal intervention
. tried little while longer in the State OF
Mississippi. have no doubt of the re-
suit. One thing is certain: the bayonel
: cannot give us psace and prosperity. Il
n may maintain order while it glistens in
8 garrisoned towns, but we wish more than
p this.
l am, very respectfully, your obedieni
U servant, JAMES Lynch,
J Secretary of State