Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-11

/ tn6I ScnOOl IuuQS. llGy protest
vehemently against the taxation for
which they hold him responsible.
Now, Mr.. Higgins proceeded to a
certain part Of his school Jurisdiction
to transact some business connected
with its schools. Having stayed the
night previous TO the transaction OF
that business at a country house, he
was seized by body Of armed men.
Theyinsisted that the school taxes Of
the county were eXOrbitant, and that
/ he was the person to blame for the
fact. They demanded that ne pledge
himself to cause those taxes to be re-
duced; and on his refusal to comply
with that demand, made him the
subject Of
COWARDLE VIOLENCE.
/ While such a crime as this is dis
graceful to the State and to the admin
istratiOn, and while I am determined to
leave no agency Of detection at my
service unemployed in bringing the
perpetrators Of it to justice, L protest
earestly against any attempt to de-
ceive the government by making that
crime appear to be one committed
upon an officer of the Federal revenue
rather than, as il really was, upon an
officer OF the State Board of Educa-
ton. As a Federal agent, Mr.. Hug
! gins has, venture to affirm, never
/ encountered opposition or hostility
/ from any people of his district. / will
/ 90 further: never since the war have
/ heard Of a commission of popular
/ violence in this State on any officer
] whatever Of the National revenue.
A NORTHERN MAN
in this State wrote recently a letter,
which has been published, to the
/ effect that, even though he voted
/ for Judge Dent, he dare not
! remain amongst the people
OF his cOunty-the county Of Al
/ corn. The Sheriff Of AlcOrn county
edits the Republican paper Of its chief
/ Wn-COrinth-and in a recent edi- /
| torial shows how far such a statement
/ is true, in these words; "When we
were appointed Sheriff Of this county
| the hu-KlUX were cutting and slash |
! ing in every direction, breaking open
the jail, and hanging and shooting |
prisoners; but by advising with our /
best citizens, and being prudent and /
kind in our dealings with the people, /
we have had no difficulty in executing
the law; and there has not been, to our /
knowledge, a single Ku-EIuX outrage |
in this county for eight months. And 4
we could raise a thousand men in this 1
county tomorrow to put down any /
riot or resistance of law" In addition
to this declaration Of that Republican /
Sheriff, I assert without apprehension /
that l Overstate the truth by a single 4
iOta, that there is nOta county in this /
State in which any attempt to resist
the law cannot be crushed by the /
Sherif's posse.
But why have requested that
FEDERAL TROOPS
should be stationed on the eastern
border of this State? They have been /
placed there under these CirCumstan-
ces: COlOred people in this city hav-
ing had collision with some soldiers,
requested me sometime ago to obtain
a removal Of the garrison. While
fully satisfied Of the power OF the Sher-
ifs posse, if the Sheriff should pro-
perly discharge his duty, to enforce the
law against all persons who could be
detected in the commission Of crime
in any Of the eastern counties, L re
quested the Commanding General of
the District to send detachments-as l
had intended from the force hereto
four of those counties in which their
presence had been made expedient to
.reassUre the apprehension aroused
amongst whites and blacks by three
or four KU-KluX OUtrages that culmi-
mated in the riot at Meridian.
After the foregoing depression into
special cases by way of illustration of
a fal=1haaH "a tho DlnHnFFarg5 /
poured upon the State within the last
military with civil government in
Mississippi.
] have dealt with official returns to
show you generally that, whereas
THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BAY
ONET
in this State threatened TO result in
anarchy, the administration of law
promises to result in law abiding re-
pose. Allow me now, in behalf of
my State, to pass from the general to !
the special; and to carry out the COM
parisOn in the case of such violence as !
takes the form Of riot,
If the ciUH administration of the
wear Just closed be disgraced, as l
grant it is, by a riot involving loss of
life at Meridian, the military admins
tratiOn of the year Immediately pre-
ceding is disgraced by the series Of
riots which, beginning in Carroll
county on the 18th of November, 1869,
extended TO SunfiOwer county on the |
10Th of November, 1869, with a loss Of
life said to be double, if not treble that |
of Meridian. If the collision at Wes-
son be a blot upon the rule OF law, the
collision at Crystal Springs, in OctO.
Der, 1869, was a blot upon the rule of
force. But ia
THE CIVIL ADMINISTRATION OF THE !
YEAR ENDING on THE lsT INST,
I find no riot with which to Offset that
which, during the preceding year Of
military administration, resulted in
the killing Of several citizens Of Hick- !
OTy Station. During the year Of the
rule Of law, find no mob violence to
balance that which took place within /
twenty miles Of the Commanding
General s headquarters, at Dry Grove.
While one of the civil sherifs has
been killed, one Of the military sher-
its was wounded, and even his posse
fired upon. But no such outrage has J
been committed on the civil admins )
tratiOn Of the year Just closed, as that
which was committed on the military ,
administration Of the preceding year,
on the occasion of the barricading
from popular violence Of civil officers /
and a squad Of soldiers, on the 18th of
January, 1870, in the courthouse Of |
theicOunty Of SUnfiOWer.
The riots compared above were
committed on the one hand, during
the whole year OF Gen. Ames' pres
s1ace in power, and, on the other hand,
DURING THE WHOLE YEAR OF NY
PRESENCE IN POWER.
ln sven that basis, the number and
Of those popular outbreaks
~ much greater ~ the hrst Of those
years than they are 10 the secOnd. |
mi reducing the comparison to the
DroDer basis OF the facts during the
ast ak months of Gen. Ame5' pres
sBce iu power. and of the iaets OF the
at six months Of my presence Ia
Dower-a c0nparisOn which cannot ]
pause here 10 make In detaii--the re- I
suit would present g striking contrast
in favor of The settling down Of p0pQ-
lar passion under civil government ]
into something like our old obedience
to law.
abandon these comparisons with a /
sense Of shame in their recital. Moth |
ing but my duty to the State could in-
duee me 70 bring before the country a / {
review Of facts so derOgatOry to the
better nature of this people. For ten /
wears, however, they have been held |
below the high estate Of their birth
]