Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-02

~ BAOAAANA q UADlUu10 EnDEE az iLD
Federal Capital. The primary pur-
pose Of these patriots was to dethrOne
Alcorn, and especially were they
anxious to prevent his accession to
the United States Senate. They,
therefore, would have it appear that
the life of q Federal ~office-holder is
nowhere safe within the confines of
Mississippi. Among documents show
ing the extent and purpose of these
plOtters, and how and why the ter
rible stories published throughout the
North are ~concOcted, l have acciden-
tally secured a copy of the following
dispatch, sent by a carpef-bag Con-
gresham to the Hon. W. II. Gibbs,
President OF the MississippiSenate:
WASHINGTON, D. O., March -, 1871.
Hon. W. H. Gibbs:
Send for Noble and Others from
WilkersOn county in McKee's behalf.
Make outside pressure strong. l will
come if necessary.
(signed) L. W. PIERCE.
1.-THE OUTSIDE PRESSURE"
The pressure called for by the Hon
Orable a~dventurer, Perez, involved
the necessity for frightening the ne
gro members of the Legislature out Of
their wits. The Meridian riots were
to be used for this purpose. Honest
negroes were led to believe for the
moment that their ace was betrayed
by AlcOrn, and that no negro's life
was safei in Mississippi. Congressman
Barry and Mckee ~cO-Operated in this
movement, in order to secure McKee's
election to the United States Senate.
Money was freely used to force an cleo
ton, and it was thought by McKee's
ring that his triumph and AlcOrn's
| overthrow were assured. But the
'best laid plans of mice and men gang
aft aglee," and when AlcOrn's star
was in the ascendant, Mckee and his
ape, Barry, went to Washington, re-
Stunning places in Congress to which
they have not the shadow Of right.
The outside pressure at Jackson was
thus withdrawn, and the cOlOFed law
givers now breathe freely. / heard
one of them say this morning that, If
AlcOrn could not maintain peace and
order in Mississippi, Grant would be
a fool to attempt it. "Huggins," the
cOlOred law-giver said, "Who was
whipped at Aberdeen, vas not beaten
because he was a Federal rev.
enUe collector, but because, like
all those fellows from the
North, he holds two Offices" A
perfect stranger to the people, he
would educate their children and he
was himself made by ignorant ne
grOes superintendent of public
schools. He had $4,000 in cash when
he imposed upon the impoverished
people a further tax Of $47, 900. The
people incensed, robbed, insulted and
seeing how their money was wasted,
ordered the knave to leave the COUn-
try. When he refused, after an inter
val OF ten days, he was hOrse-Whipped
and thus, with the story of his mis-
deeds written on his back, he bore q
flaming editorial to Greeley and fur
nished stage thunder for Grant. I'm
fortunately for Grant, the people of
Mississippi are almost cuipable in
their silent submission TO wrongs, in
suit, robbery and oppression at the
hands of the dirtiRst body Of Office
holding knaves that ever disgraced
and degraded a community. Deeds
of violence have been dOEe in fOul
counties along the confines of Ala
bama, but elsewhere law and order
are supreme.
A CONCEDED FACT.
Intelligent negro members of the
Legislature entertain no appTehen-
siOns Of danger and have learned to
beware of the ways that are dark
and tricks that are vain" of the white
adventures who @gather about the
State capitol.
Grant would gladly have a negro
murdered and q schOOl-hOuse burned
every day. Every enemy OF the
Union should cooperate with Grant, .
and abundant pretexts would be fur )
Our good President for the con-
summation Of his schemes involving !
the overthrow of republican and sub !
stitutiOn of an imperial despOtism in :
all the States. Give Congress pre- :
texts for the concession of Grants :
modest demands; arm him with ,
authority to declare martial law let
the States be invaded by the regular !
army and its strength augmented al ,
by a negro sOldiery and the 9
South will be the paradise of model p,
school superintendent and robbers of
governments. ,
ALCORN AND THE DEMOCRACY. /
An intelligent Democrat said this !
morning that to evade the necessity
for this invasion of the State by an {
armed soldiery, to gather about it
fifty thousand negroes, he would l
have Governor AlcOrn, if he 5
desired it, invested with plenary mil i
powers and authorized to arm G
and organize and call forth the militia {
of the State. Ii this be not done now s
what may happen when AlcOrn
goes to the Senate? His successor
Lieutenant Governor Powers, is said
TO be "blac6er than Erebus, fiercer {
than ten furies, and terrible as hell" /
He will organize the militia as a g
means of multiplying ofice-hOlders, c
as a preteXt for augmenting the bur- S
1ens Of government and of rob- q
bling the dOubly robbed. Grant may 8
send an army into this State, but this q
will not, in Powers eyes, lessen the -
necessity for a strong local force sub I
.ect to his own orders. AlcOrn would L
make the negroes themselves the Off
GERS of negro regiments, while Pow
ers would invest with Office and hon
1rs his own set of wandering harpies,
lhe bummers that Stuffed off in moral L
from Federal armies. The
JCOAAO nav hOeAAAAAh W 4C4A Hull AAO y
negroes when left to their own guild 1
ince; and, therefore, the assertion of +
he Democrat, with whom l CON Z
yersed, that to defeat Grants scheme G
If invasion, and thWart the purpose g
If Powers ring, it vas even desirable L
have a militia force organized and C
)ficered at once by Gov. Alcorn. g
A NEGROES OPINION. Z
On this subject 1 cOnversed with an G
intelligent negro member of the r
He said that he could see no 4
,easOn for the invasion Of the State by n
Federal troops, but if we must have n
IN armed force here it will cost US less f
f the Federal treasury foot the bills" q
Therefore" said he, 81 am in favor r
# the suspension OF hd6edS corpus, and q
II Grants having full swing" When q
said that there would be an end of ,
reedOm If the President were invested
With these extraordinary powers, he
answered that he could not believe y
frant capable, however selfish aud 81
of OverthrOWing State gov n
,rnments. l asked if he had ever o
cad of a republic that was not throt- L
led by a military usurper? He an p
Wered that he had never read many b
and only knew that the peoDie n
we're terribly b~urdened, and he was Il
unwilling to multiply their woes bv d
reating an active local militia force. a
lie knew that Governor Alc0Fn would Il
i've preference in appointing officers II
n the citizens of the State, and would Ia
make negroes officers Of negro regi- a
but he wanted no soldiers, if g
-. 1911 AsrrL / Ii