New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-17
LAWLESSNESS IN MISSISSIPPI
One Hundred LaSheS Oliver,

| We copy the following, without comment
! from the jackson Pilot:
! Hen. Allen +. Higgins, the United States
Assessor of the Third District, and who re
sides at Aberdeen, Monroe county, was. a
day or SO ago, compelled to 30 out In his
| county in pursuit of the ordinary rcunire
! ncn:s OF his office. While SO engaged he
| stopped for a short time at the house Of i,
gentleman, where he was we'll received and
| all the colrtcsics that could be expected
! from :: stranger were extended to him. Ii
WAS about ten miles from. Aberdeen.
While there he was waited upon by about
one hundred and twenty-five men, as we
lave been informed, and ordered to leave
the coan.ry in ten days. 1t was also stated
| to him. as we are informed, that there were
no particular complaints to make of him
individually, but that the tax laws were SO
obnoxious. that it was the intention of !.
certain class of the people to defeat them
II possible; at any rate to resist their en-
torcCmcnt.
Mr. Higgins was taken ont by II masked
body of about one hundred and twenty-five
men. was given one hundred good, sound
la>lcs, and then released.
The leader Of the party said that there
was no prejudice agains; Mr.. Hnggins indi-
viduaIly but that it was the intention of
the people whom they represented not to
pav the taxes which were assessed upon
them last year.
1t would seem that ali through the State
the endeavorS 70 oppose the enforcement OF
the laws, and to insure the personal physical
chastiscment of the officials OF the State
who attempt to carry out their duty, is a
matter of some importance just now, some
| thin. which should he carefully attended
to. II officials are 70 be driven out Of the
State simply because they attempt TO enforce
the laws ii they can not be upheld and pro
tcctcd, it is time that some change were
made in the police arrangement of this
State; time that the national government
sent an armed body OF troops, a good large
detachment OF the regular army, here to
regulate and restrain the turbulent and
di>ordcrly bodies who are now pcrpetra,in;,
the most damnable abuninat0ns and out
RACES throughout the State OF Mississippi
that have been recorded for many years.
Something must lie dOue to change the
order OF things.
Mr.. Hu.gins has been driven from his
place of business: the people of his district,
in pretty formidable numbers, refuse to per-
init the enforcement of the laws of the State,
which he is specially employed to enforce;
his life is endangered if he insists upon con
tinuinS the work which the law makes it
his duty to enforce.
If there he not Il better enforcement of
the law which is intended to insure ito the
officers OF the State protection in the per-
tormance of their duties; if they are to be
driven from their posts of duty by mobs.
and il mubS rather than the officials OF the
State are to he the ones respected. then the
time has indeed come for the national gov
eminent to put in its all powerful hand again
and redeem the Southern States from these
denominations.
1t is Il trouble throughout the South which
is only exemplitied by the instance narrated
in this article, and IA trouble which we be-
licvc can only be remedied by the intcrven-
ton of the national government. The Gov
crnorS OF the respective States which are
afflicted by these outrageous proceedings
will be unable to abate them till an army
and IA navy, ready for active service, is
placed ut their command.