The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-05-30

JACKSON, May 10, 1872.
F.. Barksdale, Esq,

don. IL L. Acorn:
SIR-YOurs of the 18th will be published
as requested, with this reply. which the oc-
casion seems to require.
| regret that you have entirely miscon-
ceived the object of the call which has eic-
tied your letter. 1t was NOT to enlist your
efforts to obtain reparation tor single case
of outrage, but to correct what has grown
under the present Administration to be a
monstrous system of usurpatiOn and OPP
preston, by which civil rule in this State
has been subordinated to military despot-
ism and the constitutional safeguards OF
personal freedom overthrown.
The Winston case was cited rs an exam
pie of the workings of this system. 1t was
only one. and by no means the grossest, of
a multitude of wrongs. Not day passes
but is marked by the preparation of out
RACES on our people, under the pretence OF
enforcing laws, differing in degree but hav-
ing the origin and motive which prompted
the Winston affair.
What you, as the representative of the
State at the Federal Government, are re-
quested to do is to contradict the calumnies
on which these prosecutions are founded; to
procure the removal of the troops and the
dismissal of the agents through whom the
abuses are carried on.
Your attention was called to the fact that,
at the meeting of the Legislature in Janu-
airy, your successor, the present acting Gov
ernor formally communicated to that body
that 1.-The state of the (State) government
was peace;" that ''sinee the adjournment of
the previous Legislature there had been
no riots nor disturbances achich the ciril
authorities had not been able promptly to sup
press" that the people had acquiesced
'.avithOm a n1trnlur' in the result of the
elections; that EARNED organizations of
masked marauders, which twelve months
''ago threatened to override law and para
"lyze Industry in a feto of the eastern coun-
tiles, through the combined efforts of the
good citizens OF those sections, aided by the
Officers of the general and State govern
''ments, had been entirely suppressed" But
that Notwithstanding these statements, ii
had transpired that their author, within a
few weeks after they were made, had open
ed a correspondence with Il United States
officer. stationed az New Orleans (Gen. En-
ory), to whom he represented that there
was a reign of lawlessneSs throughout the
State-tha' the civil authorities were una
BILE to preserve the peaee-and that an addi-
tional number of Federal troops were
needed tor that purpose!
These representations were made to the
War Department on the authority of your
successor, the acting Governor. who belongs
to that class of interlopers whom you de-
auiFa inf In
common with the people of the State;" but
who have nevertheless been set up by the
agencies of corruption and violence to rule
over them. They were published in the
newspapers OF the Administration at Wash
ington and elsewhere, and purported to be
exact copies of the originals file in the
War Department. They could have Origi
mated in no other motive but to furnish the
oppressors of our people pretext for prose-
cutting with renewed violence the war upon
them. and to keep alive the fires of sec
tional animosities, which has been the chief
aim of these strangers
AS these reports were published under
your own eve, it was believed that As a
representative of the State, it was your
prerogative to correct them; and it was
known that their author himself had fur
nished in his message to the Legislature,
ample means of refuting them. You had
right to be heard by the Washington
authorities, and it was well understood that
il they did not choose to heed your remon-
stranees your evidence would at least be-
come of record in the official journal of
Congress and would be carried on the wires
to every part of the country, and by dis
semination through the press, become the
means of removing erroneous impressions
ON the public mind The belief that you
would readily perform this service was
warranted by the promptitude with which.
twelve months ago, yeu, rs Governor, had
branded calumnies of . similar purport
which had been transmitted % Washington