Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-04
Mississippi river, and 10, and behold !
when they get there-why Brown has
gonel-gone over into Mississippi
N1ExT nay


the prosecution despair of getting the
trial, and leave the courthouse.
AbJut sundoWn, in comes a petty ma
gistrste, a carpetbsg resident, who Is
| doubtless of the criminals own KIND,
and Is knowing to.the days transac-
tions, and before him Brown Is
quietly and secretly summoned.
snd as quietly and mysteriously
tried-and turned loose, while as yet
neither the County Attorney, nor any
one of the witnesses in the prosecution
know anything about the matter what
ever. Such thing. perpetrated with
the knowledge, and doubtless, the en-
couragement of the sheriff, clerk OF
the court and county Judge, is GER
talnly enough to force one to believe
that
THE AUTHORITIES THEMSELVES
were rather trying to conceal and over
look such O1trages, than to condemn
and punish the perpetrators.
understand this same negro, ana
a low, degraded white man by the
name of JOslin, another one OF Mas0n,s
appointees, have said that hencet0rth
for every negro that is killed by
white, they will shoot ten of the best
white citizens in the county. A few
days since a young man was out on
the river above Barnard, shooting at
a mark" when the ball from his gun
striking the side OF tree glanced OH
and wounded a negro girl passing at
some distance. The father of the girl
explained to the other negroes that 1t
was a mere accident on the part of the
young man, that he knew the young
man had nothing against him or his
family; on the other hand, that he was
friendly to them. Yet, in spite OF all
this,
THE NEGROES MADE SUCH DEMON
sTRATIONS
as that the young man felt compelled
to flee for his life; and even one OF his
friends who assisted him in escaping
was also persuaded to fee and barely
escaped being OYertaken by two armed
negroes, who reached the wharf in
pursuit shortly after he left on boat.
Yet no one dare touch them. What
think you of this?
But with q few more items l must
close my already too lengthy letter to
one 30 crowded with business.
must say a word or two about
THE EFFECT OF ALL THESE THINGS
upon our people, cur property, and
our labor. To speak briefly, our
people are totally unsettled in mind,
AMI know not what to do or what to
expect. Many, hopeless Of tranquil
ity here, have sought refuge else
where from the dark and threatening
clouds which are gathering. All that
can leave have left, and others are
making sacrifices to leave also as soon
as possible. o. course property can
be sold only at an awful sacrifice un-
der such circumstances. 1t has depre- |
ciated nearly or quite one-half since |
the beginning of these troubles. One |
of our oldest, Wealthiest, and most |
farsighted, clearheaded planters re-
marked a short time since that the |
total loss of ChicOt county in cOnse-
quenee OF these troubles could not be |
less than
TWO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AS to labor, both black and white |
are so completely demoraliZed by our
troubles that they neither know what |
to do, nor would they feel like doing |
if they B11et0. Those negroes wh5
have made written cOntrac are fly
ing from them daily. There is no
certainty in them. Such a state OF
affairs is certainly deplOrable beyond
measure. Sir, what can we do, if our
taxes continue to increase as they are
doing, and the present state of affairs
remain unchanged for the better, but
rather continue to grow worse. What
can we do, ask? ask earnestly;
ask honestly; ask frankly; ask, be-
lleving we have right to.knOW? AL
ready our
TAXES ARE FIVE AND A HALF PER /
GENT,
and yet In addition a $500, 900 railroad |
tax has lately been voted upon the |
county, and a tax of $400 to defray |
the funeral expenses of the negro |
Wynn that was killed, which will |
raise them to about seven and a half |
per cent. Just think Of it, sir Very /
few, If any, have realized that much |
profit on their property annually since
the war. For heavens sake, let US |
know in some way what we are to do. |
Things are approaching a crisis. |
They cannot always remain as they |
now are.
REACTION MUST SOON TAKE PLACE.
Forbearance has ceased to be virtue. |
In conclusion, l would simply add
that the decentralization spoken of is |
by no means universal among the |
negroes. In fact, it seems now to be |
confined principally to the river plan
tatiOns, and to the large plantations |
back from the river. But, doubtless,
if the influences that are now at work |
are not checked In some way, the |
present leaVen will soon leaven the |
whole lump. Even those blacks who |
now deplore such a state OF affairs as |
much as we do, when brought under |
the immediate influence of the wick |
ed instigators and leaders OF this af- |
fair, will be deluded and intoxicated |
by their rich promises OF rewards, and |
thus lead to cooperate with them in |
their dark and ruinous schemes.