Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-10-17
POPE COUNTY.
5 Report OF the Special Commission
Appointed by the Governor 20
Investigate the Pope
County Troubles.
The Militia should be Abandoned and
the Governors Guard Remain.

The Militia Should be Abandoned and
the Governors Guard Remain.
LITTLE Rock, Ark, october 10.
To His ESceilency, o. A. Hadley, Governor
Of Arkansas:
STR-In a conference with your Excel
leucy on the fourth instant, in which
yoa freely stated your views and desires
mregdrd to the troubles in Pope county,
we were honOred with request 10 pro-
ceed TO Pope county and ascertain what
steps might safely be taken TO disband
the militia Of that county, and the
more speedily restore quiet and conf
dence.
We were assured that, from the COM
mencement of these difficulties to the
present it had been your aim to protect
the people of that county against vio-
lsnce and bloOdshed, and to avert any
conflict between any member Of her cit
liens and the government. We were
further assured by your EXcellency that
quiet and good order was desirable for
its own sake, and to assure the people
that the general election soon to take
place would be, so far as lay in. the
power Of your administration, free, fair
and without restraint or intimidation
by the presence Of a military force. We
also understood you, that whether
wisely and wen OF not, a strong feeling
pervaded the minds Of many people of
that county against Sheriff Dodson, act
ing rs Sheriff; that by advice be bad ap-
point q deputy, believed to be accepta-
be To all classes: that a military force
under General d. p. Upham had been
organized 10 aid the civil officers in
rfsa ar1fnrear,aar1f nraa a,raorrfinra n flra
laws.
Charged with the pacific intentions Of
your EXcellency, we together visited I
Pope county, not for the purpose Of ar {
irving at the origin Of these unfortunate I
difficulties, or a-certaining who was in 4
the right and who in the wrong on both I
sides. buttO determine by cOnferring with I
the people, how best peace and good or
der might be obtained.
We were most cordially met by every
one, and the object Of our mission highly I
appreciated by the people Of that county. I
There seemed 10 US to be an indefina- 1
hle apprehension widely existing, which 4
the mere prospect Of quiet and peace re- 1
lieved.
Many good citizens had left the coun- I
~, and are still absent, fearing that, on 1
one side OF the other, they would be .
drawn into trouble.
We are satisfied that much Of the bad .
feeling existing in Pope county has been /
engendered and fostered by unscrupu- f
l0u- politicians.
Reports have been industriOusly ciTcu-
lated among the people Of that county
that your EXcellency's object was to
prevent registration OF permit your own
political friends 10 vote; that General
Upham was a bsd man, and unworthy
Of confidence, and that the life Of citi-
zen falling into his hands would be in
secure. These various reports can be
traced to the capital, and if not intended
TO aggravste the trouble, have had that
effect.
On the other hand, Judge Nays
Court being In session at Dover, writs
were being issued by a magistrate for
the arrest Of men who have heretofore
stood high in the community, and who
have not been in arms at any time
against the civil authorities This was
adding to the general uneasiness.
The attention Of His Honor, Judge
Nav. being called TO these cases, he
ur0ulDtlv restored them TO liberty.
= eriff DOdsOn having resigned his
office and declined TO be a candidate for
reelection, has of Itself, in a great meas
Ire. restored confidence, and opened the
way 10 a peaceful adjustment Of the
trouble.
Without desiring even to suggest who
should be appointed to succeed in the
Office Of Sheriff, we may be permitted to
say that Mr.. Ewing, the present deputy,
as also A. ;. Fowler, Of the Governors
guards, enjoys the confidence Of all par
lies. and either, we believe, would be
satisfactory
hfe made an appointment TO meet
those who il was alleged were in arms
against the civil authorities, but owing
% a misunderstanding as to time and
place, we did not see all of them we,
however, met about forty, and Mr.. Clark
aFerwaTd met about twenty-five others,
vino claimed that they were only en-
deavoring 10 protect themselves. We
informed them Of the pacific intentions
8f y0ur eXcellency, that Sheriff DOd-
son had resigned, that some person
not Objectionable TO either party
would be appointed and could we be
Satisfactorily assured that no further
violence would be attempted, the mill
tia would be disbanded; that whatever
trials were had in the courts would take
place after all excitement had died
away: that all citizens, save Poynter
and Hale, would return to their homes
without molestatiOu, and that these two,
# they saw fit 10 surrender themselves
20 the civil authorities, or were arrested
uv them. would be protected in their
personal safety while under arrest as
zealOusly a. would be any other citizen
Of the state.
Each one seyerally pledged himself TO
observe the peace toward all the people,
whether In militia or not, and that they
would return TO their homes, and do all
IN their power to aid in the preservation
of peace.
K is due Sheriff Dodson and these
men u state that they would not
pledge themselves that no one would
hot molest him: -hat some being absent
who had special animOsity toward him,
they did not want TO hold themselves |
re~Donsible for any collision that
might possibly take place between
him and them. Mr.. Clark, who after
ward saw others, including POynter
aad Hale, and who stated the above
-ubstanualiv 10 them, informs US that
Ihey all pledged themselves TO preserve
the peace toward all the people Of the
county without exception. So far aswe
could ascertain. l. is desired by all par
ties that the Governors guards, who, by
their manly and correct department,
enjoy the confidence Of the people,
should remain, at least until after the
election.
Judge May, we understood, swould
adjourn his court the day after We left,
having already discharged the petit
Jury. NO case had or would have been
tried at this term Of the Pope County
Circuit Court, except old ones, and then
not against the expressed wish Of
defendant We are satisfied, from our
examination that the Pope county
militia may SAFELY be disbanded, and
this mos 80 much from the pledges
given Us by those who had banded tO-
gether a. from the people, who are in
no manner mixed up with the troubles.
We therefore recommend 20 Your EX-
oelieucy thar the Pope county militia be
di-l8udei; that the Governors guards
remain in SAID county, under General
Tpaam, or some other discreet person,
with strict iujunctiOns 20 preserve the
peace between all parties, and that some
worthy citizen, enjoying the confidence
Of all tine people, be appointed TO sue
ceed iu the Office Of Sheriff.
Trusting and believing that such a
course VIII Immediately restore quiet
aud confidence, we have the honor to be
your Obedient Servants,
" !. WARWICK,
r.. ~ ENGLISH.
SOL. r. CLARK
JAMES =. WOLFE
au--=
Collapsed.
PHILADELPHIA, October I6.-The