The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-12-15
THE yIcKsBrRG TROUBLES.

THE yICksBuRG TROUBLES.
The editor of the Nicksburg Hcrdld, |
in a letter to the New York Hrdid, gives |
a brief but comprehensive statement of |
the cause of the recent difficulty in Nick-- !
burg. Mr.. Shcarcr is not willing that it
shall be called u riot. aud writes to the
Horah TO correct the "mi.nomcr." Mr.
Shearer's statement is in substance a.
follows: For six months the sheriff Of
the county has been exercising the func-
lions of hi. Office without having given
legal bond. The board of county super
yisors refused or neglected to order him
to comply with the law and give the
bond. aud the time approached when the
county taxes. two hundred thousand dol
lars, were to be paid. The clnncery
clerk was without any bond and was
under an Indictment for cmbezzlclncnt
and forgery. Notwithstanding the in
dictments. the sheriff, Crosby. was
VIGOROUSLY packing juric>. ana
some weeks ago. the county
records. containing the evidence
of the guilt of the officials. were
stolen from the court house.
The taxpayers association. after holding
a meeting on Intervening of the 2nd m't''
went TO the court house ia Il body ana
demanded the resignation of the shcIi l.
the chancciy clerk, the treasurer ana inc
coroner. The sheriff only wa, found; he
resigned. and then proceeded to jackson
TO consult with GOV. Amc-. ON lis re-
| turn on Saturday. the 9TH inst, Il card
signed with his name. was circulated in
| the streets of the city and throughout the
county. calling on Republi cans. white and
black. to aid him in sustaining his po-r-
ton. Crosby denied the card. but on
| Sunday. rlmors reached the city that ne
groes were arming at different points,
preparatory TO marching on the city.
On Monday the attack by the three bodies
of armed negroes was made.
In the same issue of the Heraid, Gov.
| Ames of Mississippi makes his statement
of the cause, of the trouble. 1t differ,
materially. a. might be supposed, from
the statement of the editor of the HouH.
Coy. Ames says that no charge was
made against the official conduct of Sheriff
Crosby-that hc had made his settlements
to date--that the 'NNhite Leagues" had
forced themselves on the Grand Jury for
the purpose Ofiindiug Indictment, against
the colorcd county oilicial,-that a mob
of six hundred persons waited on Crosby
and asked him to resign. which he
did To save his life and that
The only cause of the bloodshcd and usur-
patton in the city were the one iudict-
ment found by the White Leagues againt
colored official named Davenport
and the pretended fear of packed iurics
GOV. Ames concludes by observing tina
the White Leagues have had full and coYn
plete control of affairs in Wick >burg. and
that the massacre" was entirely with
out cause.
Whichever of these two statements ]
.s accepted as the true one, they both prov
r. that the people of Nick.burg. a, Of man.
: other localities in the South need to h
educated. The law has made the blac
of man the political equal of the whit
y, man; the white man must accept him q
y such, and must learn that liza black man
p Office fails TO perform his duty. he -houl
It be oustcd by due process of law and n,
by mobs or violence. The black man mu
learn that because lac is black and hl
> come out Of a state of scryitudr and igno
As ance, hc is not entitled to special priv
rs legcs--that if he desires and obtail
IL official positions, he must compl
T. with all the regulation, pertaining I
u them and DE competent to perform a
their duties. Neither race in the SOut
r, are yet educated up to this point ri
- attempt to force such condition
things results in social confusion an
bloodshed.