Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-19

Her People Terribly I'm Earnesf-Eve-
~ white Man, whether Demoernt
or Republican, VIII Resist Negro
Rule.
''H. V. R. in the Cincinnati Commercial.
There will be no more fighting, unless
the Governor and the Legislature, which
meets in an extra session next thursday,
attempt tOreinslate the ousted negro Off
eials, in which case there will be war pure
and simple. No power can put back into
Office the negro officials whom the whites
have turned out, except the army of the
United states. The Ssate is as p0Werless
TO DO il as would be an omnibus load of
newborn babes. Governor AInes and the
Legislature can only rally the negro mill
tia-n0t fifty white men in the State would
TespOnd-and this negro militia would be
as worthless IS sheep in contending with
the well AIMED and well appointed white
men Of Vicksburg. The people here are
in arms. Every white man has his Win
chester rife or his needle-gun, or both, and
he means fight, and be will fight if any at
tempt is made 10 reinstate the negro Sheriff
into office.
1t is a remarkable fact that there is not
in ali gicksburg white man but whose
sympath;es and whose gun are upon the
side of the whites. They are a unit, and
will fight in solid column if any attempt is
made 10 restore the depOsed negroes 10 Of
fee. While here have met many white
Republicans, whom have known in the
past as unwavering Republicans, and not
one of them but who sympathizes with the
men of his race in this fight. 'Woy,"
said ex-Attorney General Morris to me,
last Voirri,f gErf Of
drive back those heroes last Monday.
Had they once got into the city and lodged
themselves in the cOuft-l OuSe, there would
have been ten thousand negroes here in
twenty-fOUr hours. What then? We
should have had terrible scenes of blood
shed right IN our streets, and perhaps a
thousand men killed il a night. No, sir,
the whites-the men who own the property
OF this city il 10 themselves 10
drive back those negroes. They killed
more than they needed 10, as is always the
case when white blood is aroused, and this
is to be regretted, but under the circnm-
stances a fight could not be avoided
The long and short Of the conflict here is
just this: The whites have made up their
minds that they will not longer be ruled
and robbed BY lot Of ignorant negro Off
cials, put into Office by the enormous ne
gro voting majority, who vote in solid col
umn, and they won't. That is the whole
story. In this the whites are unit.
Negro rule in Warren county and Vieks-
burg has been a scandal and a disgrace.
Taxes and assessments have been increased
year after year, until the whites-that is to
say, the tax-payers-have become despe-
rate, and resOrted TO arms 10 free them
selves from the load that was crushing their
interests to the earth. Understand, while
the negroes compose three fourths of the
population, the whites own forty-nine-fifti-
eths of the property. You can readily see
to what this would lead. The little city of
Vicksburg owes nearly million Of dollars,
and taxes are from four to six per cent.
have not the figures before me 10 show to
the reader how the taxpayers of the coun-
ty and city have been robbed, but they
have stood more than would the people Of
any Northern city. Prominent in the up
rising against negro rule here are Northern
men and ex-Federal officers, who have al
ways been considered Republicans. But
they are property-hOlders, and have inter-
estS in common with the other taxpayers.