Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-08-18
FACTS.
4 Justly Indignant Citizen Of Arkansas
to the FrORt-Wbat the Carpet
baggers have Done.
''SteaI. steaI'' the Burden Of the Song
OF the Radical Thieves at the sOath,
and they Have Not Originated
a Single Industry.
From the s.. Lonis Repnhllcan. ]

From the st. Louis Republican,
LITTLE Rock, August 9-The later
Ocean, Of Chicago, has such an extraor-
binary account Of q late interview be-
tween one of its reporters and Hon. J.
d. Ward, one Of the congressional in
vestigating committee in Arkansas, as
to dc nand some notice from citizens of
the State. The northern people have
hitherto been so apparently willing to
believe anything against the south, that
q statement like that, published as the
opinion of one of the congressional COM
mittee, speaking Of what he saw and
knew here at our State capital, must
have weight and credence, unless proven
to be erroneous. For this reason / ask
space in your columns, to show how
false are many Of the statements attrib-
uted to Mr.. Ward by the reporter of the
Inter Ocean. / say attributed, because
| do not believe, for one moment,
that Mr.. Ward ever made any such
statements. They are, doubtless, the
wholesale fancies of the reporter, who
coined lies as he wrote. II they are,
their injury can be but brief; for Mr..
Ward, IN that case, owes it TO himself
and the position he occupies to come
out and deny the statements given by
the reporter as coming from him Ward.
Let us look at the reporters statement.
He begins by saying that he hunted
up Mr.. Ward and found him
in Mr.. FarYell's Office in Chicago.
He continues:
tsThe reporter stEaightway stated the
object of bis visit.
HMr. Ward politely replied that he
couldn't be interviewed. His views upon
the subject would be public when the
committee reported to congress; mean
while he had no opinion to give upon
Arkansas affairs"
Mr.. Wsrd's reply is just what he stated
here to many citizens, and just what an
innate sense Of delicacy taught him was
proper. And yet, after this positive
statement, Mr.. Ward is represented by
this reporter as going into detail, not
only OF the proceedings Of the invesh-
cation, but also as wading out into facts
and rumors not at all connected with the
investigation. This is why do not be-
ueve Mr.. Ward ever told the reporter
what the latter says he did.
Now, let US look at some of the state
ments Of this truthful reporter, for will
not believe they are Mr.. Wards. To
begin with, be says: Baxter appointed
forty-two members Of the legislature to
fill the Brooks vacancies, the larger por-
ton Of them being ex-Confederates. By
this reconstruction Of the Legislature he
succeeded to such an extent that when
Brooksis petition for & contest was pre-
sented to that body, it was at once re-
jected."
To show what q lie this is, IT is only
necessary 70 state that when Br0oks's
petition was rejected, Baxter had not
isappOinted' one single man Of the leg
islatnre to any place, and that the legis-
lature which rejected BrOOks's petition
was the legislature elected by the same
frauds that the Radicals themselves now
swear they alone perpetrated to elect
Baxter.
The reporter continues: "He musterea
out the militia and commenced to reOr-
ganize it, and appointed TO command 1t
8 Confederate general, unreconstructed
and unrepentant. The commissions in
the reOrganized militia were issued only
to rebels and ex-COnfederate officers.
The distribution Of arms is still going on.
Not q musket has been issued to ne
gro, not one TO q Union man. This NH
Iitia force now numbers many thou
sands.n
The mastering out of the militia was
8 matter agreed upon bstween Clayton
and Baxter in tnesummer Of 1913, as the
address OF the Republican committee Of
October 1873 prOves-that address being
signed by Clayton and other prominent
Republicans. There was no thought or
attempt at reOrganiziDg the militia
again until after Brooks's attempt to
usurp the government Then Baxter
die begin to call out the mill is, Is was
his simple duty; and that prompt re-
sponse TO the can did more TO convince
the north that Baxter had the support
Of the masses than anything else. The
whites rallied TO that call because they
saw nothing but utter ruin in the sue
cess OF Brooke, backed by Clayton and
his old band OF plundsrers, who had
cursed the State, for six years, with their
shameless depredati0ns. The whites re-
sponded to Baxter's call simply because
they had found, 30 their surprise, that
Baxter was for carrying out the pledges
made by his own party convention oil
1872, that the government should be re-
mitted 70 the people as soon as possible,
To effect this great change and secure
this great good, the Democracy voted
for Brooks as they voted for Greeley.
Finding Baxter Inclined TO do and
actually doing all they lad hoped from
Brooks, why should they not support
his policy?
The reporter is right in saying that
the militia Is still being organized. 1t
was fully organized and equipped under
CLAYTON and Brooks In 1858; but there
Is this difference between then and now /:
Then II was all black militia; ignorant,
turbulent, brutal negroes, with nothing
TO lose and. everything 10 gain by
having State arnaa aud ammunition at
their service. The hogs and cattle Of
whites were shot down IN the road by
ClsytOn's militia, aud II the owner
complained ten or twenty armed ne
| groes, riding about at will, always Gre
ated alarm enough 10 quiet complaints.
| Now the State arms are in the hands of
| the white men who pay taxes and are
interested in pease and quiet. The re-
/ porter continues:
"When the election for delegates took
place, the militia was called out, and 3
reign Of terrorism ensued, and the pro-
position for q convention carFied.n
This lie lie out Of the whole cloth
/ for. As before said, there was ne TeOI.
! gauizing Of the disbanded militia until
] after BroOks's attemptsto overthrow th'
! eoverument; and the election of ths
forty-twO members to vacancies IN th'
| Legislature took place IN the fail pre-
vious. The reporter says; The con
( stitutioDal convention met. fne fresl
dent is an eX-member OF the Conleaefat
/ congress; every officer is an ex-reoel
/ and the declaration ls openly inaoe -. tha
the convention Till reconstruct the etat
1 70 that DO carpettagger can ilve IA y
4 In the north the idea e tnal py cal
] pe tbagger is meant a man VINO WEI
from the north to run for ONCE IN ~ ~
south. In Arkansas any man rom ~ ~
nerth who has settled there s cafPel
bagger, no matter what he may De-
I presume the president OF the con
ventiOn Is as competent honest AZ
patriotic as any carpetbagger IN th
south, and il is the highth OF impudene
in this reporter TO suppose that the pee
ME here cannot exercise the right
choosing their delegates and officers
the convention. In 1870 Arkansas ia
tbr.e hundred and sixty thousand whit
to one hundred and twenty thousand nl
oroes. or three whites 70 oae biaei
There are not eaTpetbaggeIs, pure an
simple, In the state. ths Idea tnal u
whites must continue under the rule
neeross and eaEpetbAggers is becomiL
tiresome, and Justice u coming TO u
front. the northern idea Of carPe
baQqer Is the southern one tooi ana
correctly set forth above. Bat, IN a
kansas, as in other s0pthFfn esaIes
Z | thousands Of northern men VIC %
not come here 10 live by oiiiee and plu
dering the people, but TO get honest el
pioynenti aud such aeg ere aiSA lSIa