The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-12-24

local election, with the intention that
ballots shall be cast in the midst of such q
reign of terror, that the will Of the great
majority may be undone by a minority.
1t is well for US to face the facts as they
exist. To evade them or ignore them,
would be cowardice and crime. The
: instruction has its sympathisers and
supporters in the other parts OF the State.
They deliberately and knowingly entered
upon this work of revolution, with a
purpose co-extensive with the limits
of the State. 1t is instruction IN Its
fullest sense. 1t successful, 1t must
necessarily reduce majority to the viii
Of minority, and that minority, which
shall thus have gained power by force OF
arms, will be bound logically to maintain
and retain that power by legislation as
their first acts of violence. In which case
one race of our people will be deprived OF
their rights and remanded back to as
unfortunate a condition as they have ever
known, or else be compelled to wander
forth seeking freedom rather than homes,
as is now the case with many of their
race in other States. Are the people
prepared for such contingency, even
though they may be ready to sacrifice
material interests for political success ?
Is there not higher motive by which we
! should be actuated Is it not our duty,
the duty of every lover of liberty and
| Justice to secure for whatever race or color
those privileges and blessings which we
hold for ourselves as dearer than life
If the people of the State insist on making
race issue or have the dispositions5 to,
do, then is our condition deplorable.
indeed If successful it would be a
success founded entirely upon the
| degradation and serfdom of a class.
At a former time Governor of this
State felt called upon in his message to
| the Legislature, to announce the fact that
twenty-six (26) Tax Collectors, when
there were fifty-six (56) counties, were
defaulters in one year and that large
sums Of money were collected that were
never accounted for in any manner. So
The State, to-day, has no such
grievance. OF thedefaulting office holders
during the past year, which we are glad
to say, bear no proportion to those referred
to, the greater number are to be found in
those counties where the colored
man and his party are so far in the
minority as TO have no influence in their
selection
The Indebtedness of the counties and
cities is not to be attributed to the
complexion of the voters Many such |
localities are free from debt, and but few
heavily burdened.
OF the State debt a large part is due
its own school fund, a portion of which |
has been outstanding many years. The |
remainder of the State Indebtedness when |
this years taxes are paid TO meet the |
years expenditures will amount to but |
some six or seven hundred thousand dol I
lars. Herein Mississippi stands equaled but |
by few OF her sister States.
The expense of the State government !
is but the average of the expenses Of 9TH |
er States. That there may be advantage
Gus changes in our revenue laws, there I
can be no doubt.
These facts | give to dispell all impress
sions that the colored men of the State,
as a class, or the party to which they in
cline, have forgotten the great work Of
human freedom and equality in which
they are engaged or have stopped to plum
der the State Of its wealth
The history Of every State in the Tn
ion,g shows that dishonest ard unprinci-
pied men have been elevated to official
positions, but even at a time like the
present, when parties are revolutionized
by charges OF corruption against officials,
happily for this State she is exceptionally
free from Just complaint OF that charac-
ter
With the State in such fortunate g.
nancial condition, the insurgents have
pretended to act IN the interest of the tax
payers. Though the legal remedies for
wrongs Of which they complained were
ample, they were hardly entered upon
when body of violent men combined to-
gether, overthrow constitutional authori-
ties, a: sumed the functions Of government,
and have organized as a military desp0t-
ism. recognizing no law but that which
suits their humor or convenience.
The Executive Of the State il without
means to meet such IN emergency. He
has no we'll organized Or disciplined mill
tia, not u single policeman or detective al
his command, and even were the men and
material in abundance, he has not dollar
to expend for such purpose.
Under such circumstances l have called
you together. | invite your attention to
this matter than WHICH u0ne more vital to
the State or more Intimately connected
with tie welfare OF the individual can
come before you for Your consideration,
and | re mmend that you take, in your
wisdom, such steps as will overthrow the
Instruction in Warren county and prevent
in future similar occurrences there and
elsewhere; aud ! venture to express the
hope that there are but few of our fellow
citizens who will not cheerfuliy respond
to any demand you may make upon
them.
ADELBERT AMES.