New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-09-10
unite and give one "long pull, strong pull,
and pull altogether in November next.
w. e.. ROANE,
From Missls sippi.
HERNANDO. Aug. %. lS14

From Missis sippi.
HERNANDo, Aug. %, 1874.
To The Editor ofhe Mo National Era:
DEAR SIR: The wilful misreprcscntations
OF the Southern Democratic press in relation
to what they call the war in Austin, induces
me to write few lines, to state the other
side OF the question and the facts in the case,
free from partiality or prejudice. Near two
months ago, DR.. Smith, resident of Aus
tin, crossed from his premises to the adjoin-
ing lot, occupied by a colored man named
Whitaker, who was sitting on his door step
singing. Smith, with pistol in hand, COM
manded him to stop, as his (Whtaker's)
singing disturbed him. Whitaker replied
that he was on his own premises, and would
sing as long as he pleased, whereupon Smith
fired, the ball striking Whitaker in the shoul-
der, and boy of fifteen, who was lying on
the floor, in the breast, killing him instantly.
Smith fled to the canebrakes, was captured
and COMPUTED to Jail. After few days he
sued out writ of habeas corpus, was carried
before Judge Fisher at fernando, and re-
leased under bail of $1,000 to appear at the
next term of the Circuit Court The cOlored
people, upon seeing Smith in Austin, and at
liberty, and not understanding why he was
released, assembled and.rut him in Jail, with
ont the laws authority, and forced the jailor
10 receive him. smiths Imprisonment was
only nominal, as he staid with his family
every night, and came in and out as he
pleased. But it was wrong, as he had been
legally released, and if his bail was STRAW"
it had been accepted and approved by legal
officers. Smith, after the expiration of q
few days, left Austin and went to Memphis.
The Saturday following, there was in Aus
tin, as usual, quite a number of colorcd men,
One or two of them becoming unduly ex-
cited, and under the influence Of whisky, be-
came bosterous and threatened that if Smith
was not put in Jail, that they would hang the
Mayor and .iailor, and burn the town. In
fortunately, Captain Manning, the sheriff,
was absent, or he alone would have npped
the buds of the great war, and deprived the
Democratic press of great sensation. But
the Captain was down in Jersey. His depu-
ties and the Mayor got frightened from hear
ing the rawlings of Il few black men, crazed
with liquor, (perhaps they knew they de-
served the hansing,) and couriers were dis
patched in hot haste to the hills, and Desoto,
Tate and Pamela counties for help. AS the
whites came in Austin armed to the teeth,
stopping, searching, cursing, and threatening
TO shoot cnlnrol fhax t1a
colorcd people got alarmed and began to
arm in self-defence, and to the number of
not more than Q5O) one hundred and fifty
armed men, gathered around Austin. The
whites becoming alarmed at the clark and
angry cloud" quietly decamped, and left
the negroes in possession, who, in turn, left
the town after few hours, and dispersed to
their homes; and when the redoubtable
General Chalmers, of Confederate fame, at
the head of the chivalry of Mississippi and
Tennessee, entered the town, burning with
zeal, and eager for a chance to kill "nig-
men, whom they captured and put in Jail.
Persons who knew the Generals record dur
ing the war, say that this was on a par with
his achievements during that period. Dur
ing the progress of the riot white man was
killed or injured. One colored man was
killed by the rioters. One store was broken
open, and it is an open question, which party
did the deed. 1t is a fact, that the blacks
left guard to protect the property when
they left the town. No sensible man con-
versant with Southern affairs and society
can doubt for moment that if Smith had
been black man, and tho murdered boy
white, that a white mob would not have con-
tented themselves with merely putting
Smith in Jail, but would have placed him as
a hanging ornament on one ofthe Courthouse
trees. And, Mr.. Editor, politics is the MAIN
spring. Politics the motive Of the riots and
rumors of riots which are daily seen in the
columns of the Democratic press. White
Leagues are forming throughout the State,
and acting in concert with the Changers, who
arc nothing more or less in their State than
Democratic clubs, they openly boast that
they will be able at our next election to in
timdate enough colorcd men-or in their
uWu NpluS, hi.tnC IL ~ hoI ioi thciu lHat
they will not dare to come to the polls, and
thus elect Simon pure Bourbon ticket !;
and it behooves the Republican party of this
State to keep their arnor bright, and look
well to their laurcls. TO put none but COM
pctent, honest men in nomination, and to
organize and consolidate their ranks, and
not be caught slumberng in fancied security.
| II. W. NELSON.
| The SOulh-NOrth Carolina.
| To tie Editor OfIte Ntic National Era: