The Jasper weekly courier., 1875-10-01
How Mississippi Is Governed.


lhN lnt people are urea oi these - an
nnal autumnal outbreaks in the south. :"
and suggests To GoV. Amcs that he
abandon his outrage mill, and exhaust
( hi> own resources Ia restore Onicr be-
& fore he calls for the blue coats. IL would
seem that no one should doubt that the
inethclency ~ the carpet-hag govern
meni, in the South /, the real cause of
all the disorders in that region. There
are those 80 blinded by partisan preju-
dice. though. a. not Yet To have appre-
ciated that lamcntable fact A few Incl
dents illustrating the manner In which
law is administered i'm Mississippi. may
open their ewes 10 the~actu.l condition
~ affairs, and show them why AmeS is
deserted At last by the Federal Govern
ment. When they comprehend that
not even Louisiana in it, worst days
was more fearfully cursed with igno-
rance, ,incapaciiy and corruption in office.
they will approach an adequate idea Of
the situation.
No worse specimen of the dema-
gogue. or more INSCRIPTIONS politician
than Adelbert Ame>, the present Gov
ernor of Mississippi, can perhaps be
found in Office any where else in the
country. He is seeking a seat in the
United States Senate, and his scanda-
lous plottingS 10 secure that are the di-
rect cause of the disOrdered condition
Of his state lie has done evey thing
in his power Ia incite insurrection. that
he might ilaUnt the bloody shirt and
under its cover sneak into the coveted
office. Absent from the state most of
the time. the machinery of the law has
been left in charge of the black Lieuten-
ant Governor. Davis. who seems Ia be
utterly without comprehension ~ JUS
\ tice. His administration has. in fact.
been marked by so much shameful and
corrupt prostitution Of the pardoning
power. that the little ~ honesty shOwn
by the courts Of the State has been
made absolutely nugatory Senator Al
corn. a Republican in good standing. i,
authority for the statement that time
and again notorious murderers have
been pardoned ont of jail. without even
I the formality Of a trial One Of hesc
was man named Bowyntine. who went
7 90 the house Of q widow woman. charg-
ed with slandering his sister. dragged
+ her from the hOusc, tied her NJ bv the
( heels To the limb Of a tree near bv. and
emptIed every chamber Of his revolver
in her body. Bowyntine was arrested
and put in the penitentiary for safe
keeping. but within three months was
pardoned by Davis. Rumor SAYS his
friends bought the pardon for $500. In
another ease cOlOrcd man. sentenced
to the penitentiary for three years for
4 stealing pork from Senator Alcorn's
Z plantation, was pardoned BY Davis be-
I fore he was confined. simply because he
was "A cOlOred man. This i fair in
stance Of the manner in which the law
j. administered. The courts are held
in the main by negroes. most Of whom
are unable to read or write, and their
proceedings are the most shameless
mockery Of law and justice that can be
conceived. Against their violations Of
the State Constitution. the statutes, and
even of common-sense, there j. no
means If protection. for neither Gov
Ames nor the Legislature will heed
charges against the judiciary. One
Judge of a Circuit Court, to curry IA
vor with Ames. recently discharged a
grand jury which had begun to ferret
out the corruption Of certain county Of
ficials ls-sheriffs clerks and others and
a new set Of men not inquisitive put in
their places. and all because the robbcr-
les and rascalities which they were un-
earthing were by strong Republican
partisans.
The evils resulting from the ignorance
and stupidity Of negro Judges are no
less than those which are caused by
their corruption. Capt. W, large
planter on the Yazoo River. was arrest
ed for shooting at and slightly wound
ing negro who came to his front door
and called him damned liar. The
ease was brought before negro jus
tice Capt. W pleaded guilty and
was fined $500 and sentenced three
years 10 the penitentiary. Astounded
al the severity Of the punishment, he
took the Justice one side. treated him.
and asked for a new trial by a negro
jury. In utter defiance of all the forms
Of law. this was granted Meantime the
prisoner sent to his plantation for 4
dozen Of his negro hands, and had them
examined to prove he was good friend
Of the colored brother. In addition to
this. he provided a plentiful supply Of
whisky for the use of the Judge. hrv
and witnesses. and under these auspices
things went smoothly and triumphantly
towards their shameful conclusion. The
prisoner argued his own case. quoting
law fuently from couple Of old alma
macs As a sample Of his citation of au-
thorities. read the following: "And
now. gentlemen. continued the Cap
tain, "here j. another law which will
read YOU (picking up one Of the Hostel
ter Bitters alnanacs) page q, act Of
1874:
ssBe IL enacted. etc. That II any person
who j. isborrr for said Capt w. shall with