Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-03-04
MISSISSIPPI.
promise.

MISSISSIPPI.
The Vicks6urg Inrestigation-Msjority and
Minority Reports 6y the Committee.
The committee which visited Mississippi to
investigate the condition of affairs in that State
have submitted two reports. the Republicans
uniting in the majority report and the Demo-
Gratis in that of the minority. The former be-
gins by giving a statement of facts concerning
the troubles arising out of the election from
Office of Peter Crosby, elected Sheriff of Warren
county, Miss, at the November election of
1873. 1t states that, shortly after his election,
there was formed, in yicksburg. an association
called the Taxpayers League, the object of
which organization was to correct the alleged
misappication of funds. both of the city and
county; that early in 1874 another organization
made its appearance, narrower in its purposes,
illegal in its AIMS, and basing itself upon the
embodiment of force and readiness to use vio-
lence for the purpose Of controlling and over
throwing the viii Of the majority lawfully ex-
pressed in form of an election. The interior
organization has not yet such precise form and
so distinct an existence as in Louisiana, but is
unquest;onably extension into Mississippi of
tie White League organization, whose head
quarters IS in New Orleans The purposes of
these organizations are: 1. To make census
ard enrolment Of all white men in the State.
2. To incorporate into interior military organiza-
tons ali whites who viii join with them. 3. To
set aside, by whatever means may be necessary,
the election of colored men to Office, and to
nullify the Enforcement act. L. To allown one
but whitemen to be elected to or hold Office.
The committee then recite fully the mems
taken by these organizations to control registra-
ton, by keeping out of the city OF vicksburg
under show Of force, am persons they chose
to keep out. They patrolled the streets ; had a
countersign: watched the steamboat landing
ferries and roads, and attended in armed bodies
at the registration Of voters. The committee
review fully the causes leading to the election
Of Crosby from Office; state tina. the regularly
elected officers Of the county were by violence
ousted from Office; the entire records and
papers of the offices, the Court House. and all
the county property uulawfully and riotously
seized upon by an unlawful combination of
men. net only without warrant of law, but in
direct and papable violation and deliberate
transsression of ali principles and forms of law
known to any civilized people.
The committee then recte the facts concern
ing the Cherry street fight in vicksburg. and
say that to read tie reports of the newspapers
or to take the testimony of some of the partici-
pants, the passage of the bridge of Lodi was
nothing to the fight on Cherry street; and
they trea. that engagement with great leyity.
They say the black people, on being fired upon
scattered in al directions, singly or in groups
and occasionally returned an Intellectual fire.
They then set forth the names of those killed
and the circumstances attending the killing.
They regard questions arising from the con-
dition of the public mind in those respects as
grave and serious, the whole fabric of society
having been subverted by the war traditions.
prejudice. habits and inherited beliefs having
been oyerthrown by irresistible force They
discuss the old relation between master and
slave, the difference in condition, etc. They
picture the condition Of the slave, brought
from his lowly condition of serv;tude to the in
exorable level Of legal and political equality
The changes in the war brought no change in
human nature, and, though the war compelled
obedience of the conquered, it does not bring
obedience from the heart of the man
who lost his all BIZ it. They do not
say there exists throughout the South a
hatred to the negro merely because be is ne
gro but the hatred of negro officers of munich
palities, Legislature, and States is intense.
They dislike to recognize negroes in Office or on
Try duty. They are willing that they shall a.
ways vote for white men, but they cannot in
duce them to abandon tie party that liberated
them and gave them their rights in the full ex-
ercise of which they are despised. Negroes
are incapable of combination, unfit for con-
spiracy gentle in temper, and enduring to
fault. Tie whites control the land, &C mmerce,
press and telegraph, buy correspondents, and
give their color to all views. magnifying the
offenses of colored men, etc. The report con-
cludes as follows:
for further action by this Congress, and concur in
recommending the passage of the caucus bill, and
the adoption of the following:
"Res0Iued That the violent overthrow Of law and
order in vicksburg justies the application of Gov
Ames for troops and the action of the President in
ordering them sent to that city,
THE MINORITY REPORT,
which is signed by Spear, Of Pennsylvania and
O'Brien, of Maryland, concludes as follows:
From review of the whole testimony, we briefly
state our conclusions:
Eirst-That in the city of vicksburg and county
of Warren the white citizens pay about 80 per cent
Of the taxes, which have grown enormously oppres-
sive and the negroes chiefly assess collect and dis