The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-04
An Official History OF the
Sedit1oue Movement.
FEARS OF FEDERAL INTERFERENCE.
Old Letters from Ex-Congressman Speer and
Ex-Governor Conley to = Ringleader.
INTERVIEWS WITH PRISONERS.
The Grievance Stated by Two
Colored Men.

SAxDERsvILLE. August 81, 1875.
In support OF the view Cordy Harris and others
could make revelations damaging TO the republican
party, II is alleged that Mr. Wilson, United
States Commissioner at Savannah, asked for q
private interview with Harris. and as show.
ing that Harris Morris, his immediate prin-
sipal, has In the past been In communication with
prominent republicans in Office In this State during
Governor Bullocks timo md Congress- the following
letters and papers have been furnished The FIRST
bears date May %, 1872 and is from Thomas j. speer
then republican member OF Congress- to "General''
Morris, answer TO appeal from him 10 have mar
tal law proclaimed In Jones, Twiggs and Wilkinson
counties IN which matter Mr.. Speer refuses to STIR
The letter reads
TuK LETTERS.
FoRrY-SEcosp CoSoREss.
UNITED STATES HOUSE or RRPRgsENTArIvEs
WASHINGTON, o. o., May %. 1872
DEAR sIR-Yo favor Of tho 2sd inst
csmoIns for martial law 70 be proclaimed Jones Tyss
~o made ss a'
am Inclined TO think that you don't know the effect Of
%p b. q
ss e s giving
whiskey and Judging the future by the past you would be
friends here say that You colced people
cannot get along without continually crying for help they
oG we up the Ru bill
sse hn ssn TTn *. Of
. c d K u1 &
ce' in Georgia and in the department.. here and st you
sensible S mspand ,aRs for granted you
snOv that have done all that can SG spEsr
Another letter Of earlier date from speer TO Har-
re conveys tho idea that tho latter has been asking
Congress 10 do something which stnggcrs Mr.. speer
What the request does not appear. Tho letter
reads
WASHINGTON. D. O.. April 4. 1872.
DEAR sR-Your favor Of the 2ad us together with as
What you petitioners ask fo- impossible bo
sSsH ns IA:
question for yourself would see how your ca:e
u your request Why, sir thore set Of in
Ss s .%aey as
Congress- and stand ready and people
SHs Is
o. od H' Se do sp which
Ipeetfnlly THOMAS J. sPEER.
There is also letter OF about this time from Hon
Benjamin Concy Postmaster at Atlanta, Ga, who
wns for a short time Governor Of Georgia, after Gov
Bullock resigned and LETT the State to Morris,
stating he then OF Office and consequently could
not remove a justice of the peace whose deposition
Morris demanded. This letter roads,
AUGUSTA, Ga, March %, 1872.
Dean sRYo%r letter. dated March 25 addressed to me at
morning the Governor Of the State An sss.
elected Governor who Vas sworn in on the 18th day q
place Thsh presume the Why other letters
have failed TO reach me and remain unanswered .
ID 1
you to write to him as do not would pay any
ienon to complaint You win have 10 depend upon
N your Use and Would advise You &c him
ns "m M doubt but that he viii rights
All Ia Init I m in ri
ss n the Il If are VIII, Ho"
sec him and get hin, to look AFTER the matter
doubt b.. h, he T do all that be can ,yy0s, III.
that desire ~ tn. Governor would exam.
thee 5 "vo hard % H. s Ss
beter day coming for them soon you wish to write me
fully. BENJAMIN CoNLEY
So far these letters simply show that in 1872 Morris
man to be proptatcd, power among the col
pred population, but document Of much later date
vcals him correspondence with the War Depart
nent the following copy Of letter to Secret ary Bel
KNAPP having been found among his papers
coxrAsr c. GRANT GAURp GGuARDl. WAR DEPARTMENT
pRAR sHwe The peopls of Burke County. Ca. on Sept.
I2t 1874 called Conversion to orgnnnse Volunteer Com
pany BY The Hon Mr. William .iden and MT sydny Gary
pany and we sent him to The State Department TO Receive
Commission from Coy and Give Bonds tGr the Arms and
3 days hence and Receive and Get any commission
L
JOSEPH NORRIS
En- passant, II may DO remarked that the "Mr. VIII
liam president here mentioned is colored man named
s. C. Williams who has been teaching the negroes TO
write specimen of his pcnmanshp is before me and
With very little additional practice he would write
almost coppcrplatc hand The sentiments contained
In the scrap are worthy Of preservation, thus
Why is Kissing Your sweetheart like eaten soup with
Fork because y take long to get eno So Boys think
andcrsigned seree to pay r. G. Williams five Dollar. for
dheen lesson in the art Of penmanship andl Grammar.
DOM all that and the other side Of the sheet with
all the persistence OF Traddes drawing skeletons his
slate in David Copperneld"
To TO the documents shown me- 80 far they re-
late to NORRIS but there are other papers OF very
cent date showing Morris in correspondence with
Cordy Harris. There letters both asking for
money and referring TO mass meeting soon to come
or and reading thus
uon Mr.. ConDIA HARRIS
DyAs s,nI Recciysd your kind Express Communication
more Dollars your Conversion viii be Very Emp"r,sSee
sd from ii Aiken County south G Carolina Mn
With 9ooo Men. with Arms I'M send you the minutes
lod county. Very Respectfully JOSEPH NORRIS "'
waynesboro Burke County Ca
, July I'd 1875
DraE SIN please 10 send me word Recei,.
yur convsnsion please e send me $500 Dollars More
to Hon JosErh MoRRIs.
coRDY HARRIS STATEMENT.
On questioning Cordy Harris upon the subject OF his
,coun,ntapcc With Morris, he stated the foowiny.~
"The first knew OF Morris was meeting was 10
have in Sandersvile last June. The white folks said
gong take the town, and got up and told them
como up TO hear Morris that he had sent word
" have the Court House, and no wheel TO
roll the road that day, and tho sheriff to sweep
out the room and ali he ready. Then when he heard
about the white people he mover come, and heard ho
had meeting outside town, and Jerry Simons was made
chairman Of tho county went after Norris and when
got up with him 'bused him for the way he DONE
not coming up. and he said he would be arrcs', the
white people would put him in Jail: then says wasn't
" as well you az us; up there and you wasn't
hcrc and We might had trouble with tho white folks on
your account Then asked him what was TO be done
now and he says nothing that things was out OF hx
but hearn he had a meeting that day, and Jerry
silnons was made chairman of the county,
KEr0RTER- Now, Cordy don't You think Morris
signed your name 10 that letter urging the companies 10
XII the whitcsr You know you abused him for
ming on now, didn't he put that letter on on your
CoRDY--Ycs, ! 'buscd him. but don't know who
wrote that letter Morris might have wrote IL land the
negroes face assumed peculiar expression, one Of
icrcclty); hut latter pause don't know Looks like
II, IL he has ruined on
The Jerry Slmons hero referred to Is also in n hore