The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-12-31
The Mississippi Election.
A LETTER FROM EX-SENATOR REyELs FACTS

SENATOR MORTON TO PONDER.
h. R. Reyels. the colored ex.U United States
senator from Mississippi, has written letter
in regard to the late election in that State,
which takes the ground that the Republic
cans we're defeated through their own cor.
ruption. The publication of this letter is
opportune, as it may materially assist Sena-
tor Morton in arriving at the truth should
his resolution to investigate that election be
adopted By the Senate. The letter, which
is dated Holly Springs, Miss, November 6,
and appeared first in the Ficksburg He.
raid, is addressed to President Grant, and
reads as follows: f.. '"'
"My Dear Sir,-In view of the results of
the recent election in our State, have de-
termined to write you letter canvsssing the
situation and giving you my views thereon.
I will premise by saying that am no polti-
ci III, though having been hono!ed by seat
in the United States Senate. never have
sought political preferment, nor do ask it
now, but an engaged in my calling (the min.
istry), and feeling an earnest desire for the
welfare Of all the people, irrespective Of race
or color, Il have deemed it advisable to sub
nit to you for consideration q few thoughts
in regard to the political situation in this
State. Since reconstruction the masses of nay
people have beep, as it were, ensiaved in
mind by unprincipled adventures, who,
caring nothing for the country, were willing
TO stoop to anything, no matter how infa-
NOUS, to secure power to themselves and
perpetuate it. My people are naturally Re-
publicans, but as they grow older in freedom
SO do they in wisdom. a great portion Of
them have learned that they were being
used as mere tools, and, as in the late cleo
m no cr
evil among themselves, they determined, by
casting their ballots against these unprincipled
adventures, to overthrow them. My people
have been told by these schemers, when men
were placed upon the ticket who were noto-
rously corrupt aud dishonest, that they
must vote for them; that the salvation of the
party depended upon 1t; that the man who
scratched ticket was not Republican.
This is only one of the many means these
malignant demagogues have devised to per.
petuate the intellectual bondage of my PEG.
pie. To defeat this policy at the late election,
men. irrespective Of race or party afiliatiou,
united and voted together against men known
TO be incompetent and dishonest.
II cannot recognize, nor do the masses Of
my people who read recognize, the majority
of the officials who have been in power for
the past two years as Republicans. We do
not believe that Republicanism means corr
ruptiop, theft, and embeZziemeut. These
three offences have been prevalent among a
great portion of our office-holders; to them
must be attributed the defeat Of the Repub-
lican party in the State, if defeat there was );
out I, with all the lights before me, look upon
it as an uprising of the people, the whole peo-
pie, to crush out corrupt rings and men
from power. The bitterness and hate Gre
ated by the late civil strife has, in my opiH-
ion, been obliterated in this State, except,
perhaps, in some localities, and would have
long since been entirely etfaced were 1t not
for some unprincipled men who would keep
alive the bitterness of the past and inculcate
a hatred between the races in order that they
may aggrandize themselves by office and its
emolumeuts to control my people, the effect
| of which is to degrade them. give you my
opinion that had our State administration
adhered to Republican principles, and stood
| by the platform upon which 1t was elected,
| the State, to-day would have been on the
highway Of prosperity. If the State
administration had advanced patriotic
measures, appointed only honest and COM
peteut men to Office, and sought to restore
! confidence between the races, bloodshed
| would have been unknown, peace would
have prevailed, Federal interference been
unthought of, and harmony, friendship, and
| mutual confidence would have taken the
place of the bayonet. In conclusion, let me
say to you, and through you to the great
Republican party of the North, that deemed
it my duty, in behalf of my people, that !
present these facts, in order that they and
the white people (their former owners) should
not suffer Misrepresentation which certain
demagogues seem DESTROYS of encouraging.
Respectfully, 81. r. REyELs."