The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-10-06
ANTE COUNTY.
Parksls AlfOcioas EalSshood Nailed
Rose HUI.

/ EDITORS CLARION /: Having seen y
the jackson Daily Times q letter from
Sheriff Parker to Gov Ames in regarC
to the excitement at Rose Hill, on th'
18th inst, which is calculated, and evi
IDENTIFY intended to create false impress
sion on the minds of those who are MOI
eonversant with the facts in regard to tht
| condition of affairs here, and feeling thai
such statement allowed to 90 unnoticed
and without contradiction, would create
In the minds of some a presumption that
it was true. We have thought best,
after a consultation with our friends to
ask space in your columns for the follow
ing reply to Mr.. Parker's letter and a
true statement of the facts as they are
| He (Parker) seems in the first place,
DESTROYS of making the impression on the
Governors mind that himself and party
were prevented from holding conven-
ton at Rose Hill. But suffice it to say
| that no one expected him to attempt to
have convention here, but that it was
VIGOROUSLY known that there was to be a
convention held on that day at Kirkland's
School House, and in his blind partisan
zeal, Mr.. Parker seems to have failed to
state the true cause of the armed assem-
blage of which he speaks, but has endea-
vored to represent it as band of ruffians
opposed to law and order, and in a state
of instruction. Now be it remembered
that the colored majority in this county
is comparatively small, and as Parker
and his satalites saw that the Democrats
were determined to make a tremendous
effort to carry the county at the coming
election, they went to work with renewed
vlgor to use every means to stir up the
old prejudices existing in the bosom of
the negroes against the whites, but they
now find that the negro in his rage and
excitement has gotten almost beyond even
Parkers control, and that there is dan
ger of the whole party being precipitated
into war of races, and so obnoxious
have they made themselves to the white
people of the county, that in such con-
tingeney they fear they would either be
forced to leave the county or take sides
with the negroes.
And as regards the cause and conduct
of the assemblage at Rose Hill we pro-
pose to state it in plain terms, for we
were present and familiar with all of the
facts. There exists in the minds of the
negroes cordial hatred of the place,
from the fact of there having been one
or two personal difficulties there between
black and white persons, and its being
the place at which a small Democratic
club holds its meetings. Therefore near
ly week prior to the 18th inst, it was
reported that the negroes were coming ON |
Friday or Saturday q don't remember |
which,, to Rose Hill for the purpose of |
having a fight with the whites but no |
Ole placed confidence enough in the re-
port to inquire into the matter, but few |
days after the same report was received |
from an altogether different direction, |
but was still passed by almost unheeded, |
but we were soon informed that the ne |
groes in portion of the parish of East |
Feliciana, La, were actually preparing
to come, into this county to assist the ne
groes against the whites, and on the
evening of Friday, the 18th inst, one
Billy Jefferson, a negro of some note as
a politician and leader, in a conversation
with Mr.. JAS. G.. Dixon, took occasion |
to say in Dragging manner that there
would be fight in Rose Hill on to-mor-
low, or within week." on being asked |
the cause, he said there had been a negro |
killed below here, and he thought
white man did it, and he would be id |
if the negroes were going to stand it,
that all of the negroes in the community
were going to march through Rose Hill
tomorrow armed, and that if the whites
wanted fight by Cd they could get it.
Mr.. Dixon counciled with him and
advised him to use his influence to have
the negroes go by more direct route to
the school house, which would leave Rose
Hill to the left about mile "no," says
he, "by God we are going right through
here" Mr.. Dixon being then satisfied
of the truth of the reports which we had
heard, called upon us and we then
went to Mr. E. j. Capell, and after a
calm consideration of the reports, we decid-
ed that one or two steps must necessarily
be taken, that our houses must be closed
and our families removed, and the place
given up to an armed mob of negroes, or
Ne must collect enough men there to
protect us and our property from insult
and injury. We chose the latter alterna.
i've, and by eight or nine o'clock on the
next morning, there was probably hun.
lred men at Rose Hill, and as it was
deemed as an affair of races altogether,
and not a question of States, or counties,
Or politics, and as we are situated very
near the State line, and very many of our
neighbors and friends and relatives are
ust across the line in the State of
Louisiana, therefore there were probably
fifteen or twenty Louisianians with US,
not more that there was a Winchester
rife on the ground, we deny we also
leny that Parker's deputy counted the
men, for we were present when he rode
Up and left, and he could not possibly
have counted enc hundred men (who we've
scattered promiscuously) jim soshort time.
We placed ourselves, early in the morn
ng, under the command of Col. Moses
Jackson, who came to Rose Hill without
any knowledge of the excitement existing
here, and he hearing that two companies
If armed negroes were coming down the
Liberty and jackson road, sent couple of
men mounted and armed to learn the
Sacts, and these are the parties who
and party, and when the
fact was made known, the assemblage, by
4 unanimous vote, sent Col. jackson and
Wo others as committee to confer with
Parker, and tell him that we wanted no
and were in favor of peace,
but that if he and the negroes were de-
ermined to force fight upon us we were
ready for it, and wanted il settled then
md there. Mr.. Parker said he meant
peace, and should use his influence to