New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-15
Nlississippi and Ge0rxia.

somewhat. There is no doubt at al rha
the great mass of the Mississippi whites ar.
honest, law-abiding citizen; but there is NJ
doubt either that they have among them
considerable number of staggering, whisky
drinking, pistol shouting bullies, and tha,
they give to this rufianly class great dea
too much license. Take as a case in poiut
the Clinton affair last Saturday.
The colored people at Clinton held bar
becue ON that day, and there being a large
assembly they very wisely prohibited the
sale and use of liquor on the grounds
They showed, as every body must acknowI.
edge, hne sense of piopriety in this regu.
latton, which one might be surprised to tind
amont people so recently enslaved aud
still go generally ignorant. They had also,
| 1t seems, officers II the ground to MAINTAIN
order and zee that the regulations of the
day were observed All this is very credit
able to the c0lored people, and the day
appears to have gone on quietly, as was TO
be expected under the circumstances, until
| some OF the so-ca!led superior race" came.
nninvited. upon the ground, and being ruff
fans-or gentlemen as in our dispatch
| they are cdiled-at once proceeded to
| take a drink" The marshal a col
ored man, told the gentleman to put
away his bottle OF whisky, which he vas
| Hourishipg around in the manner of one of
| the superior race" in those paris; and
| when the marshal attempted 10 take the
bottle of whisky away, be was struck over
the head with it. 1hereupon colored
| State Senator came forward to restore or
DER The Democratic account saws that he
was followed by twenty indignant negroes,
whom, however,. Re ordered back; but
crowd quickly gathered, into which Siveiy.
the white blacEguard, who had lust broken
the whisky bottle over the cOlored mar
shal's head, proceeded to fire all the shots
in his revolver; and this pleasantly
rendered, and Immediately had his
brains knocked out" thus ridding the
State of Mississippi of at least one of
| too numerous class of white rutfians.
whose impudent lawlessness does more to
keep wealth and population out of that
State than all her good citizens can do to
bring them in. There followed general
battle, in which we are glad ID notice.
whites as well as blacks were killed, and
alter more or less promiscuous shooting
during Saturday night and Sunday, done
80 Tar as we have any accounts, altogether
by the superior race" quiet was restored
But not tntil the white people OF Clinton
had used the occasion to 'organze for sell.
protection" and sent to Vcksburg for rein.
forcemsnts-an absurdity which reminds
US of the early days OF the late war-when,
no sooner did the enemy run awav, than
the victorious party began to intrench it.
self and send word home that everybody
was now safe.
Unfortunately for Mississippi this is not
en- isolated case OF uupiovoked outrage
npon colored people within a few months.
On the fourth OF July when the blacks met
quietly in the courthouse to celebrate the
day, few white Iuilians intruded on the
meeting, and after insulting and noisy de.
lneaLof, began to shoot right and left aud
broke up the assemhl4ge. There was NOT
the least excuse for this; but we do not re-
member that any one was punished for il.
Enough the men were very well known.
Within the last month there have been sew
eral little ''scrimmages" between whites and
blacks in the State, showing good deal OF
bad blood, and q readiness on the part of
the superior race" to shoot the inferior on
very sight proyocatiou, or none at all.
Now, we beg the good people of Misss.
slppi to compare this condition of affairs in
their State with the recent conduct of their
neighbors i'll Georgia, under what was to
hundreds OF them very real proyocation to
bloodshed and abuse OF the blacks. Nothing
is more natural and almest inevitable,
Wherever two races occupy the same terri
tory, than that rumors of conspiracy and
intended insurrection by the lower and more
ignorant should arouse the higher race to a
relentless fury which exhibits itself in I'M
reasoning bloodshed and murder. This has
been common incident in other countries
than our own, and with us the Coushatta
T..
in Georgia the people Of the counties in
which negro insurrection was appre-
hended conducted themselves with remark |
able calmness; the Governor promptly took |
the whole affair in his own charge; all al |
tempts at lawlessness and abuse OF negroes |
were put down, and the courts proceeded |
with conspicuous impartiality to investigate
the matter.
The reason for this difference ia that in
Georgia the substantial law-abding citi-
zens appear to have assumed aud kept the |
control OF affairs in their own hands. In
Mississippi these sit still and suffer the law
less eass to do. its murderous will. Public
opinion supinely tolerates these outrages on
the weak and the unoffending
This is bad thing just now in several
ways. In the first place it is easy to see
that such brutality as this Clinton outrage
ls OF the greatest use to Northern dema-
gogues who want to "hoist the bloody
shirt The white people of Mississippi
ought to understand that the Northern
people are very impatient under such
things. They do not wish the least harm
to the Southern whites. We are all ready
here to say that the war is over, and to
et oygones be bygOnes But such ont.
'ages as that of the fourth of July at
and at Clinton on Saturday
aIouse bad blood here in the North.
We remarked the other day that the folly
|
people back int the Republican party, and
vas put tt1ng that party into tho hands of its
east serupulous men. But these Mississippi
1rutallt1es do even more than Allen and
,endletOn to this end. Again, the whies of
mississippi would do well to remember that
I ls not prudent to gOad even long subject
md naturally mild rate to ex remes By
uch wantOn attacks on peaceable colored
'eople as are but too frequent there they are
'rouslng devil that some day may rise |
'pon them in fury. They can not go on for
Ver permitting injustice and outrage to- |
yard weaker race. Already in this Ciin-
on affair We see the marks of bad blood
mong the blacks. They begin to strike
'aok-as they ought to do. Unfortunately,
elng ignorant and used to subserviepcy. |
here is danger that if ever they are goaded
0 retaliation they will not know where to
top.
Finally, Mississippi has q fertile soil and
tne climate. 1t needs, as every BODY !
own there says, more pc ople, and it has a !
tate Emigration Society which prints pam !
hlets and enplOvs agents and uses various I
ieans to draw Northern farmers to the {
tate. But one such outrage as this at !
linton does more to keep away the kind :
people whom Mississippi needs than all :
10 efforts OF all her citizens can do in years i
} draw them thither. No Northern man :
no would make valuable citizen for \
l,sslssippi Will remove there while such 1
llngs happen. He would be fool if he n
ID. There Is great complaint in the State s
lat property ls depreciated and unsalable; r
ut why should it be otherwisel 1t is still !,
ss saiable in Mexico and Central America, =
Id tor the same reason. Nobody cares To =
a pfru ,b....a : =. |