National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-30
fHRNKGRo "INsURREcTIoN" IN GEORGIA
-APUT-UP JOB.
From an occasional correspondent Of the Ma
TIoNAL REPUBLICAN.l
SAVANNAH August o. 1875

TIoNAL REPUBLICAN.l
SAVANNAH, August 26, 1875.
Ihaye no doubt that a letter will be accept
able to you If it let's light in upon the farce
which has been enacted near here, and which,
like all other plessantries of this section,
proves to be a tragedy to the unfortunate col
ored people.
There is strong feeling among the colored
people that justice has never been done them.
Good reasons have not been lacking for this
feeling, and in the counties honored by the
''insurrection" two special ones may be no.
ticed. Take the least one first. In Georgia
Board of Commissioners has charge of road
matters they appoint an oyerseer whose bust
ness it is to notify all liable to work the roads,
when and where to meet him it is the custom
in some of the counties, notably in Washington,
to have the coIored men do most of the work,
having only occasionally q white man, the
population being about three colored to two
whites. This may be a small matter, but it is
one way in which they feel that injustice has
been done. The other is the matter of jury
duty; the white race does it all, and
when q colored man, If at all active politically,
appears before the white jury, he fares badly
case occurred in May last at the session of
the Superior Court for Burke county, setting
at Waynesboro. A colored man was accused
Of murder, the evidence showed IL to be q case
of justifable homicide, the jury found him
guilty Of murder in the first degree; the Judge,
Colonel William Gibson, formerly of the
Eighth Georgia, characterized the verdict as
outrageous, and being directly against the evi-
dence and granted new trial without motion
Of counsel. Unjust cases somewhat SINH
lar to the above continually occur.
The desire to remedy the latter caused
convention to be called at waynesboro. Though
they were refused tho use Of the courthouse
for their meeting, they had sufficient meeting
10 send Joseph Morris to Judge Gibson with
petition that colored men be put on the jury.
The Judge tread the law fixing the manner Of
selecting the jury, and said that the jurors
had already been arranged and there was no
prospect OF change TIL another revision of
the box" The petition was consequently not
granted. ..r.I.'.. .. ...
The negroes are an initiative people, they sec
that the whites combine and are moro power.
flii than themselves, though IN . minority; 20
10 accomplish their objects they combined and
formed sn organization called the "United
States Band Of Brethren" To become mem-
Dor II 10 necessary 10 DO coiored man, who
must swear that he 10 not, nor will DO, under
promise 10 help the Democrats In the next
election; and, further that they would obey
the United States. In conversation with mem
bers Of the society they tell ne that the latter
clause means that they will do Whatever the
proper authorities tell than, and that It pro- I
hibits any member OF the society from bearing
arms unless In obedience to proper authority.
The orgsnizationi 10 semi military and political,
and calculated, and have no doubt intended
by the leaders, TO hold the colored vote for the
Republican party. rE...# .--- ar..7..r
The different societies Of the "Band Of
Brethren" wanted q coLamon head they wanted
to take further action upon the jury question,
and they wanted to arrive at some common
understanding upon the road question. For
these purposes, and TO, In measure, prepare
for the Presidential campaign, meeting was
called at sandersyille, Washington county,
July 24th. The call only stated that military
general was to be elected for nineteen counties,
that Governor Smith was requested to order
an election, and that It was National Con-
yention of the Republican party. A writer
from sandersville white, Of course - says:
[" No difficulty of any kind is apprehended by
our people," -.F ..
This proposed quasi-military organization
seems intended as preliminary to marshal
ing Of the forces for the next Presidential
campaign. Only this and nothing more. And
this Is one thing the white people are not aux
ious to have. B.-.5Es lll1- t
Though the leaders In the movement for
meeting had gone honestly and openly before
hand to John Newt IN Gflmer, Mayor pro tenn.
of sandersville, for permission to assemble in
the courthouse, and he had granted their re-
quest, yet assistance was called for and really
went from Macon and other places to defend
these 6resides against invasion by an unarmed
convention; for IL is positive fact
that the few who went armed to
the station (Tennille) were advised
to leave their arms with friends on the road,
so that, in the language of Candy Harris,
"they would go to sandersville, as peaeeable
citizens" and II any had 4 even knives, their
number was few indeed. oat-. 49,
When they arrived at sandersyifie, July sf,