The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-01-05

feeling there was against the whites
was because of bad local governments. The
republican police jury issued large quantities
Of certificates findebt ed cess, which the peo-
pie now have to pay. They hold the republic
can party accountable. They feel that they
have been almost ruined by excessive taxa
tion. The committee adjourned at III p. NJ.
TO meet at the custom house at 10 A. NJ. to-
morrow.
THE VICKSBURG COMMITTEE.
MORE TESTIMONY TAREN-ExAMINATIoN OF
COL. MILLER AND oTHERs-THE FIGHT
-CoNcERNING THE COLOR LINE-rhXATIoN
AND THE DEPRECIATION OF PROPERTY.
VIcKsBURe, MISS, Jan. 1.-The congres
sional committee met at 10. The exami-
nation of Col. Horace Miller was
continued. He held the Office of
juoge of the Criminal Court in 1867.
In 1852 was appointed charge d'afairs to
Bolivia, which position he filled th.ee or
four years. In answer to the origin of the
so-called color line be stated that for some
time after the war the whites made earnest
efforts 70 accommodate themselves to the
new state of affairs, especially with Te;er-
ence TO negro voting. by holding every
lnducement TO get them 10 vote with
the whites by nominating some OF them for
Offices This was continued for years
without success, when it became well
recognized fact that every negro whose name
was placed on the conservative ticket was
ostracised by his own race, no matter what
his former connection with them had been.
! After many unsuccessful attempts this kind
of feeling grew upon the community that IL
was impossible TO conciliate that element,
owing to the fact that the prejudic6s
OF the blscks were continually lnhamed
against the whites by the appeals of the car
et-baggers political adventures and the
] af.Ff ho orrrhr q +
| feet that the whites were their natural enc
mics, and exaggerated statements OF cruel
| ties and punishments Inflicted on the blacks
in slave times, and that the obJecS of the
] democratic party was TO reduce them 10
slavery again and that their only safety was
in adhering 70 the republican party. Every
element OF discOTd was constantly kept be-
fore them and the res ult was that in every
election for n series of years, the negroes
! voted IN an almost solid mass. They often
came TO the polls in military array, under
leaders, where they remained until the
whole column had voted, the leaders hand
ing them their tickets or else depOSting the
ballots for them. This state OF al
fairs produced color line, the
whites being satisfied that il was
useless 70 attempt to coalesee with the ne
groes in voting and that they were lncap2-
bic of administering any Office for the bene-
tit OF the country and determined IN future
only to vote for white men for Office, but in
this they had no intention of deprivIng the
negroes of the right of franchise
or other vested rights granted
them under the constitution. All
: the whites of Mississippi accepted in good
fsith the constitution amendments and laws
passed by congress in relation 20 The negroes
The only exceptiI n to the blacks being free
to vote as they please comes from
THEIR OWN RACE
and such is the intimidation used in this
!. case, that they dare not vote against the
3 republican party. he cited two individual
cases of colored men, one of then
4 his former slave, who wanted to vote th'
. democratic ticket bat he (Miller) had advised
: him not TO do SO, as his black neighbou
q would kill him; also that OF another IL
IS Vicksburg called Edmund, who on two oc
T easions had TO be escorted to the polls by
J, whites in order to deposit democrats
a ticket, and each time on returning hOmt
d was assaulted by mObs OF black men anC
n women, and only escaped muir
;. der by the interference Of whit
e men. He knew no instance wheri
} negroes had been discharged for not votinl
e the democratic ticket. He had heard men say
a shat in consequence OF the enormous taxa
B. ton they would not employ negroes whS
70 voted with those who had saddled thei
}. taxes on them. On Friday, December 4th
e Crosby told him, in the presence of Gen
j. Writ Adams he could not perfect his bond
3r He tried, after q consultation with 3 mum
le Der of taxpayers, to effect a compramise bI
l. getting Crosby TO appoint some man accep
p table 10 the taxDavers rs deputy, VIII
le could give bond and give him possession
% ofthe Office, with toll authority to discharg
le the duties. Crosby thought be was entities
j. TO the emOluments of tne office. he tOlC
Of him thst any one so selected would doubt
1, less make a satisfactory arrangs ment. CROSBY
lr asked time 10 consider the question, an,
as made two appointments TO meet him sn'
l. give an answer, but kept neither O
q them. The witness sfterward lesrne'
le that Crosby went TO Jackson tha
re- night and returned the next morning, ant
D, issued his proclamation on the night OF DE
III cember Z. When in charge of Crosby toll
OF him what Owens had said about him. III
said that Owens and the cOlOred people ha
misunderstood bis order. He had not in
structed them TO come into the town then
io gain he admitted that he had done so Hi
{ answers in reference to the card publishe
20 over his name were contradictory. Tn
- card was written by a fellow in Jack
son, who signed his name to iF, an
as who had made it stronger than he (CTosby
OF wanted il. Bat he admitted it was write
III at his request, and circulated by bis order
r General Packer and Colonel Lee said " he
te they saw the card that 1t was dangeTOusl
n, likely to produce bad results. They wei
OF both in the city on the day OF the Il ght, bu
d, he (Miller) did not see them. they had tOl
Id him they were here. The pecuations
re office here dated back 10 the accession
es Office Of Crosby as county treasurer an
TX Cardoza as circuit court clerk. The increaf
D. OF taxation here had been rapid and emo
le nous. Now
nfl TIE ENTIRE TAXATION
In of the state, county and city was near 81
We per cent. A reduction had been made
"a the rate of city taxation since the democrat
70 government has been elected. The forInt
th city governments since 1872 had been repuI
n: lican. 1t was difficult to estimate the asses
IN ments on lands outside of the cit
1s at their real value, but
er nssrly every case, If put u
a public sale would not bring the assesse
n value. The lands In the state since the wa