Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-07-01

putSiuu iEOul lu6iTf fSuGlCll6b, anu WI
n threats of death itseIfif they dared
r vote the DelEoclatic ticket. An
> when he heard the bold announc,
: ment OF the Democratic party tn,
b they would protect any negro VIII
d chose to vote with them, he saw th,
g the spell of Radical intimidation woul
be broken, and that nothing could re
/ store his power and influence with tn
: negro but the United States army
| And, hence his tears Of supplicatio
for troops. He said in his message {
: the legislature He was constraine
to call upon the the National govern
ment for assistance to protect hir
against domestic violence. 7 Wha
constraint was there, and who con
strained him Where was the do
mestic violence, and who were the az
! gressors? Let him answer if he can
The refusal of the attorney-general.o 0
J the United States to furnish him troop
for mere party purposes proclaimed t
the world the illegality of his demand
and that even Republican admins
tration perceived the falsity of hi
statements. Upon this refusal, ht
tells us that a renewed effort was made
to organize the militia of the State
and in making this statement, he made
most important admission against
/ himself and his party He says: "This
renewed effort to organize military
force in the State developed the deep
seated bitterness of the race-issue and
the extent of the intimidation that
prevailed In this sentence, with
out intending it, he has given the
key to a true solution of all the late
difficulties in Mississippi. He ad-
mIts he was the aggressor, and that
previous efforts had been made to or
ganize a military force in Mississippi.
and he admits that he again became
the aggressor when he says that he
renewed this effort And he makes a
still more important admission for us
when he says that it was the renewal
Of this effort on his part that pro-
duced, or as he expresses it, "deveI-
oped the intimidation which pre-
vailed. In another portion of his
message he says ''the spirit which
precipltated the outrage at Clinton by
DO means had its origin there and
then" In this we perfectly agree
with him. The spirit that instigated
the Vicksburg riot, the spirit which
proclaimed that "the, blood of twenty
five negroes would strengthen the Re-
publican party" the spirit which with
held aid and assistance from the white
people of Austin when the telegraph
wires were burdened with oft-repeated
appeals to him for help against an in
furiated mob of negroes; the spirit
which conceived the idea of passing
the Gatlin gun bill and arming one
race against another, was the spirit
which precipitated the Clinton out
rage. And not only has he confessed
the truth in this sentence, but he has
confessed it in language peculiarly fit
ting and appropriate. He confesses
that the Clinton outrage was precipi-
tdted, by which expression we under
stand that difficulty was impending
between two parties, aud that it was
hurriedly brought on by one before
the other expected it or was ready for
it. If this is true, which party, we
ask, was most likely to have done so ?
which party had then prepared for
war? and which had reason to be-
lleve that it was most ready for con-
hict. Let the laws enacted by Rad
ical legislature, placing men and money
in the hands of the governor to be
used in case of trouble, answer this
inquiry. Which side was totally un-
prepared, and which was taken una
ware and captured by surprise on that
day? Let the blood of Charles Chill
ton. Martin Siyely and Thompson, who
fell unarmed and defenseless on that
day, and whose bodies were fearfnlly
mutilated by a negro mob, answer this
question. When we take this confess
sion of his and connect it with his
statement that this race issue is not
of recent origin, but had its founda-
ton in the deep seated preiudices of
the Southern people arising out of the
violent overthrow of slavery" and in |
connection with this the well authen-
tieated fact that the negroes commit
ted the first outrage at CLIFTON, and |
when we add to those the further fact
that he was provided with men and
mopey to be used whenever trouble |
should arise, we see the coils of the |
serpent that was attempting to sur
round and crush the free people of
Mississippi. And when we add to
these the further fact that he made
this outbreak, which he admits grew /
out of race prejudices, the excuse for
organizing his army in the State, we
have the proof against him, deep,
damning and strong as the proof of |
holy writ, that this was the foul spirit |
which precipitated this Clinton out
rage. He knew how easily these deep
aafad paSSfanc mara avoifad on6 liEo
the assassin he armed himself and his
myrmidons and watched his opportu-
nifty, hoping race conflict might be
precipitated upon an unarmed, unor-
ganized and peaceful people. A more
deliberate, -blooded and murder
Gus attempt to assassinate a whole
people has not been conceived since
Nero and Caligula reigned at Rome;
and not only is it manifest that he
the Clinton outrage, but
by circumstantial evidence it can be
shown that he was the real cause which
instigated the riot in Coahoma county,
which was also precipitated upon us
when we were unprepared for it. Jno.
Brown, the negro sheriff, was not only
on peaceful and friendly terms with
the Alcorn Republicans, but the Dem
ocrats of the county were his bonds
men, and had made for HIN the best
sheriff and ax-collector's bond that
was ever made in the State, aud all
was peaceful and quiet in the county
uutil Brown returned from visit to
dickson, and from an interview with
Governor Ames, which was but short
time before our difficulties escommeneed,
As soon as he returned, he commenced
the county, making in6am-
matoFy speeches to the negroes. dwel-
ling particularlyuponthe riotat Vicks-
burg and Clinton, and urging the ne
groes everywhere to arm and prepare
for the conflict, which he said would
come and at the same time
secretly imported ammunition into the
country. The white men Of the county,
and especially his bondsmen, were as
at this sudden warlike de-
on the part of one who
had been so peaceful before, and whose
interests so manifestly demanded
peace between himself aud his bonds
men, and no man can account for his
conduct yet, except upon the theory
that he was a silly tool in the hands
Of others, and that he was but obey
ing the instructions he had received
from headquarters in Jackson. For
it must be remembered that he was a
colonel of one of those militia regi- /
ments. and like his commander-ln-