Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-08-17


there was general disposition, b,
threats of discharging them and ,e
10 fuslng them subsistence, so to comp
ell them ; and that in some counties Il
contracts made with the laborers d
clared that they should lose the
te share ct the crops if they did NJ
,e vote to suit their employer.
; Is. That the Democratic cIu
: organized in every part to the Stat
. were supplied with the best of arm
y that could be procured in the countr,
g that they everywhere publicly expires
g. sed their purpose to carry the electio
), at all hazards that in many case
: they procured one or more pieces O
> artillery, with which they traverset
l. the country for weeks before thu
Q election intimidating the negroes
menacing them, and firing into thei
houses by night.
10. That the intimidation was SC
great that in large number O.
r counties previous to the election il
was impossible to hold Republican
meetings that in many strong Re-
publican counties, Republican meet
ings were broken up, and nearly all
attempts to canvass these districts
were abandoned.
f 20. That the early riots at Gin.
ton and Vicksburg were the results of
a special purpose on the part of the
Democratic leaders to break up the
meeting of the Republicans, to de.
stroy the leaders, and to inaugurate a
policy of terror, not only in these
counties, but throughout the State.
which would deter the blacks from
attending the meetings and especially
deter them from the free exercise of
the right to vote on the day of cleo
ton. The results thus sought for
were in large degree attained,
ri. That the number of negroes
assassinated after the Clinton riot
could not have been less than from
thirty to fifty. These were followed
by the cowardly murders of Mr.
Hatfa and Senator Caldwell.
%. That these outrages were
confined chiefly to the Republican
counties, where it was necessary to
overawe the Republican majority by |
unlawful means, but that in two or |
three Republican counties, as Wilkin
son and Issaquena, there was no |
military Democratic organization.
and, therefore, comparative peace
but that IN these two counties, since
the election, great outrages, at
tended with violence and murder.
have been perpetrated, and evidently
with the purpose of securing a DEM
ocratic victory in those districts in
November next
% That in Issaquena county,
one o. Col Ball, an officer s. in .;t'rlgymah;.
took command of a body of armed
and mounted men on the morning of
the 5th of December, and
traversed the country below Rolling
Fork during the day, and that night
the men from his command took from
their homes at least seven offending
negroes and shot them in cold blood.
Within the next two days five other
leading negroes were summoned to
Rolling Fork during the day, and
then compelled to sign a statement
by which they became responsible
for the good conduct of all their ne.
groes, with the exception of certain
men named, who, in fact, by that sti-
pulation were made outlaws, and
as a consequence fled from their
homes and their families, and aban-
doned their property. Since that
day they have been in exile.
"a. That the Democratic militia
organization extended throughout the
State that it embraced not less than
half the white voters that in the re-
spective counties the members could
be summoned instantly by signals,
given by firing cannons or anvils
and probably in less than week the
the entire force of the State could be
brought under arms.
%. That in several of the counties
the Republican leaders were so over
awed and intimidated, both black
and white, that they were compelled
to withdraw from the canvass those
who had been nominated, and SUBJ
nit others that were named by the
Democratic leaders, and that theywere
compelled to vote for the ticket so
nominated under threats that their
lives would be taken if they did not
do it.
&c. That the Republican candi-
dates themselves, in some instances,
were compelled, through fear of
bodily harm, to withdraw their names
from the ticket and unite themselves
ostensibly with the Democratic party
and deliver speeches in support of its
policy and candidates.
81. That at certain voting places
on the day of election, armed men as.
sembled, sometimes not organized
and in other cases organized that
they controlled the elections, intimi
dated Republican voters, and de-
priyed them Of the opportunity to
vote the Republican ticket.
%. That the single fact that the
life of the Chairman of the Repub-
lican State Committee was saved by |
the intervention, by telegraph dis
patch, of the Chairman OF the Demo. |
cratic State Committee, illustrates the |
gravity of these revolutionary pro-
ceedings.
20. That in certain places where |
intimidation and fraud did not secure
Democratic victory, fraud was re-
sorted to conducting the election and
counting the votes.
80. That the civil authorities have
been unable to prevent the out
RACES thus enumerated, or to punish
the offenders, fact which is also
equally true of the United States
Courts in Mississippi.
81. That the present Democratic
ascendency in Mississippi is due solely
to the outrages thus enumerated.
90 That If there had haen a free