New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-19
mIssIsSIPPl GRAND JURlES.

Nor Indicted. aud Why-Half OF the
Ev,aence for a Single County Re-
vtewed-Uuited States Supervisors Iu'-
ur,soned = Frauds, Intimidation and
Murders.
James Redpath writes from Washington
to the New York Times:
There is no punishment for crime in Mis-
sissippi, when it is done in the name OF LIE.
mocracy. Witnesses dare not testify. Grand
iuries dare not indict. Petty juries dare not
convict.
Mr.. Senator Eaton is indignans--consti-
tutionally enraged-strict-cOnst stitutiorally
apgry-that the President should have pre-
suned to tell the truth about the crimes and
the frauds of the Democratic banditti of the
Cult States.
The President said only the simple truth
when he declared that mississippi to-day
is governed by officials chosen through
fraud and violence, such as would scarcely
be accredited to savsges, much less to a
civilized and Christian people"
Senator Boutwell,, of Massachusetts, SEN
ator Cameron, of Wisconsin, Senator Nc
MILAN, of MinnesOta-all men of character
above suspicion or reproach-have signed
their names to a terrible impeachment OF
the Mississippi banditti which indorses and
repeats what the President proclaims.
Senator Bayard, of Delaware. on the other
hand, and Senator Macdonald, of In.
dlana-Bayard, the best specimen left US of
the men who once were 0mnipOtent in our
politics as 1.-THE slave power" and Mac
Donald, as reputable Democrat as the
the Northern States can now grow, albeit
the altered climate is no longer cOngenial to
that once tlourishing staple-both of these
gentlemen, with equal emphasis, pronounce
the statement of the President to be untrue.
To avoid personal issues let us look at
the record. Lamar appeals for ''lOcal self
government" Let US see what it me ans
not from congressional rhetoric but from
the legal records Of Mississippi-I think it
means to sneer at political assassinstions
as ''the bloody Shirt" to call preconcerted
rebelliOns against constitutional rights
''spOradic" Irregularities; to recognize Q
Legislature that was elected by murder,
fraud and intimidation as the legal and
proper representative of ''the people" Of
the State, and then to make the punish
ment of crime impossible by threats
against juries and Witnesses, and by gen.
eral system of terrorism pervading the en-
tire community. This propose to prove.
The grand jury at Oxford, Mississippi,
although the evidence before it covered
hundreds of cases, failed to return q true
bill against any man for violations of the
election laws. The DISTRICT attorney
attributes the failure to the fear on
the part of some ''Of exciting odium at
home" if the bills were found, because 9TH
ers expected to recommend themselves
for election favors at home by gaining the
reputation of having obstructed and par
alyzed these prosecutions" and. in the case
of one Juror, to the fact that his own con
was proved to have been implicated by the
evidence produced.
The foreman, Mr.. FraZee, in his report
declared that 1.-The fraud, intimidation and
violence perpetrated at the late election is
without parallel in the annals of histo-
ry;" that thousands of individuals could
have been indicted on the testimony that
could easily could have been procured;
that from the facts ELECTED during this
grand inquest, and from our own kn0wl-
edge of the reign Of terror that was inau.
gurated during the late election campaign,
we can only recommend to the citizens of
Mississippi to make an earnest appeal to
the strong arm of the United States gov.
ernment to give them that protection that
is guaranteed to every American citizen
that is, protection in freedom OF speech, IL
their person and property, and the right OF
suffrage"
Mr.. Senator Thurman thinks that for
local grievances the citizen should apply to
the State or to the LEGAL courts Mr.. Fore
man Frazee does not seem to agree with
the Senator. He says land all the grand
Jury of Oxford say with him): I'VE do as
sert that all of these rights were openly
violated and trampled in the dust during
The late election, and that there is no re.
dress for these grievances under the pres
ent State government. and unless the
United States government enforces that
shield of protection that is guaranteed to
every American citizen, however humble
nhe <hov tho nfyyana nj
Mississippi exclaim: Farewell to liberty
Farewell to the freedom Of the ballot-box.'
The President seems to be ustained by
the Oxford grand jury.
Grand juries and their witnesses are in
timidated. / met one of the members Of
this Oxford grand jury in Mississippi and
he told me that brave men actually shed
tears before them and begged not to be
forced to testify to facts OF which they had
personal knowledge, because if they did &C
they would be killed when they went back
to their homes.
w. F. Tucker is a lawyer of good stand
ing in Mississippi, and he was called by the
majority of the committee to give evidence
before it. Now, what would be thought in
the North if q prominent lawyer should
presume to send q threatening letter to the
foreman of a grand jury? Yet this is wha,
w. F. Tucker did do; and here is copy Of
the letter, certified to under oath:
OKoLoNA, Miss, June IL, 1876.
DEAR BILL-It is reported here that true
bills are to be found against all the country
around Okolona for the raid on the negro
Baptist church and the charge of Stovall't
brigade upon the viewless air from Egyp'
on day Of election. If this be true, yOt
ought to know; and presume y on do know
that you, and you alone, will be held re
sponsible for the action of the grand jury
You can very well imagine how pleasant 8
life yeu will lead among, say, two hundred
men, who would all charge you with organ
izing prosecution against them. You know
have always been your personal friend
and it is as friend that l write TO say il
you are not already committed to that lint
of policy don't allow the bills to be found
think that you know me well enough t.
give me credit for sincerity when l max.
such suggestion.
have abundant reasons for making it.
All we'll. Yours, w. +. TUCKER.
the President seems to be sustained by
the letter of Mr.. Tucker.
Let us now sec what witnesses testified
to under oath before the grand jury at Ok
ford.
Loundes county gave a Republican vot'
of 2725 in 1873, and Of 202l in 1873: 1t gav'
q Democratic vote of $50 in 1873, and
2l37 in 1875.
One witne IS gave the names of seven per
sons who kept q great many voters iron
going to the polls, by threatening to kill
them if they did 20, at Crawfordvilie, il
this county.
r. R. Spears. q candidate on the "Lewi
ticket'-a Republican faction-swore tina
the town Of Columbus made an appropria
ton of $3.50 to defray the expenses OF tn
armed horsemen from Alabama, who wer
invited by the Democrats to come over Of
election day, and who did 80 come and hell
to swell the Democratic vote. This appro
priati0n was never entered ON the minutes
The witness knew it because he ls mem
her of the town council. He is q Democrat
but was induced to "allow his name" to ap