The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-08-02

10 the Editor OF me C'tdIteSeOt 'O"'""' "
Commerce:
The high joint commission, consisting
If WIN. Stone, carpet-bag Attorney
General. and the mulatto AdJutant-Gen-
eraI of the State, Purvis, have lately Wis.
tied Hamburg to investigate the horror,
and the former has made his "report."
WHY Gov. Chamberlain should have
subjected the State to the expense, and
these two dignitaries to the trouble, OF
going to Hamburg, is somewhat surprls
ing. When we read the report, and
the data from which it is made,
the ex parte statements of lying negroes,
and the partial, partisan and false con
illusions of its facile author, the sugges-
ton arises why the affidavits were not writ
ten out i'm Columbia, made to order there,
and sent by express to be executed with
out limit by the dusky atlantis of that
renowned rendezvous, Hamburg This
plan would have answered the purpose of
the outrage manufacturers and their
hireling newspaper champions just as
well.
If this so.called Attorney General had
been in pursuit of the truth, why did he
confne his inquiries to the besotted ne
groes, and a few perjured white men, who
had instigated them into an armed insur-
rection against the laws of the country,
the rights and property of its citizens,
and the safety and peace Of the commu-
nifty ? If acting within the purview Of
the duties incident to the high position
in the State to which the accidents of
war have elevated him, why did he so
hastily conclude his investigation before
getting at the real facts of this unfortu
nate emeute, and rush into print with
report pregnant with partisanship, and
fragrant with the odor of Radical false
hood If his hireling champions of the
press had desired to present 10 the public
a truthful account and a fair representa-
ton Of the " Hamburg horror" why did
their accommodating reporters seek for
publication the statements ofSuch worthless
as "Dock " Adams, Prince Rivers,
Gardner, and other negroes of that ilk.
and avoid sources of information which
could have thrown light, 1T least, upon
the subject OF inquiry.
Why should these champions Of Radical
outlaws, these holsters Of the waning
fortunes of one of the most Infamous,
imbecile governments that the world has
ever known, SO ''swiftIy denounce" the
white men engaged in the merited
cAastisement Of this body of armed out
laws, bandits and robbers, as " tends,"
cowarls, etc, and have not one word of
condemnation for the outlaws, bandits
and robbers themselves Why have the
editors and reporters of these malignant
81, Io II ia L
horror and shame and modification at
the death of Il few Of these armed out
laws, and find in their hearts not feel
ing Of regret aud sorrow at the death of
that splendid, fearless and honorable
young man, Mckie Merriweather, who
was murdered in cold blood by these same
outlaws l can point out Just twenty
mis- statements of facts in this report"
which could have been easily avoided if
the doughty Attorney General had taken
the trouble to arrive at the truth. As he !
recommends the judicial investigation, !
and sundry threats of arrests have been
made by certain valliHt knights Of the |
quill, who. ! presume, will play constable |
for that purpose, | will reserve my ex- I
posture of these falsehoods for that inter |
esting occasion,
Upon the heads Of those charged with !
the execution of the laws, rests the re-
sponslbllty for this collision If it is /
true that Gov. Scott placed these arms
and this ANN unition in the hands Of !
these ignorant people, it was crime
against them and the white people that
he did so. 1t was Il crime in Gov. No
ses to lave allowed them to remain i'm !
hnI md MI . Al
crime in Gov. Chamberlain, in the light |
Of his experience upon that subject. 1t |
was cruel and inexcusAble wrong, an
objectionable sin against the peace of |
the country aud the lives of the people,
that he should have allowed these guns
and ammunition to remain in their !
hands.
The jurisdiction and powers Of a trial |
Justice are large and the responsibility /
increased, at an impor. /
tant point OH our border, like Hamburg
and man Of the greatest discretion, + /
lelity and firmness, could and should !
have been procured to fill the Office but I
instead of that, this man Prince Rivers |
wholly EnHt fGr so important a station. ]
IS the only acting trial Justice in Ham. /
burg, and | believe the next nearest in /
AIKEN county Is about twelve miles dis |
5ant.
Now, if there had been trial Justice |
accessible, who would have given Mr.. !
Robert Butler justice, when, like law /
abiding man, as he is, he appealed to
him to protect members of his family /
against this so-called militia, this Choir |
ror" would never have been chronicled. !
Not only does he not afford him pro-
lection, but the rufIianly constable of |
.his trial justice, one Bill Nelson, a COP
per coiored negro, insults me rs his at |
.orney when approached him in a per-
tectly respectful manner, to inquire
about the whereabouts of the tri al JUS
ice, IN order To begin the investigation. j
was moreover batfied anil trified wiki /
.or hours by this tlial justice and his ne
gro associates, until this armed COMMA
~ OF outlaws had time to concentrate in
heir armory, where they could success
.ully maintain their attitude Of armed 4
nsurreciion, armed with guns which this
iame FRINGE Rivers admitted in my pres
,nce had beeen taken from him by these
negroes without authority.
The town had negro intendent, ne
gro aldermen, negro marshals. 1t was
almost terror to every white man
whose business required him to to pass
through it. They had harbored thieves
md criminals from every direction.
They had arrested and fined some of the
)eSt and most peaceable citizens for the
most trivial offenses against their ordi.
lances--some for drinking out of a
pring adjacent to the highway. One