Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-05-09
A FRUSTRATED PARTI-THE NlSSIS-
SIPpI RE PLBLIC4NS.
Correspondence If TIE Veg York Time.
IL. I..n- .ln,. My q lA-R

Could there he g fair and honest election IN
Mississippi there is no douh; that The repnoIlcans
would carry the State by majority OF at lie asst
forty thousand. This fact is oLceded by many
fair. minded democrats. In 1859 republican gov
ernor was elected by majority OF 81, 000 votes,
and in 1873 the per.ccuted Adclbcrt Ames was
chosen to the Executive chair by majority OF
over thirty thousand. In the election held lat
October the democrats were successful their ma
ioritv being about thirty thousands change of
$4,000 votes! This might not be regarded as eX-
traordinury at the North, but it must be remen-
bered that parties in Mississippi or Louisiana are
not constituted they are IN New \ ork or the
New England States. There large masses Of IN
dependent voters hold the balance OF power, and
often cast their ballot for men irrespective of par
ty. Here the people are distinctly and always d.
vlied into two great factions. The blacks are all
on one side, the whites are all on the other The
negroes never vote the democratic ticket, at least
not willingly; it is part OF their religion TO sup
port the party that made them fee The one
creed to which they are ever faithful Is, II votes
de publican ticket and ram or SHINE, SICK or
well the most earnest desire OF their ilVes is
to appear the polls with that ticket In Missis-
sippi these black voters have an undouoted ma
orlty of at least thirty thousand. Yet they have
been defeated by more than thirty thousand votes.
and they have hope OF success IN the approach
ing election! Why is this people OF the North may
ask in astonishmeut The answer is they are not
allowed TO vote. They citizens of the l niled
States but the governments unable to protect them
IN Their rights to sccur; to them the pay.ieSe OF
cltlZeQsllp.
are to-day very nearly as lar from the ba )t-oox
as they were twenty years ago. When spoken to
upon this subject the average southern democrat
is sure to shirk the main Issue by declaring that
the negroes are not fit to vote 1t Is useless TO
argue that this is not now the question, that tue
capability of the black man is DO longer under
discussion, and that all these matters have already
been decided upon by the National Congress.
The Southern democrat with very fa'r share oil
negro observation-disclosures, eau or will only reply
mt
the deep rooted convection of the white men OF
Mississippi, they have determined that the
colored CITIZENS of the State shall be prevented
from exercising their rights and IN spite OF
the laws, in in spite of the constitution, IN
| spite of all the power of the government, they
| have driven them away from the polls-they have
| debarred them from those privileges which 1t was
| thought were secured TO them by the results OF
the war. There is now virtually no republican
party in Mississippi, and there Is no hope that the
majority of the voters wi! BE- able to carry the
State in the coming election
Many of the more conservative men oil the DEM
ocratc party professed deplore the acts OF Their
awless associates last year, bUt made no effort to
prevent the wrongs which were pat upon the
black men, and were ever ready to Wink at even
the most terrible outrages. II was not always
necessary TO commit cnmc however; IN many
cases the timid negroes were easily subdued by
threats and what are known heie a, warnings.
This was the ease ia Washington county, where
the colored men had majority Of 0JO Bat polied
democrats bought up number of negroes who
had been repudiated BY their psltY bat VITO sti.l
claimed TO be republicans. They sent these men
to all the political meetings held by the negroes IN
the county, instructed them to make all tie noise
and confusion possible, and in order that the work
of breaking up the meeting might be more efrc-
tually done numbers OF weilaImed WI &c men
always on hand TO pro.eci tae negro rene
gades. In GieeEville one Of the c7l1Eed Uta
thus secured b. the whites was u l.2ii2 named
j. Allen Ross. who one tine Il j gieA ladleace
among the negroes. Bccta>e oI his pTo-2.1eace
he particularly d!..iked by the wl!ie-. AMI
three attempts were male 10 axe RS llic ~ oEe
time his va. shot OF, aad be received several
other serious wounds. He forgot these Il l8rse,
when they bought HIN over. Acting under IN
struccons from the whle leaders, he attsnGed
most of the meetings held in and about Green
vile, aud in many succeeded 10 breaking
them up. AT one of these gatherings State Sena-
tor Gray, a coIored man, wa, tue speaker, and
Ross, was his custom, interrupted HIM frequent
y by asking eleyant questions. Gray answered
two Of them, bur at length becoming tired
of the interruption, sail quietly, 81 can't answer
any more of your questions, sir" Upon this, one
of number of white men who was supporting
Ross leveed his gun at Gray, and SAID Answer
INN, you black --, get down from that
stand" Gray, fearing for his life, left the stand
and the meeting broke up. 1t was the last one
held in Greenvile. In Lowndei county another
species of outrage was re,orted TO for the purpose
of defeating the republican ticket. A colored
man named Gleeds was the leader in the district,
aud was a candidate for sheriff. y few nights be-
fore the election the young white and boys
of Columbus, where Gieeds lived, set fire to an
old shanty near his house, and to deserted log
cabin in another part OF the village, then they ran
through the streets crying "Defend your homes,
the niggers have set fire to the town.. Pistols
were at once drawn and three black men were
killed. Geeds fled to Jackson the republican
organization was broken up and the democrats
carried the county, of which Vcksburg is the
principal city, ard in which the negroes have
majority Of seven to one. he democratic canvass
was begun on that memorable 9TH Of November
when seventy negroes were massacred This wa
followed by the trouble in july when three black
men were killed. and the result was that the re-
publicans held no meetings aud virtually gave up
the contest, To make their success, douby sure,
the democrats through some unknown agent of
whom they prefer to have no Knowledge, tried 10
kill Crosby. the republican sheriff and republican
leader lie was standin. in a drinking saloon in
Vicksburo iu.t behind a wire screen, which was
placed in front of he door, when suddenly a !
shot was fired. A b Al came through the screen,
and Crosby feu to the floor. lie was severe. |
" wounded in the head. and fearing for his |
life left Mississippi 1t is perhaps unnecessary