The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-05-03

country, J. want and my people want i
: vicarious punishment administered G
, that account. Let no guilty man e
! cape,p bur in Gods name punish not tt
: Innocent Sir, we are not believed. Or
statements are of no effect. Our test
mony is d1scredited and opposition [
this investigation is construed to mean
desire to conceal deeds of infamy.
For one / desire to relieve our friend
OF all embarrassment on our account
| and for that reason and with the hop
that the distinguished Senator from In
diana Mr.. Mortonl and the distinguish
| ed Senator from Massachusetts, TMr
/ Boutwell,, | for both Of whom Ihaye verl
/ great admiration and respect, will learr
from it that the people of the South are
not so bad as to them they seem. dea
/ IN no harsh epithets There is no man
! anywhere against whom bear malice
and | can sit with temper unruffied and
/ mind serene and listen to these denunci-
ations; for, while / know that they are
unmerited, / know also that these dis
tinguished gentlemen believe them de-
| served, or they would not utter them.
They are hardly competent jurors, in
tue eye of the law, to try the people of
the South, as they have not only formed
but expressed an opinion against our in
nocence. Still, for one, / am willing to
waive their incompetency, and let them
try US, find US guilty it they want to, and
hang US if they win, and then / trust
that the country and the women and
children of the South will have peace.
Let every man whose misfortune il was
to own slave be punished with death,
and that may end the cry of slave aris-
tocracy. Invite not such to your APP
preaching Centennial, for there is no
hope for them here or hereafter, and
their presence would destroy the joy of
my distinguished friends on that occa-
sion, and of that great multitude who
shall follow them to the glorious tri-
umph they declare they must obtain in
the November elections. If what they
say be true, there is no joy in the cen
tennial year for the Southern States, and
they would be unwelcome guests at the
feast which shall celebrate it,
The Senator from Indiana refers, or
has referred heretofore, to the maiori-
ties given in the various elections in
Mississippi for the last few years as evil
dence of fraud and intimidation. He
tells us that in 1869 the Republicans
gave rs, 1856 and the Democrats 80, ,097
votes; that in 1878 the Republicans gave
80, 175 and the Democrats A, ,2S8; that in
1873 the Republicans gave 1862 and
the Democrats "A 1856; and that in 1876
the Republicans gave Sc, $50 and the
Democrats SO, ,906 votes, and from this
great revolution in majorities we are to
infer that fraud and intimidation were
used to produce it. This is certainly
quite change, but do not such changes
frequently occur in other States? The
Democrats were never charged with car
rying Massachusetts by fraud and intim-
idation, and how has it voted? In 1868
the Republicans cast 1876, ATT and the
Democrats 90, 4O8 votes, a Republican
majority of 1909; in 1872 the Republi-
cans gave 1873, 472 and the Democrats
90, 26O votes, a Republican majority of
"a, ,212 votes; and yet in 1874 the Repub-
licans gave 80, 344 and the Democrats
SO, ,376 votes, a Democratic majority of
7,032 votes. The change in Mississippi
in 1873 and 1875 between the majorities
was 50. 623 votes, and in Massachusetts
from 1872 to 1874 was 81, PA votes, that
is, greater by more than 81 600 votes
than in Mississippi, and yet no one pro-
posed to investigate the Massachusetts
election. Other examples might be Civ
Ell. This shows that though such trans
formations are remarkable, they are not
so uncommon as to be very marvellous.
But, sir, the distinguished Senator
from Indiana, for whom, as / have said,
| have much admiration and great re-
spect, lives at distance from this sea
of troubles" He ''looks through glass
darkly" at the people of the Southern
States. With him all presumptions are
shown on its face, is predicated on mere
allegation. He acts in this matter, as
he frankly tells us, upon information de-
rived from documents, atfidavits, and
statements, some of which are of an
official character" les, sir, there's
the rub" Like the Ba0ylonian king,
the officials of the State OF Mississippi,
who have long rioted in the oppression
of her people, see the handwriting on
the wall, and their knees do smite to-
gether. Their kingdom is divided.
They have been weighed in the balance
and found wanting, and sinking beneath
the waves their madness has raised, they
reach out their hands stained and blacks
ened with extortion and oppression and
crime and cry to the Senator from Indi-
ana for help. The colored people of the
State are not alarmed. 1t is those whose
glory of official station has gone, and
who are too proud to work and are
ashamed to beg, and have fallen so low
in the public estimation that the colored
people whom they have duped no longer
give them countenance or do them rev.
erence.
And now, sir, permit me to say that
in the war of words which has followed
the battles of the rebellion | believe
there is much of blame to be attached to
some of our Southern orators and South
ern newspapers. Many things have been
said by them calculated to provoke re-
tort and recrimination, and to make such
response, in many cases, Justitiable.
That Southern man who, falling to APP
preciate tile results of the late bloody
contest, and to recognize the rights
which victory gives in such case, stirs
in the hearts OF his people the fires Of
hate or disloyalty, is a much worse
enemy of his section and of his people
than he who rails at them from a North
ern standpoint. He holds out to them
hopes which must be dashed to pieces,
teaches opinions which bring with them
unmixed evil, and exeites discord and
dissatisfaction which bring only disap-
pointment and distress. tbs more nec-
essary that there should be, in this time
of the South's trial and peril, no provo
cation on the part of her people and her
representatives than it has ever beenS
Southern effort should -be directed 70
heal the gaping wounds and not to re
open them, and the man of the SOhth
who forgets his high and discreet dhty
in this respect does more injury to tue
interests of his people and to their peace,
prosperity, and happiness than any
Northern man can do. He furnishes
those opposed to him their most effect
i've means of war, for which he is with
out Justification or excuse.
The Story of a PehitentiaFy Con.
Wet in regard to the Wash1ng-
~ ton Safe Burglary.