Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-08-23
SOUTHERN BARBARISM.
Report of the Senate Committee on Af-
fairs in Mississippi.
Startling Array OF Fraud, intimidation and
Assassination.
Something Which Everyone should Read
and Ponder.

WASHINGTON, August 7.-Messrs
Boutwell,, Cameron OF Wisconsin, AM
Mcmillan of Minnesota, presented thei
report in the Senate to -day-au concur
ring in every part of it. 1t will aston
ish the people of the North. It present
the most appalling picture of fraud and
crime ever brought before the American
people siuce the horrors OF Anderson
vile were first revealed.
The subioined abstract covers every
point Of the report, but excludes ths
quotations, and in all is perhaps one
fourth of the length of the origina
document: s
WHAT THE EVIDENCE PROVES.
It says that the evidence taken before
the committee will fully support these
conclusions:
/. That force, fraud, and intimidation werl
used generally and successfully in the politics
canvass of 1875.
2. That Governor Ames was man of PEI
sonal integrity and an able chief magistrate
and that his fitness was admitted by his poi.
cal opponents.
s. That there were many persons in Office
and dishonest, but that this fact is as true OF
the Democratic as of the Republican counties
and that neither the Governor nor the masses
of the party sustained them, but, on the con-
trary, that they were generally driven from
Office.
recent citizens, or carpet baggers," betrayed
the trust confded to them, the majority were
intelligent, upright. and brave men from the
North, who were entirely incorruptible, aud
who are now struggling against great odds to
secure just administration of public affairs.
s. That the rate of increase of taxes of Mis-.
sissippl before and after the war is much less
than in some of the Northern States, where no
complaint ls made against them. This COM
plant Is considered at some length
6. That there was no justification whatever
in any wrongs or errors Of Republican admin
lstrstlon for the outrages, AID cl.laes COM
mitted to overthrow it.
z. That the charge that Governor Ames at
tempted to organize the black against the
white race, by negro militia" has ne foun-
dation in fact. as the evidence shows that ma
tiVe-born citizens who had served in the Con-
federate army were accepted by him, and
commanded as officers. and that it ives his
purpose to solicit and accept recruits from all
classes of the people of the State
5. That although this act occurred sitter
series Of assassinations follOwiDg the Clinton
riot), which left the Governor powerless to
keep the peace. it was made the pretext by
the Democrats for openly organizing and
arming themselves in military clubs, by which
the colored Inhabitants and white Republicans
Of the State were overawed, intimidated, s1d
deprived of their rights as Citizens Il
: g. That these com pam es committed numer-
Gus murders of citizens who had been and then
were active in the Republican party.
10. That the Governor was not only not
reprehensibe III organizing militia but that
Ua q ndl1ct
Of the Democracy in arming to resist it was
unlawful, and ought to have been suppressed,
either by the state or national authorities.
Il. That the riot at Clinton and the bloody
massacre on the following Sunday were in
harmony with the policy previously adopted
by tie Democrats III that vicinity, and de-
signed to intlmidate and parayze the Repub-
lcan party
II. That the allegation that the negroes
were organizing into military bands for the
destruction of the white race was pretext
made for the formation Of Democratic armed
companies, as the evidence shows not only
were the blacks not armed to any extent, but
that those who had arms were furnished with
inferior and secondhand weapons and that
their leaders, both religious and political,
everywhere dlscountenanced the resort to
force.
49, That in sentence it may be asserted
that all the statements made that there was
any justifable cause for the recent proceed
ings II Mississippi are without foundation.
IA That, on the other hand, it is to be said
that majority OF the white Democratic vo-
ters Of the State were engaged in a systematic
: effort to carry the election, and this with 8
purpose to resort to all means within theil
power, including, on the part of some Of them
the murder OF prominent persons IN the Re.
publican party, both black and white.
Is. That the minority who were opposed te
these outrages, and who are for a time over
la1,o ,1~rs of4 lar
Republican party.
IS That the element Of society which
chiefly committed these outrages on the col
ored voters and on the white Republicans was
mainly young men who have reached manhood
since the close of the war; but that they were
encouraged ID their course by the Democratic
leaders, who accepted the political advantages
Of their conduct, and are largely responsible
for the crimiL al lesults.
IT. That the negro laborers were in many
cases compelled TO vote for their Democratic
employers; that there was general dispo
sition, by threats of discharging them and re-
fusing them subsistence, 30 to compel them
and that ia some counties the contracts made
with the laborers declared that they should
lose their share Of the crops If they did not
vote to suit their employers.
Is. That The Democratic clubs organized liz
e7ery part Of the State were supplied With the
bes. arms that could DO procured in the coun
try; that they everywhere publicly expressed
their purpose TO carry the election at all haz
ards; that In many cases they procured one OF
more pieces of artillery, with which they
trayersed the country FOR weeks before ths
election intlmdating the negroes, menacine
them, and firing into their houses by night.
- That the intimidation was DO great thai
IN large number Of counties previous to the
election it impossible to hold Republican
meetings; that IN many strong Republican
counties Republican meetings we're broken up
and nearly all attempts to canvass these DIS
trlcts were abandoned.
90 That the early riots at Clinton and Vicks
burg were the results of special purpose OF
the part of the Democratic leaders to breai
up tie meetings of the Republicans, to de
stroy the leaders, and to INACCURATE polio.
or terror, not only in these counties, bu
throughout the State, which would deter the
blacks from attending the meetings, and es
peclally deter them from the free exercise O.
the right to vote on the day of election. tn
results thus sought for were in large degre,
attained.
q. That the number Of negroes assassinatet
after the Clinton riot could not have beer
less than from thirty to fifty. These wer,
follow cd by the cowardly murders of Mr. Half,
and Senator Caldwell.
o. That these outrages were confined