The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-08-30

niS MAS the Begtnaing anu the end o
the riot IN the bail; but the condition d
feelingwhich probably gaverise tothe rid
did notenl with that aHray. Yazoo couIf
ty contained an overwhelming majority o,
colored people. It's government, Judges
clerks, sheriff. supervisors, justices of the
pence, constables juries-grand and petil
prosecuting otieers-all wehe in the
hands of the republican party Mr..
Morgan, who Was one of the chief actors
ton this occasion, was the aatoerat of his
party in shat county. He held the Office
OF sheriff at one time. and was candidate
for re-slection. BE appeared in Wash
lngtOn before the committee to assail his
political opponents IN Mississippi. Mr..
Morgan has been in Washington employ.
ed, as he says, as claim agent for
several months. He was in eommunica-
ton with the majority of the committee
for weeks prior 20 their departure for
Mississippi. His testimony could readily
have been then taken, and some oppsrtuni.
~ thus afforded for calling witnesses in
reply, but he was withheld until the
return of the committee to Washington.
and examined ut the very close of their
sessions. He stated, at page. that he
went to Mississippi at the close of the war,
rented lands, and commenced planting,
bat from various causes failed and was
sold out, and became .insolyent that he
was received with the greatest possible
kindness on every hand upon his first com.
ing, but soon lost his popularity with the
white people, to whom he became exceed
iugly obnoxious. He omitted to inform
the committee that he had married color
ed woman, which fact was stated by Dix
ON and Foote, colored witnesses, and his
political associates, at page =. Upon
his failure in business he Immediately
embarked in politics, and has thoroughly
controlled the county ever since Attor-
nor-General Harris, in the letter herein
before cited, classes hims among the
disreputable associates of Governor Ames,
and says that, when State Senator, he
offered to sell his vote for $4,000; that
Raymond, the State printer, refused to
pay it, saying that he had already paid
him 5000, and that was enough for that
vote. Morgan was also chairman of the
late republican State convention.
The marriage, to which we have
alluded, and his evil repute encouraged a
political associate named Hilliard. and a
former sheriff, to run against him for the
nomination of sheriff The convention
nominated Morgan; but Hilliard bolted
and ran for the Office, calling to his aid
whatever opposition he could muster. At
the end of the election of 1874, Hilliard,
being In office, refused TO give it up to
Morgan, except upon terms to which
Morgan refused to accede, and claimed
that Morgan had not qualified according
to law. Morgan proposed to take posses
sion of the Office by force of arms, and
did so, and killed Hilliard, who resisted
him, and with his many friends shot
other adherents of Hilliard. This riot,
occurring at the courthouse, involved
none but members of the republican
party, (See deposition of Foote, page
ID Those who were killed and those
who killed them were alike republicans.
No Democrat was concerned in it; but
the friends of the murdered man caused
the arrest of Morgan, who was commit
ted without bail, waving any hearing
before the committing magistrate. He
Immediately, however, sued out &
writ of hdbeas corpus, before Chancellor
brennan, who, after hearing of five
! days, refused to discharge him on bail
and recommitted him to prison. Nor
gan was then, at his own request, re-
moved to the penitentiary at jackson
He was, as Ills correspondence with Gov
ernor Ames shows, (see pages 102 anC
lO3 Of the documentary evidence Oh
, terms of close personal and political in
! timacy with Ames, and, according Il
the letter of Harris, the attorney-general
Ames removed brennan because he re.
: fused to bail his friend Morgan, and ap
r pointed Walton chancellor in place O
brennan, who thereupon proceeded t,
f hear the application of Morgan for dis
} charge, and discharged him on reeog
: nizance of s5, 900. Morgan re appeared
: in Yazoo City, obtained possession of hi
4 office, and having political control of tn
county no indictment was found agains
/ him or any of his friends for the murde
d of Hilliard OF the shooting of Hilliard'
friends until the county passed into th
] Democratic hands by the result of tn
e election of 1873, when an Indictment 70
/ murder was found against him by
grand jury, from which Indictment he
g to-day fugitive in the city of Washing
n ton, and appears as a witness before th
K committee of the Senate to assail tn
y community whose laws he has outraged
o That Morgan killed Hilliard nust nav
been found by Chancellor Dreman whe
n he refused, after hearing of five DAYS
If to discharge him on bail, and testimon
It of Foote (see page-) testifes to tn
d same fact, How far the condition {
e feeling which led to the riot in Yszo
e City on the lst of September, 1875, ha
d been brought about by the Iawless actio
n and defiance of all order by Morgan hin
II self and his political associates is NJ
d easy to determine; but that he was hin
1t self gross transgressor there can be u
is manner of doubt, and that such q ma
10 would never be permitted to obtain n,
b retain Office in the Northern States, v
d believe to be equally true. The weigl
ID of the testimony of such a witness v
le submit to just public consideration.
r The Clinton riot was productive
ht more public excitement than the thr
Is other riots which we have described,
n has been the subject Of more exaggeFate
re statement than all the other three COZ
as hined. and the facts attending it Ct
as nov be stated with reasonable degr
a. of certainty. A political meeting
be which barbecue was 10 be had W
p called at Clinton, village on the Vicl
er burg railroad about twelve miles west
Nv jackson, the capital Of the State.
4, give celebrity to the occasion, Govern
lst Ames and other leading members Of
it party, were announced to be speake
US and by an arrangement Democra
mt speakers were also invited and a port
lly Of the time for discussion allotted
sp- each 1t was intended to be grand
We mOnstration on the part of the Repul
IN cans, who attended in large numbe
a estimated at from eighteen hundred
aid twenty-five hundred, OF whom upws
as, of twelve hundred we're men.
vii whites were mere handful, by the b
informed witnesses supposed to be fr
al sixty to seventy-6ve Republicans {