New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-05-09
the woods, and we can guess their fate


the woods, and we can guess their fate
wolves never show mercy.
We predict that not one of that band Of
murderers will ever be indicted by the
grand jury, and if indicted, thst not one
Of them will be convicted by jury, if
they ever come TO trial.
By this Kemper county horror Repub-
hcans are reminded that the South wants
and must have local self-government,
even if every Radical in the State has to
be shot or hung.
The Indianapolis journal says:
We are permitted to copy the following
letter from a gentleman in high position
in Washington, Mississippian of unques-
toned character, who was well acquainted
with the murdered man. 1t is addressed
to Senator Morton.
''You doubtless have seen the dispatch
from Meridian, Mississippi, announcing
the barbarous murder of Colonel Gilmer
and Judge Chisholm at DeKalb yester-
day. They were two of the most proIni-
nent and responsible native Republicans
in the State. Both served in the Confed-
crate army and were brave and gallant.
Chisholm had been probate judge before
the war, has been sheriff for several years
past and was Republican candidate for
Congress last fall. He is reported to have
been worth at least 100000. Gilmer
has been State Senator four years, and
both were large merchants when killed.
The charge OF assassination was q mere
ruse to give shadow of cause for the
butchery. The whole trouble was that
they were active and uncompromising Re
publicans and were holding their forces
together for future campaigns. DeKalb
county is white, but at least 800 white
men theEe-the poorer class-vote the
Republican ticket, and these noble fell
lows were their leaders. This was their
only offense. Gully, who is reported TO
have been assassinated, was a desperate
and always in trouble. / do not know
the other three men killed with Gilmer
and Chisholm, but the latter / knew very
we'll indeed. You may remember them
as calling on you together one evening
just before the fourth of March. They
were witnesses before the Mississippi
committee and called to pay their respects
as they felt very warm friendship and
high admiration for you. Together the
poor victims constituted q party whom
the cowardly murderers would not have
dared to meet except as they were dis
armed prisoners, defenseless and at the
mercy Of the bloodthirsty mob. Such is
the value of Republican lives in Missis-
sippi, 1t is terrible to contemplate.
Even the Texans, quick as they are on
the trigger and rough in their riding, are
ashamed of the cowardly method of the
Kemper county Democrats. The Houston
Age says:
Mob violence is never excusable, under
any circumstances, in country like our
own, where all law is lodged with the
people. 1t is on every statute book in
the land that he who sheds mans blood
shall die. The life of the murderer
being thus forfeited to mis- neighbor, we
have, as citizens and civilized beings,
agreed to proceed to taking it in regular
way, SO that no mistake may be made,
and those who would avenge a murder
become murderers themselves.
But this Mississippi tragedy is refec-
| ton upon the people of the South. They
had repeatedly pledged their word to the
! government and to the President that il
| the military was withdrawn no such
bloody scenes as this should occur. We
insisted upon the right Of self-govern-
uleut, anu ClhlLubu We were competent 70
enforce civil law without help from the
army. And further, that there should be
no persecution and killing for political
causes. The hot-bloods of KempeI
county have contradicted it all.
We insist, however, that these men only
represented themselves. They have nc
sympathy with any considerable portion
of the Southern people. They represent
no other community. Doubtless if the
real fact was known they are condemned
by majority of the people where they
live. This tragedy shows the rancorous
hatred engendered by partissns in the
| United States. 1t shows that the killing
of leader on one side may quickly lead
to massacre. .-H lt
We trust for the sake of the good name
of the South the details of this horrible
affair will soften thar now upon the sur
face. Doubtless they will, but we can no
see how. To kill woman in the manne
Miss Chisholm was, is repugnant to every
feeling of Southern manhood and South
ern honor. Their lives are sacred under
these, and under almost all other circum
stances Surely, the shot which laid he
! low must have been accidental, or fred b,
a coward unworthy of citizenship.