Litchfield enquirer., 1877-05-10
How not to do 1t,

themselves. The Republican party of the North will soften into acquiescence with the Presidents policy. or will harden into opposition and renewed hostility, ac- cording as the Southern white shows himself just or unjust, kind or cruel. in his treatment of the colored race, and of the Southern Republican party, now tenn porarily at his mercy. We are sorry to say that recent events at the south, though promising well in some quarters, are far from reassuring in others.
 All who have examined the election muddIes of last winter will remember that the 'tface of the returns" in South Caro- lima showed the choice of Hayes electors, and that part of the Republican, State tick ct also had small majorities. The party now dominant. however, has practically forced the Republican state officers, whose orinaG fGcie title is at least as good as Hampton's into withdrawal. Moreover the Hampton House of Repre- sentatives had the exceeding bad taste to annoy and humiliate the members of the "Mackey" or Chamberlain House, who have sought to unite with them since his downfall, with proceedings for ''purg- ing their contempt" Each Republican member has been called to the bar of the. House, and force to beg forgiveness in the humblest terms for his adherence to Chamberlain. Such an exercise of power. even if legal, is, under all the circum- stances. extremely ungenerous and un- wise. Did the National government ever attempt the personal humiliation of the white majority of that House by demand ing apologies for the crime of treason of which probably everyone of them has been guilty With how much better taste and feeling was the business of reconcilia- ton managed in Louisiana, when its two | legislatures merged into one.
 But such refusals of right, and such ar- rogant treatment of conquered opponents. are small matters compared with last weeks outbreak of political savagery in Mississippi. The story as it reaches us through the dispatches of the Associated Press is a sufficiently horrible one: On Thursday, the 26th ult., John w. Gully, prominent citizen of Kemper Co.,, Miss. was assassinated by some person unknown. On Saturday two negroes made affidavit charging that one Benjamin Rush was the murderer, and that he had been instigat- ed to commit the crime by Judge Chisolm, Republican candidate for Congress in that District, last fall, his son, John P. Gilmez, and two other Republicans nam- ed Rosenb baum and Hopper. Judge Chi solm and his son were at once arrested and thrown into prison at DeKalb, his wife and daughter insisting upon sharing their confinement. As Gilmer was being brought there, the next day, he was set upon by a mob and killed. The crowd next took advantage of the changing of the of the jail guard to attack and over- power the jailos. Chisolm got possession of some of tho guns left by the retiring guard, shot a DrRosser dead. and sev- erely wounded nephew of the deceased Gully, who was among the assailants. The young son of Judge Chisolm was shot dead, whether by the mob or, accidentally by his father, accounts differ. Firing now became general and promlscuous, !" says the fuller of the two reports, "Lhi- solm's wife and daughter chung to him, the latter receiving a wound in the wrist. Chisholm himself fell desperately, ,and it IS supposed mortally wounded, but he still survives. One Mcclellan, an adherent of Chisolm, and of the inside guards, who remained, somehow escaped from the building, but was killed immediately aft erward.' One account says that Hopper and Rosenbaum were lynched by the mob; another that they were not hurt.
 Chisholm, Gilmer, and McClelland, are leading Republicans, served in the Con- federate army during the war. and have held important offices since Reconstruc- ton. Judge Chisholm is a man of proper ty and held the office of Probate Judge before the war. He and Mir. Gilmer were witnesses before the U. s. Senate commit. tee on Privileges and Elections, last win. ter, and have lived in constant dread oi assassination ever since. Indeed, there can be little doubt that their political enemies took advantage of the murder oi Gully to arouse the public hatred to such a pitch as resulted in the cowar,lly massa. ere detailed above. The charge on which they were arrested. it will be observed, was not that of murder, but only of insti gating murder, and the improbable story rests on testimony that Southern Democrats are wont to consider unrelia , ble. But the result accomplished is the 7 wholesale slaughter of the Republican l leaders of 8 county, if not of Congres [ sional District.
 Even the New York World, paper no l very easily moved by massacre of negroe. or carpet baggers. sees the need o prompt action on the part of the Missis. , slppi authorities:
 The affair offers the Democratic gov.
  ernment of the State an opportunity o proving to the country promptly its title to authority. Governcr Stone, we trust will lose no time in showing that he is , made of different stuff from Adslbert !; Ames. and the good citizens of Mississip l pi, without distinction of parties, should gather to his support and make the evi
 disposed understand at once that the ers
 of anarchy and lawless bloodshed ther, 3 has passed away forever.
 A week has now passed since the frs report of this horrible affair reached us - yet we hear of no arrests. or attempts. t, E arrest. The Republican party is practical Q ly.'wiped out"of large section of Missis r sippi, and there is not even pretense o - punishing its murderers. It is atrocitiel ,, like this that may turn Hayes into non ], entity. and stamp his policy a failure