Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-05-19
From the New York Tlijune
The Mississippi Tragedy.

The death of Cornelia Chisolm so deep
~ intensities the public horror at the bloody
affair in Mississippi that the kemper coun-
Is tragedy threatens to become political
catastrophe 1t is in vain that democratic
newspapers exhaust their ingenuity to
show that the passions of party had moth
ing to do with the massacre, and overhaul
old records to prove that the victims were
men of doubtful character and turbulent
manners. The specter of this heroic
young girl, with her "sweet intelligent
"face, brown hair. and large resolute blue
eyes shot to death while trying to save
her father from the murderous mob,
shielding him with her shattered hands,
struck in the face and pierced with bullets,
dying at last martyr of lilial devotion,
puts argument to flight and defes cool
Judgment. 1t may be true that the feud
which has reached this shocking termina-
ton was not entirely political quarrel.
Yet tie Northern people will be sure to
decide that Chisolm, his son and daughter
McLelland and Gilmer were all massacred
because they were republicans; and the
Northern people will not be far from right.
No one can read the story of the deliber-
ate gatherings of two hundred armed
men, "sober, cool, and determined" on
that black Sunday morning in De Kalb, or
can recall the incidents of the long quarrel
which preceded the murder, without feel
ing convinced that political luminosity had
more to do with the affair than the people
of the district are willing to acknowledge.
The most serious feature Of the case is
the tolerance, not to say the approval.
with which the people of the county APP
pear to regard the outrage. "ln my con-
versation with the county officers and
"others Of the principal citizens of the
"principal citizens of the place." wrote
our staff correspondent whose letter des
crbing the tragedy was printed a week
ago, II have been shocked to find them
"all more DESTROYS of excusng or palliat-
ling the horrible crimes of the mob than
"to exhibit sympathy for the victims.
From not single man have heard ex-
"pressed an intention to aid in bringing
1.-THE murderers to Justice, or even the
"hope that they will be arrested. A por-
''tion OF the community entirely sympa-
"thzes with the perpetrators of the bloody
Outrage, and those who do not are too
much terrorized to try and enforce the
claw" Personal hatreds will not account
for public sentiment so depraved as this.
While such feeling can exist there is no
such thing as personal safety or tree gov
eminent in Mississippi. The North is JUS
titled in regarding such community with
extreme anxiety. 1t has been the habit OF
the democratic press to denounce negro
government in the Southern States a an
attempt to make pyramid stand upon its
apex. What sort of government do
they suppose can be built upon Kemper
county constituency? And how do they
suppose Southern "home rule" will be
tolerated il this is a sample of it?
The Governor of Mississippi, who seems
to be gentleman OF excellent intentions,
has visited the scene Of the tragedy. and
we presume that he has made himsel! ia.
miliar with the causes that led to it.
and the public feeling which excuses
it. We hope to hear, without much fur
Their delay, that he has set the rus,y ma
chinery OF justice in motion, and made
preparations to bring the murders to ac-
count The indignation OF the Northern
press is not likely to affect the people Of
DE Ka.b, who are probably not much ad-
dicted to reading but it onght 10 be IA
warning to Gov. Stone that the welfare OF
his party throughout the United States de-
pend 10 great measure upon the prompt
ness and efficiency Of his action in rela-
ton 10 this Outrage 1t is not to be sun
posed that when the local officials ref1se
10 do their duty in case like this. the
Governor can do nothing. At least he
can speak.