The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-05-25
THE MISSISSIPPI ASsASsIyATi0ys

II. Y. Redfeld, the Southern cores
pondent OF the Cincinnati Commercial
gives that paper a thrilling account O
the assassination of Republicans il
Mississippi. from which the foIlowin:
are extracts:
The news Of the massacre of Repub
licans in Kemper county, Mississippi
that there is no remedy for the Ike VI
this, under our feeble system of gov
ernment, and no punishment for tine
murderers, is, indeed, distressing.
knew Judge Chisholm well. and had
some acquaintance with Gilmer.
saw them last in Washington, in Feb
ruary. They told me that if the
Electoral Tribunal decided in favor OF
Tilden they would have to get out OF
Mississippi. | was 10th to believe it.
told them that the Democratic party
North, hostile as it was to Republican
doctrine, would pever consent to such
prescription as that for opinions sake.
Mr. Gilmer told me of having stopped
IN Ohio on his way to Washington. to
visit one of the most prominent citi
zens OF that State, who, If / mistake
not, wes a distant relative. He told
this citizen what the feeling was ia
Mississippi, and that if TiIden was in
augurated they would have to leave
The Ohio man, who had been stump
ing for Tilden, could not believe it
could not believe that, in this en-
lightened day, prescription for opin.
ions sake could be carried to that de
gree. The conversation comes fresh
to my mind, bow that Gilmer is dead,
shot down like dog in the streets, al
he was trying to escape the merciless
mob
Both Chisholm and Gilmer were
soldiers in the southern army, and
very brave men. GiImer was ~orth
500, 0s0, and nothing was the matter
with his respectability except bis
Republicanism. Chisholm was from
Georgia. and moved into Mississippi
since the war. He was a Republican
candidate for Congress last year In
the Third Mississippi District. His
experiences then led him TO fear that
he would ultimately be killed." but"
said he, ''if they give me a fair fight
ing chance. I'll take some of them
along, too"
He once cursed mob, calling them
selves a delegation, away from his
house. He told them that they were
towards and sneaks to attack him all
at once, but that if they would come
one at time he would try and accom-
modate them.
The story that these men ''insti-
gated" the assassination of Gully,
which was their alleged crime. l do
not for a moment believe. They ap-
preciated the dangers which surround
ed them, and were only anxious to be
permitted to live in peace. The Re-
publican policy is not and has not
been that of murder. These men had
no thought of opening war: they
were only concerned about their own
lives, and as to whether they would be
permitted to live in peace Under
the circumstances the story that they
instIgated the assassination of Gully,
a prominent white Democrat, is too
absurd for belief. From my knowl-
edge of the men do not believe they
would instigate assassination under
any circumstances, and certainly not
when they knaw so well that the
ruihans by whom they were surround
ed would take advantage of a dis
turbance and the excitement of the
assassination of a Democrat would
cause, TO make short work of them.
The question with them was NOT how
shall We attack, but how shall we pro-
tect our lives, and property while the
community is so bitterly hostile to us.
The story OF the butchery we get is
through Democratic channels, and it
is CLOSED over as mnch as possible.
But look at it on its face. On Thurs.
day Gully was assass;nated. He was
a prominent Democrat. and there was.
we are told, ''intense excitement y
Every means was resorted to, TO dis
cover the perpetrator," with the result
that on the following Saturday two
negroes made affidavit that Benjamin
Rush. a white man, did the deed, and
that Judge Chisholm and his son, Gil
mer, Rosenbaum and Hopper, promi-
nent white Republicans, knew of and
instigated the crime" "Rosenbaum
and Hopper were carried to the woods
by the mob to extort from tt EN- the
whereabouts Of Rnsb, the alleged as
sassin." sit is supposed that Rcsen
baUm and Hopper were hanged"
The account is silent as to the
means used to make the two negroes
swear to the affidavit in the first
place. Were they swung up 10 a limb
awhile to get them to confess and i'm
plicate oil these white Republicaps9
1t is an old trick in the South, where a
political victim is wanted for sacrifice.
to swing up darkey or two to get a
confession" to order. The absurdity
of the story will strike every sensi
bic man namely, that even if these
Republicans had instIgated the assas
sination of Gully or any other man,
they. would have confined their plans
to the neighborhood negroes9
But even granting that the affiday-
its were freely made, here are five men
slaughtered without Judge or Jury, |
upon the uncorroborated oaths of two |
negroes. Yet the average Southern
men will tell you that you can get a |
nigger to make an affidavit to order |
for fifty cents. l heard it a hundred |
tunes in New Orleans, during the in
into the barbaritiss i'm the |
bull dozed parishes The answer to /
the whole mass of testimony there was
this: why my dear sir, those river
niggers will swear any kind of affidavit |
for City centsr
Yet here are five white men caught |
1p from their families and slaughtered |
upon the uncorroborated affiidavits of |
two negroes, who, at most, only
alleged that these Republicans ''knew
Of and instigate6 the crime" No
time given for defense or rebuttal, or
even to investigate by what process
he affidavits of the two negroes were
brought out. Did they have ropes
around their necks when they swore
o rhe statementsl
These Republicans were all found at
heir homes. Had they been con-
cious of guilt, and knowing the cor
lition CT the public minds towards
hem, they would have employed the
ime between Thursday and Setur-
lay in getting away. But they were
III found at home where honest men
Usually are when not employed else
where. When Judge Chisholm and
lis son were arrested and taken TO
all, the Judges wife aad daughter in
isted upon accompanying them and
haring their fate. There is not in
history a more touching example of
eviction. Chisholm sent for Gilmer,
nd when he came to the jail che was :
ct upon by the mob and killed"
10 trial, no judge. no jury, nothing
gainst him but the uncorroborated
of two negroes, whom We are
o often told can be made to swear to ,
nythinp for fiftv oo0ts'