The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-08-13
A REPLY TO THE sTATEMENTS
OF THE BELLS
They are Triumphant1y Answered by
Thirty-eight Responsible Citizens.

They are Triumphantly Answered by
Thirty-eight Responsible Citizens.
/ BEAT No. /, YAzoo COUNTY, August, 1879.
EDITORS CLARION: We the citizens of Beat
! No l. of Yazoo county, respectfully ask enough
[ OF your valuable space 10 reply to, and retute
the statements of the Bells, made to the Gov
! ernor and citizens of jackson, and published III
I The CLARION OF July 3Uth Their statement
/ as represented, are batch of faisehO0ds from
the opening sentence 10 the last No armed
men had waited upon Mr.. Bell. A committed
/ OF citizens, four in number did 80 to Belfs 70
ask his Withdrawal from the canvass, and the
prosecution OF the race issue. They (the bells
/ reported that they had not attempted 10 raise
race issues" We assert that they have and
I that they had falsitied when they uttered it,
Now then you, Mr.. Editor, and the good peo-
/ Pile OF our glorious old commonwealth of Missis-
Sippi. have their statements upon the one hand
and this written denial of those statements
signed by thrtv-eigh 1887 of the citizens OF this
maligued county on the other. viii the peo-
/ pie hear the infamous and slanderous imputa-
/ tons and asperSions thrown upon us by these
4 two men, one of whom Is a professional office
seeker and has been for many years-rather
/ than believe the testimony of the witness
hereto subscribing? Have not attempt
ett to raise race issues! The people of Hazoo
county stand aghast at the baseness, the treaeh-
cry and the pcrfdv of these two men. Aud to
divert attention from themselves and their
damnahle acts, they fly To the Governor and
the Capitol Of the State TO spread these lies which
nave known no existence except as born IN their
brains. Ii they have mot attempted TO raise
race issues why have they held negro meetings
20 the dead hours of midnight, and told these
people thaV the white people had violated every
pledge and even denied them the right to vote
as they thought best? Why have many OF
the Independents deserted them and Joined
with the people and given this race issue as
their reason. Many instances be cited in
proof OF it. We dare them to give single in
stance in which any voter in this county was
ever forced to vote even told that he should
vote any particular ticket. Furthermore, we
give the lie 70 the assertion that 'the mob has
taken possession of Gazoo county
No one has usurped the power held by Capt
Taylor, the Sheriff. and the other officers.
Each and every man is now, and has been ready
to assist the Sheriff m his duties whenever call
ed upon, This was demonstrated on a recent
occasion when the sheriff with posse came TO
the protection of Bell in conference with the
citizens of this Beat. Al that conference not a
man armed except Bell and his crowd, who
were modestly equipped with from to two
siN-shooters each.
Here was a perfect recognition Of the Sherii7s
authority and power on the part of the citizens
aud a defiance of the same by Bell and his
followers They say the negroes are in a state
OF confusion and that large numbers Of them
are lying out in the swamp" We denouncr
this lie. We have never known the negroes
in greater state of quiet aud peace we have
never known them to work betterSr TO be more
prosperous and happy. In word, we have
known ul no confusion or excitement among
the negroes except when these men-the Bells
and one or two others-were holding their
midnight orgies and loyal leagues and arraying
them against the white man.
Within the broadcast extent of our information
we know OF no negroes have heard of any
who are lying out in the swamp" If any are
there they have been hired by the Bell. to 20
there for political effect or were driven there
by their falsehoods whispered into a credulous
ear, and we, the people, know nothing of it,
We invite the world to come into Nazoo county
and make the investigation for themselves and
tI,. 1
men who have become lost to all sense of
honor, honesty and veracity to promulgate
such libelous fasehoods against an intelligent
and law-abiding people. And what argument
can they adduce that they are Democrats as
they stated ? VIII attempting to disintegrate
the Democratic party prove it? Then they are
Democrats. VIII exchanging Democratic /
Tor Independent uothings and again |
their faith in and adherence to that /
doctrine ~ prove it? VIII organizing themselves I
into National Greenback Labor PARTY in direct /
opposition to Democracy prove it? Then, sir, |
they are beyond question Democrats But why /
prolong argument? Can the people, can any I
one believe for one moment that such men are |
Democrats? Why do they say that everything /
in the county is in state of terror" Is il I
because they, and they alone-the Independents
or National Greenback Labor party-have gone
to Nicksburg and purchased arms and ammuni-
lion with which TO beget this terror? The
terror exists alone in their wish to make it out
50. IN refutation OF this infamous Islander we
append hereto the Herad-Ex containing a
card from DR.. J. ID. Burch and Capt. James NJ /
smith, once an Independent and Who only left
hen because of the infamy with which they
lad covered themselves. As to the white sup
oorters of Dixon, do not know the exact
number, but they are exceedingly few, and we l.
believe all who could lay any claim to respecta-
oility might be counted upon the fingers Now
We can count no less than eight distinct and
separate falsehoods in the statements to the
people of jackson.
lst. That armed men had waited upon J. f.
Bell. I'd That large number of negroes were
ylnS out IN the swamp. Sd. That every thing
n the county was in Il state of terror 4th !
That Dixon had large number of white SIM
'orters. 9TH That no attempt had been made
o raise race issues. 9th. That a mob has taken
possession OF 1azoo county. 9TH That the In )
epents were all Democrats stb. Thai no ,rn- |
ectio9 could be had at the hands of the Sheriff q
y Independents. a
This reeapitulation closes our reply and we v
lrn them over to the judgment of the public. a