Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-08-30
AN OPEN LETTER
To the EdltorOf the Holly Springs South

To the EdltOrOf the Holly Springs South.
DEAR SIR-From the tone of your
journal of the 9th inst, l perceive
that you are disheartened. You say
And in this time of trial, in the
midst of this sufficiently awful calam-
ity, comes the additional and sadden-
ing news that the city is infested with
thieves, that plumber of all the stocks
of goods in the stores, while the
dwellings and property of refugees is
thgeatened.
This state of things exists in Holly
Springs, we presume certainly it is
not the case in Memphis. Again:
Twelve or fifteen thousand negroes,
little fearing the fever even when
taken down by it, demand labor and
food, refuse to go out and be fed
gratuitously by the whites, of whom
not one-third as many are left to take
care of their own property and that of
their friends.
The authorities of Holly Springs
ought to attend to the case of those
ungrateful negroes whom the white
philanthropists of Holly Springs, with
that hearty generosity which is so
characteristic of the white people Of
the State of Mississippi, have taken
care of for years, for you say;
Thus the African race demonstrates
its good citizenship and sympathy
with the whites, who have employed
and fed and clothed them with all
kindness for years.
Thank you'll We never knew be-
fore that the negroes of Holly Springs
were all paupers. They ought to GO
to Kansas. And your Holly Springs
negroes are a set of desperadoes and
robbers, it seems, from the next SEN
tence-
Plunder has begun. Some of the
largest grocery and provision houses
have already been gutted, and the
thieves are proposing to be masters.
You should arise instantly, in all
the majesty of the law, and sujugate
these land pirates at all hazards, par
ticularly as they propose to be mas
ters over their former masters
You next turn your attention tC
Memphis in this wise:
On the other hand, there are around
the city of Memphis ten thousand
brave ex- Confederates and white men
who dare to so in and take and COM
mand the city.
| And finally you say:
And therefore we tell them, in kind
ness, they must obey the laws or fall
victims to a worse than Fort Pillow
trial of strength, in which the mel
who 90 in to subdue them will 20 un.
der an evaporation which will make
| their flag a dangerously black one LIE
them take warning, for they have al
ready gone as far as will be borne.
Your plan surpasses in ingenuit!
and effectiveness the justly famou.
Yazoo Plan Let the {" ten thou
sand brave ex. .Confederates and Whit
men" come right along. Get up
special train for their accommodation
Bring along liberal assortment O
disinfectants, such as carbolic acid
Bourbon, Robertson County, ETC., etc
Very few, if any, of these ter
thousand " would be apt to return
after having ordered the people t.
their houses only" Yellow JacI
would cordially welcome, and hos
pitably detain them, and the city
authorities would provide ample ac
commodations in the Potter's field
and other places of rest Como
along, by all means, ten Thousand
strong If fifty per cent. of the
remaining whites taken with th,
fever die, what per cent. of thes,
brave -Confederates would suryiy,
the proposed invasion?
Come and help enforce martial law
We will not ask you any quarter
Let us have a revival of the glorious
old Port Pillow trial of strength.
| No doubt, Mr.. Editor, you wer,
there--merely as a spectator of course
Bring along, when you come, you
"exasparation" and "black flag" 0ut
colors, in the proposed trial o
strength, will be the yellow flag.
Yours afectionately,
YELLOW JACK.