New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-05
mnR nrLr ~ TILE SnrrH.

mon BULE ~ THE SOUTH
The case of Captain Dixon, of Yazoo County
Miss. to which we called attention few days
AFRO. Is not Il remarkable or isolated one. 1t
/, unpleasant to admit, az we must, that SINH
lar things have happened. within three years,
IN 4 great many other counties in the south
em part of this country. Yet it Is ease
which ought to have the immediate and Sc
iious attention OF the Government OF the
United States, of AL citizens who care for that
Government. and Of those Southern people
WHO sincerely wonder that there is not at the
North entire confidence in the sincerity OF
their professions and i'll the loyalty of their
purposes.
There is no partisanship in the case.
young man. always Democrat and formerly
"A Confederate soldier. was particularly con-
spicuous in driving the Republicans out OF
power in Yazoo County. For his extror-
binary activity and effectiveness in that cam
paicn he was presented valuable silver tes-
.imonal by his fellow Democrats, and was
styled " the brayest of the brave" in the in
scriptions thereon. Ii does not appear that he is
IN any respect in sympathy with the Republic
can party, OF the Administration, or Northern
ideas. But he is an American citizen, and as
such is entitled to the full protection Of the
laws in the enjoyment of all his rights. 1t
bpupens chat ne wishes to be- elected Sheriff,
and has u great many supporters. He calls
himself an independent candidate, and the
Democratic Convention had nominated another
person. Bat Il considerable proportion of the
respectable, responsible ana law-ahiding
white citizens of the county supported
him, being Democrats like himself, and
nearly all the cOOred voters, who hap
pen to be numerous In that county. The
Democrats, convinced that they could not de-
feat this independent Democrat, proceeded to
treat him just as if he had been Republican
They gathered Il mob of three or four hundred
rough loafers, all armed and filed with bad
whiskey, and waited upon Dixon In force, in
forming him that he must get out of the county
the next morning, never TO return, or " abide
- the consequences"
Dixon himself appears to be a courageous
mar But he had a family, and their lives
were in danger. He had friends whose lives
were threatened. He saw no relief, and signed
paper Withdrawing from the canvass on the
express condition that he and his family and
friends should be spared. Some OF his
friends addressed formal letter to Judge
Morris, an ex-AttOrney-General of the State,
asking advice, but were answered that
the law was pOweress and that justice
was a farce, in such a case. The Demo-
cratic Judge, indeed, reminded them that
lust such desperate and lawless things had
been done III many counties, under pressure
"of a supposed necessity" to get rid Of Rad
zeal rule, but that it had been hoped and
promised that an era of peace would follow
he restoration of white Democrats to power
He could do nothing They could do nothing.
The mob rules in:Yazoo, and Democracy is tri-
umphant, not only over " Black Republicans"
but over Independent Democrats of substance
| and character, who obey the law.
This incident is of no Importance whatever
by itself Ii does not become more worthy of
attention because the budozed candidate and
his friends were Democrats and COnfederates
IN hundreds of instances Republicans have
been treated in like manner; in scores of
cases they have persisted in claiming their
rights as free American citizens and have
been murdered. 1t does not matter that
the man was white, or that he was
highly respectable. But let us ask one
question Is this free country If
10. what power is to be put forth
10 stop this sort of thing at the South7 1t
has gone on long enough. Apparently, South
ern citizens are absolutely incapable of under
standing that Northern Indignation, in such
cases, is entirely irrespective of the opinions
or the color Of the victim. The North believes
in real freedom. Moreover, it may as well be
said that the North means to have real free
dom prevail, at all elections in every part of
this country at which the course of our COM
mon Government is in any degree affected.
In plain terms, that is the right of every law
abiding citlzen-nOt only to have free vote
himself, but to be overcome only by the free
votes OF others.
This has become a large question. BY
methods essentially like those employed
against an independent Confederate in YazOo
County Mississippi. the South has been made
solid The people of the North do not
believe that the free will OF that section
has been expressed in any recent election.
They believe that One-third of the cleo
toral vO;es in this country, One-third of
the seats in Congress, and more than one
third of the States, are controlled by law
defying mObocracy, the most infamous kind
of government known among men. 1t seems
70 the people of the North high time that
those who refuse to govern themselves with
decency, fairness and respect Tor law, should
cease to have any hand i'll governing the
United States.