National Republican., 1883-11-23
The Dnnvliie Investigation.

CulatCu 10 impress Jno country WIFI bno nlgn
standard of conduct the forty "best citizens"
have set up for their brethren of tho superior
race"
The story in brief is that Dad temper and
ill.foeling between the races" was generated
by tho "rude, insolcnt, and intolorant" con-
duct of the blacks toward the white citizens,
growing out of " belief that as against white
mon, they would receive the support and pro-
lection of tho municipal government" COM
posed of "a large majority of their party
nominees to tho town offices in the May
election of 1882, and tho subsequent appoint
ment, by tho council, of negro policemen, as
well as by the conduct of officials so elected"
Now if IL can be shown that tho city
council of Danvillo, chosen in May last, con-
sisted of eight Whites and four negroes; that
they elected as their president, with power to
appoint all committees, a leading democrat,
tho name of whose firm is signed to tho
"Danville circular :" that of the nine police
men one only tcas negro, most of the remain
ing eight white ones being democrats; that tho
clerk of the market colored man,
was empowered to make arrests in
the market. but nowhere else;" that
another negro was elected rs "a sanitary
policeman, whose duties were those of n
scavcngcr !" that the "health officer" elected
was "a leading young white physician" and
Ill, -, I,
"dW the other officers elected ,Cere Whitc men, and
most Of them democrats, including tho present
city attorney" that the people elected u col
ored magistrate in one ward, and in the two
other wards white men, but that "the ma
jority they received showed that thoy were
voted for by many white domocrats;"-if all
these things can be shown, what ground had
tho Danville blacks to hope for municipal
backing in controversy with the whites2
And these things are true and would have
been sworn to by Mr.. Johnston, the mayor of
Danville, had he been made witness and
asked the proper questions. We have before
us as we write an interview had with him
in the Richmond Wing, in which he makes all
these statements, and many more to contra
dict the incendiary circular which was put
forth to deceive and madden well-disposed
white people at distance. We have quoted
much of his own language. At the outset of
their report, then, the.committee Of forty dis
,ro1; all ha ran,
Tho report continues that William L. Sims,
coalition candidate for the senate, made on
"incendiary" and violent speech the night
before the massacre, sin which he denounced
many of the most respectable and prominent
white citizens of the town as liars, scoundrels,
and towards because of their exposure of the
evil of negro rule in Danville." This was
very strong language, no doubt. But he was
at the time holding in his hand the incendiary
Circular" signed by twenty-eight individu-
ais and firms in Danvillo, circulated around
the state but not in DanriRe, in which there
occurred the following language:
Negro women have been known to force ladies
| from the pavement and remind them that they
will learn to step aside the next time. In several
instances white children have been struck by
grown negroes. We know several cases where
the lie has been given to u white lady to her face
by negro. 1t is u very common practice for the
negroes who are employed about our houses tC
allude to white ladies and gentlemen as men and
women and to negroes as ladies and gentlemen.
Concerning this charge, so we'll calculated
as it must have been intended, to exasperate
white men and drive them to deeds of vio
lence against negroes, Mayor Johnston, in hi
interview, says:
Some time since read in the Lynchburg NGt0s
copied from the Danville Times, Il statement o
similar purport As soon us l read II sent to thu
editor of the Danvile Times and requested ful
information about the matter, informing him tina
my purpose was to enforce the laws for the pun
ishment of all such offenders. The editor of th
Times was unable to give any reliable information
on the subject, and have never yet been able 4
obtain tho least information which would warran
u belief In the truth of these statements-unabl
to believe that IL white man would stand by an(
see white lady iusulted or white child strucl
by negro man without defending them on tn
spot The fact is this town is us orderly AM
peaceful as II ever was, and so long as
am chief executive officer here Its good orde
shall be maintained at all hazards. l am sorr
and feel not II little indignant that such misrepre
sentations of our condition should be published
= They may accomplish temporary poiticG
effect but they are not only unjust but injuriou
to the business interest of our people. Danvill
was never more prosperous in business than 1t ha
) been for the past year, but such Misrepresentation
cannot but blacken her reputation abroad an
break down her business interest generally. l ai
no partisan, although haze d,UdyS been denlocr,
IN politics, and am ROp; but with the best intero
, of the people of all classes Mt heart do mo
heartily deprccate the publications which hay
: been made about this town in this campaign.
, Mayor Johnston, in his interview, not onl
denied the things specially mentioned abov
but being asked If tho allegations of the eli
O cular were true, replied; mo, sir for IL
most part they are not" He said he believe
Z the object of the circular was "for politics
effect in the sections to whose people 1t is az
/ dressed" Its appeal was to fellow citizei
. of the valley and tho southwest" Whic
y. was incendary-this Danville circular or ii
J. indignant denial by Sims of its monstro
= contents?
n The committee of forty say that on the dc
o after Sims's denunciatlou of the circul
r "tho excitement Of blacks and whites W
t. violent and acrimonious" and that "amo
y the negroes there was an evident erpectati
a. of n couaicfU This was not like nm intenti