The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-26
COPIAH.
Major Barksdale interviewed by the
Sherman COMMITTEES.
He Stands up for the People of Co
piah and Yazoo Counties.

piah and Yazoo Counties.
WAsHrsarox, March 2I-Mai. E
Barksdale. member Of Congress from Mis-
sissipppi, who according to the testimony
taken BY the Copiah county snb-commlt'
ttee Of the Senate, made speech at Hazle-
hurst advising the Democrats to carry
Copiah county by shot gun if necessary
and hang Buffxin, Republican candidate
was before the Senate subcommittee this
morning. and made a statement, under
oath, in his own YiHdieation. be denied
the whole story IA toto. He said the his
| tory of Copiah county had always been
characterized with love of law and order
and In the events of the last election there
was nothing inconsistent with that rec 1rd
lie made two speeches in HaZlehurst one
on day before the last election, one IN the
afternoon To procession OF country people
on horseback, and the other in the evening
to the local Democratic club. he could
not remember whether the mounted meI
in the AFTERNOON procession were armed
with shotguns or not His attention wa
called To the statements of witness about hi:
speech, and he pronounced all assertions
that he had encouraged violence false.
Senator Hoar asked if in the witness;
alIusiou TO the peaceable and law-abldIne
conduct of Copiah county he included tht
| killing of Matthews?
Il have nothing TO say i'll reference Il
that. That was personal dIihulty be
tween those two parties. 1t Is before thu
courts there, and | express no opinion"
"You have said the people of CopiaE
| county stand high in general character
| and YOU have announced that there wa
nothing in the conduct of the election in
consistent with their past history. Now,
wish to ask whether, if it should turn gu
| that this mounted crowd went4bout to thu
houses of colored men whipping them, anC
| shooting one of them, and declaring, a
they did it, that they did it to compel th'
negroes to flee to the woods in large mum
bers, and that Matthews was shot because
Of his influence as u Republican leader
| whether that would change your mind a
to the character of the people,"
well, now, object. Your inquiry ha
been accomplished by your statement
You are yourself giving testimony in mat
ter which was propounded to ME. l thinl
that after the trial of Wheeler for thu
killing of Matthews, and the facts ar,
brought IN light, then | will answer tn,
question"
Senator Salisbury asked ii it was RICH
! and fair, when person was likely 10 b.
placed upon trial Tor his life, to ask wit
ness Of Barksdaie's prominence to pass al
opinion for the guilt or innocence of tht
party, and for the party TO give an opinion
upon an entirely suppositions case, assum
ing the facts SHOULD he so and so.
THE CoPIAH RESOLUTIONS.
Senator Hoar rejoin,d that Maj. Banks
iale had teStiii d in regAtd To The chr &c
ter of elections; THAT the comm'ttee hao
evidence which he supposed was over
whelmingly iii support OF the Prescriptions
he had nude. He therefore propoundeG
the inquiry if his opinion remained the
same III view Of that testimony. Addres s.
ing the witness, Senator Hoar continued:
"Did you cad some resolutions purportine
20 have been passed after the election at b
public meeting?"
Yes, sir, nave them here"
"Well, now, my inquire whether you
approve or disapprove OF the resolutions"
Il VIII not answer that question further
.han to say that the resolutions have not
been properly understood by the public,
aud have been misrepresented Ii you
will permit, | would refer to them, so tina;
ny understanding Of the purport Of this
question MAY be clear. Will you permit
me, sir?"
No, sir; you have stated that yon de
clined to answer"
Il decline 10 answer, with an explana
ton OF the reasons which influence my re-
ply. The resolutions are in these words:
Witness read the Copiah county resolu-
Cions.l | regard these resolutions simply
as rep to threats that had been made by
Matthews himself and the clan he was a.
the head OF against the citizars"
"fhen you mean to say you do not ap-
prove OF them?"
81 mean to say til t they have been mis-
represented and misunderstood
MY question was net whether the pub.
lie had been properly nfor4 Ied, bus
whether you approve of the resolutions?'
well, my answer has been given"
Senator Frye-Doss he kuow Cf any
threats made by Matthews? | want t.
know whether the witness in his state.
uent means t. testify that he ever hear,
Matthews say anything oi the kind he has
referred to?
Witness said he had not hear! Matthews
make any threats, bat had heard them
from others.
Senator Fryc-You have no right as a
witness to make that answer, and you
know it.
Witness-Well, sir, when You say vou
lid not know it or you did know it, il i
1ot the manner in which gentlemen address
each other.
Senator lIoar-Did you not know wha1
YOU are asked as to the facts, neither yol
II +
tell what you have heard Others say?
WitneSs-But you asked my opinion
when | am called Ia testify 70 facts
Senator Hoar-You have no right to nu,
in hearsay testimony when Won are asked
as to your knowledge of facts. You say
you are familiar with the political history
If Mississippi. There is one resolution t.
the effect that Copiah shakes hands will
Yazoo. Do you know what that means?
well, no, sir; will not undertake tt
interpret that"
you had no knowledge of the facts?"
81 had nothing to do with getting up the
do you remember any public facts in
the history of Yazoo which might help in
terpret that resolution"
Il will not answer that question. l viii
not undertake to interpret that resolution"
Witness in the further course Of the col |
oquy, said the people Of Yazoo county |
we're a law abiding people. He knew OF |
nothing in the history of either Yazoo OF |
Jopiah which would compare with the /
reWksbury horror.
Senator Hoar-That you know all about
Witness-I have it stated officially.
You are acquainted with Tewksbury.
md not well acquainted with Yazoo?"
Pretty we'll acquainted with both, and
10 not know anything so much to the dis
redit of Yazoo as TO Tewksbury"
Senator Hoar expressed the hope that
he official investigation Of the affairs of
Eazoo county would show the accounts of
hem to be as false as those respecting
'ewksbury.
After some further colloquy, Senator
ioar said: "You have said the people OF
'opiah county were law-abiding people.
nd at the last election they did no dis
redit to their history in that respect. /
all your attention to a public meeting.
lrgely attended the day after the election.
t which the people, congratulating them
lives upon the result, passed a resolution {
lying Copiah county shakes hands with I
AGO, and / ask you if you can tell as {
hat that means ~
Witness-I cannot, sir. | cannot inter- !
ret it. 1t seems to me it il wholly irrel. /
rant, and | will not undertake to inter +.
-et it. / decline to interpret the resolu- !
on.
Senator Hoar-That is all.
NEWS AND NOTES. {