The leader., 1899-09-27
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS.
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS
By ]. L. POWER.
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where he called on Superintendent
Agee of the Southern Express company,
and paid him 81. 800 to reimburse the
company for loss and expenses on his
account. Mr.. Agee not only did not
have him arrested, but gave him a
letter of introduction to Gov. McLaurin.
On arriving at jackson, he hired
hack and drove to the capitol, and was
received by Private Secretary Conan,
the governor being absent. After some
conversation he handed Mr.. Conan
$500. to reimburse the State for ex-
penses incident to his escape and eff
forts to cap ure, and then Mr. Conan
escorted him to the prison, where he
at once exchanged a genteel suit of
clothing for the prison stripes.
Summers is about 81 years of age,
well educated and very interesting in
conversation. 1t is not probable that
he will have to serve out his uneXpired
term.
"Yazoo; or on the Picket Line of Freedom
in the south"
\ volume bearing this title. 512 pages,
was published by its author in 1884. 1t
is in the form of "A Personal Nara
tive, by \. T. Morgan, late Sheriff and
Tax Collector, Sazoo County. Missis-
sippi." The author claims that it is IA
simple and truthful narrative of the
principal incidents and events in the
public and private life of the author
during his residence in Iazoo county,
together with occasional pictures illus
trative of the social condition of the
people of the State. The characters
described are all real persons where it
was found impossible to disguise their
identity" Following the preface is a
memorial page set apart ito the mem
DRY of those men and women who have
died on slavery's stubble ground in the
war for self-preservation." We had
heard of but had not seen this book I'M
til last week. We read it through while
suffering with an attack of inflamma
tory rheumatism, and the effort may
have aggravated the af1iiction. Col.
Morgan wields the pen of ready writer
and has the gift of a lively Imagination.
lie deals with the reconstruction pc
Rod, and the personal and political
experiences of himself and two broth
ers are graphically and venomously
sketched. From the time that he and
his brother Charles commenced cotton
planting in Gazoo county in 1865 until
: l.,
of his presence he kept the county in
state of agitation that resulted in riots
and bloodshed and death. He was a
member of the Black and Tan conven-
Gazoo four years, president of its board
of supervisors, and because he and his
gang were turned down in 1915 he
styles "Barksdale, George and Lamar
the chief conspirators. who broke his
program, while he refers to his old
friend Charles Caldwell as patriot and
a hero; and for the turbulent w. II.
Foote his admiration is beyond his
ability to express. In one respect Col.
Morgan is consistent throughout. He
much to save the Union" but to free
the negro, and having freed him he
concluded that the bottom rail should
not only be elexated but should be on
top. The negro, in bondage for centu-
rieS, must be enfranchised and edu-
Gated, and Col. Morgan was willing to
receive all the homage and emouments
incident to his part in the reconstruct
ton of our social and political fabric.
When he married the colored teacher,
Carrie IIighgate, in Jackson, he gave
practical expression to his belief in the
equality of the races. Thenceforward
he was hailed as the savior" of the
colored brother.
Mississippi had ten years of recon
struction' experience. Col. Morgan
gives one side of the sad story. The
other has not yet been fully written.
1t is now twenty-four years since the
State threw off the yoke of carpet bag
and negro rule. If the people white
and colored, were slow to realize all
that was involved in the results of the
war, no one can now say that all the
rights of citizenship guaranteed by the
Federal and State constitutions-''life
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
are not enjoyed by both races alike.
An enrolment in Yazoo of nearly 1000
colored children, and 1000 white, l65
teachers, and an annual salary pay roll
of about s26, 900 is evidence that 1.-THE
world do move" and if Col. Morgan
thinks that he helped to start the ball
he is welcome to all the comfort that he