Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-10-04


publicans for Congress from the
Fourth District. Mr.. Ramsdell.
as already stated. was United
State marshal and chairman of the
Republican Executive Committee.
Colonel William f. Cameron
was then Mayor of Petersburg, and
and in letters TO Marshal Ramsdel,
he declared that during the past
six weeks be had visited every
county in the district (and on every
court-green had witnessed large
and mixed aSSemblageS of whites
and blacks, of Democrats and Re-
publicans, and had yet to hear of
one alteration, of one blow struck,
or even of any quarrel having its
origin in political differences. He
said that no man or set Of men
could, without utter perversion of
the truth, assert that there was any
disposition exhibited by any class
of people of Petersburg 70 Interfere
by force with the lawful rights of
any other class, or that the author
tiles lacked either the determination
or the power to prevent serious
disturbances and TO punish the Of
tenders. There was much more of
the same sort in the letters ofMayor
Cameron, and the same information
was conveyed by him to the Pres
ident. Butin spite of his assurances
and protest, the troops were sent.
There was great Indignation
throughout the entire State. so
much that Governor Kemper Is
sued a proclamation protesting
against this tresspass upon the
rights of the Stste by the Federal
government.
No domestic violence. " he. no
breach of the peace, no molestation
of any citizen in the exercise of
his rights exists, or is threatened.
or apprhended, or likely to arise
in this Commonwealth, Perfect
peace, order and security reign
throughout all our borders. Every
citizen of whatever race. color or
condition Is protected. can be pro-
tected, and will be protected in all
his personal and political rights.
privileges and immunities by all
the authorities of the State. No
application by the Legislature or
by the Executive has been made to
the President for protection against
domestic or other violence. No
complaint Is made anywhere that
the rights of any citizen are assail-
ed or threatened. But in the midst
of profound peace and without a
constitutional rcquiSition from any
quarter, the President of the United
States has stationed troops in a
little city of our Commonwealth
with the design, as cannot be
doubted, of intimidating the people
and controlling the pending cleo
ton for partisan purposes"
So much for the testimony of the
Mayor of Petersburg, substantiated
by the testimony of the Governor
of Virginia, that there was no oc-
casion whatever for the presence
of United States troops on that oc-
casion.
But there was another official
who testified differently. He vas
then United States district attor-
ney for the Eastern District of
Virginia, and he wrote letter to
DIR. Jorgensen, pledging himself
to go to Washington and tell the
President that in his Judgment il
would be criminal to fail to send
troops to Petersburg. True to his
word, ne made the following afii-
davit:
i am from my knowledge of
that (the last State election and
other elections held in Petersburg
prepared To say that unless the
marshal Is furnished with a better
and more reliable posse than he
will be able to summons to his aid
from residents of the city, the cleo
ton on the 18th of November in that
that city will be a farce as gigantic
as it will be fraudulent. am not
now prepared TO express the opin-
ION that the presence of troops to
act as the marshal's posse will be
essential to the preservation Of or
der and to insure a fair election
at other points in the Eastern Dis
trlct at other points in the Eastern
District of Virginia, but of the
necessity of their presence to pre-
vent bloodshed and SECURE A |
FAIR ELECTION IN PETERS