Year: 1868




ATLANTA, Oct. 17.-The condition of affairs
in this state both social and political is indeed depora
BILE The Rebels have almost complete control Ihe
oyal people nearly despair of holding fair election on
the sd Of next month, while lawless bands are rowing
through the Southern counties numbering and prosecuting
loyal meB black and white. 1t may be sof interest to
your readers 10 know how this state OF things came
about and y authority OF the United States Is not so
much respected hero in OF tho other Southern
States. All may not be aware that when the question
whether the Constitution should be adopted
or rejected came up before the people, the election
was held under the amended Reconstruction act which
required that only majority of the votes cast, instead
OF majority OF all the votes in the State, should be III
favor it, The Rebels who in other States stayed away
from the polls nearly all voted here and OF course threw
a solid ballot against the Constitution This instrument
was, however adopted by majority Of all the votes
cast though the maortes In many counties were against
t. and these 'eountes elected to the Legislature and TO
local Offices disoyal In sentiment as when they
commanded Rebel troops sat in the Rebel Assembly
Tho law required that when these mon appeared ana
claimed seats the Legislature they should first take
the test oath This provision the military authorities
| failed to enforce. and when the Legislature met ID
was about equally composed of loyal men and hepeis
The action by which the colored men were excluded
s familiar to every It's sole purpose was to throw
the control of the legislature into the hands OF the Rebels
and enable them to carry their purpose OF deeang
every measure looking to reconstruction In the nr''
place they neglected to any laws to govern an
election and any election heldit will be under the
laws OF 1865 which do not provide for the voting OF o
| coored men, and 1t will be managed by men elected
three years ago when Andrew JOhnsons plan OF recon-
struoon was on trial and who do not admit that tho
negro has right vote. According to tho military regis
traon there white and 0500 black voters In the
state At the election held for the ratification OF the
new Constitution coo blacks and 5000 whites or $1,000
majority Of the total registration voted yes" In the
election this Fall the white vote viii be increased 70 per
cent while the black vote will either be excluded alto
ccther from boxes by the officers or the negroes WI"
be cop1peed 10 vote for Seymour and Blair me "he
vote alluded TO above having been cast IN avor on to
Constitution was thrown in the northern counties OF the
state where there were many slaves, and where
the majority OF the people werc loyal during the war
In the southern part OF the State in what Is known as
the Black Belt" the ostracsm ia so hagrant that no
white man dares proclaim that he is in favor OF Grant
and COlfax.


Gov Bullock, finding that the existing laws would not
admit fair election aud seeing disposition Oh the
mart of the Assembly TO enact ones. has been com
PEELED to revert old laws OF the state and 10 maze
such use Of them may tend to improve tho condition
Of things This shown by his proclamation OF the l2h
lust, ordering threo ballot boxes TO bo placed In each
county precinct In addition 10 the boxes that are placed
IN each militia district This ia to give the negroes an
opportunity to vote Though the enfranchsement OF the
freedmen had doubled the number Of voters additional
| facilities for voting had been provided Again. the
Governor found that attempt was to be made TO
| revive the heavy laws OF 1865 Under those
laws, the head tax, with costs, &c, added amounted
TO about &c. and the Constitution requires that no
ono shall be allowed to vote until this tax Is paid To
counteract this movement the Executive has avaled
himself OF the principle laid down Ia Of tho old codes
OF Georgia. and suspended the collection OF tho poll tax
| until after election.


general review OF the political situation IN this State
would show that white for Grant will be greater
Nlac lfIpyn nff CDnV


ton or the adoption Of the Constitution while the black
vote n the negroes should be allowed to cast IL AZ they
desire would be solid for the Republican candidates 1t
now seems however that either by driving the negroes
away from the polls by forcing them TO vote the Demo
cratic ticket the nine electoral votes OF Georgia,
counted at air win secured by the Rebels for Seymour
and Blair. But there many good reasons why the
electoral vote this State should not DO counted at all
The reconstruction OF Congress have not been
orly compiled with the Senators from Georgia have
never been admitted seats In Congress because OF their
failure comply with the laws and those received into
the House have admitted only certificates signed
by the military authorities that they received The highest
number OF votes in their Districts respectively, while the
Constitution OF tho United states provides that the Leg
slaure each State shall provide for the election OF
Mombers OF Congress In view Of these facts IL II
tended by many that Georgia has never been readmted
into the Union and that therefore, her vote ought not to
be counted In the coming election.


Reports OF new outrages reach here every day.
have obtained the following particulars OF tho murder OF
the colored man Walker, whose death reported To
YOU by telegraph had been cent into Baker County
by tho Republican State Committee to make speeches
and aying arrived there quietly went 20 the house Of
another colored man, Friar by name, TO remain over
night During the night tho KuKluI visited tho house
and demanded Walkers surrender, threatening that IL
he was not given UP they would blow the house to atoms
gave himself up, and the next morning his dead BODY
was found by the roadside. about mile away No n-
quest was ever held the body which was buried
where il found and after waiting week or more
| the Sheriff reported TO the Governor that o body
| had been found which was supposed to be that
| of one Walker a colored man. Tho Governor offered
5000 reward the apprehension Of tho murderers and
the ohyalro southerners who lounge around the hotels
here have amused themselves by repeated vOleys OF
oaths about the wicked expenditure OF the white peo
pess money III Offering We tmes much for tho appro
henson OF his murderers tho Niger was ever worth
when lie was alive" Frear, with whom Walker
dwelling, Is reported missing. Nothing has been
toward the apprehension Of the ruians who were
engaged In the Camilla The sheriff and other
officers knowing that they in fault do not dare bring
action against the Republicans Murphy and Pierce In
Columbia County Court the Ordinary corresponding to
your Judge Of Probael, who had been elected by the
Republicans, taken from his Office by mob, who
said that they Grand Jury and threatened with
immediate hanging II he did not resign his Office and
leave county, the rufans telling him that the people
had determined that man elected by negro votes
should hold office there, have seon gentlemen and
private letters from Jackson County, and all agree
IN reporting that both white and coorod men armng
Large parties Of armed white rowing through
the districts Of Newton and Harmony Grove, hatng
every oolored whom they meet and threatening to
kill him the spot II he does not sign what they call


IAN Association OF Peace Between and the Blacks and
Whites" and which is nothing more than agreement
that the negro ha vote the Seymour ticket II he signs
he s warned that II he falls to carry out his part OF the
agreement he win be hanged to the first tree he comes to