Year: 1874

tennessee to endeavor to find out whether there
il war OF races In this part Of the country
calmly settled down here for a day to try and al
gest results. Ii there is any deep-seated trouble
anywhere between the races Western Tennessee
and Northern Mississippi are the places to find it,
Witnln radius OF o hundred miles around
Memphis nearly all the recent riots have occurred
SomervlIe, where the first riot occurred. Is on q
lateral branch of the Memphis and Charleston
Railroad, about fifty miles distant. Austin, MISS


which was next to follow with its war OF races, is
on the river. about eighty miles below. Gibson
county, where there has been the most terrible
enleae Of all, Is only four five hours ride. Each
OF these events has caused great deal OF excite
ment mere among both blacks and whites, anu the
eject OF that excitement has been IN every in
stance to deepen whatever animOsity exists be-
tween the races. Alarm and fear are COM
mon to both sides and believe the alarm
and fear are unfounded on the part of either.
i have mingled very largely with the people
OF this section, and am convinced that 1t IS the
desire OF the great body OF the whites to live on
terms OF peace and friendship with the negroes.
The whites. on the other hand, do the negroes the
justice OF saying that this feeling is ully recipro-
Gated ON the part Of the blacks. At the same time
1t Is plain even to the most careless observer that
there is want OF confidence between the races.
AS an illustration OF this singular state of feeling
1t may be mentioned that just before the recent
local elections III this county there was O good
deal OF excitement among both blacks and whites
IN this city, The women and children seriously
alarmed. and many OF the men actually believed
that an attack was medtated by the negroes The
negroes, too, were in dread of some wrong from
the whites. On both sides the alarm and excite
ment were without cause, and sprung solely from
the feeling of distrust Which underlies the frmest
desire to malntain peace and order in the COM
munlty. In consequence OF this even the efforts
to keep the peace often tend toward breaking it,
and it thus happens that circumstance trivial
In itself may convuse whole county.


THE CAUSES OF THE RECENT DISTURBANCES


All the recent disturbances, both in this State
and in Mississippi, sprung from comparatively
slight causes. At the outset the whites were al
ways in the wrong. In every case, however, it
was not long until the negroes had put themselves
In an equally false position. At somerville there
was an alteration between white man and o
negro in which the negro was killed. At Austin
the circumstances were precisely similar, except
that the white mans bullet missed the negro for
whom 1t was intended and killed a colored child.
AT Pickettville the trouble arose out OF dispute
over a roast pig All OF these events unduly ex-
cited the negroes as they were well calculated to
do. AS q rule the coiored people reason only from
their feelings When smarting under an outrage



especially II the law is loosely partially admin.
istered. They then apt to indulge in
threats aimed at the whole white population. The
whites, on the other hand, are too apt to accept
this idle talk as the revelation of deep-seated
purpose and to telegraph in every direc-
ton 10r help against threatened up
rising. This was the case at S0merville
After the killing OF the negro and the arrest Of his
murderer some lnnammatory talk was INDUCED
IN. The community was at once greatly excited
ana there were stories OF bands of armed
negroes being ready to march upon and
destroy the town. The theories OF negro
organization which ind such ready acceptance in
these parts added to the excitement and alarm.
Dispatches were at once sent to this city for aid
and three military companies Immediately started
from Memphis for the seat OF war. When the
Memphis soldiery arrived at the scene OF the dis
turbances they found everything quiet. There
was not negro in arms or likely TO be. The
whole thing was only big scare. At Austin, how
ever, matters did not terminate SO fortunately.
There the negroes were incensed because DR..
Smith, the murderer Of the negro child, was ad-
mltted to bail instead Of being locked up IN jail as
he should have been. In their evaporation they
seized the town and sacked it. In this case,
though many excuses were committed, there was
not actual war; but the affair was rather vicious
carouse the negroes scattering when their ex-
cesses were over. When the Memphis soldiers
rived next morning there was nobody to fight
and peace and quiet were soon restored. The
wrongful act Of the negroes ut Pickettville in
banding together to kill party OF white men
against whom they had grudge. But in every
case there was an exciting cause for the msdeeds
OF the negroes, Which 1t Is easy to overlook in de-
termning the responsibility for the disturbances.


FALSE AND PICKLE FATE.


v1 9obya forn tO
people OF the South The best people OF both
races become Involved in issues to which they
had no intention OF committing themselves. Ac-
cidents precpitate conflicts which nobody ex-
pected or Ceslred, except the handful OF uneasy
spirits who are always glad OF an opportunity to
create trouble OF these, as they exist in this
part OF the country, spoke in former letter.
They are not the bold bad men Of the cities, nor
are they the desperadoes OF the rivers and liver
towns. Neither DO they belong to the class that
was known among the negroes as "poor white
trash before the war. They are generally cOun-
try gentlemen or country gentlemen's sons, who
ride their own horses and always have pistol
handy am fully persuaded that at least one.half
of the woes of the South attributed to carpet
baggers and negro rule, are directly traceable to
this vicious practice OF carrying concealed weap.
ons. 1t is fashion which will not allow old
fashioned 1stlcurs to decide dispute. In
quarrel the first to draw his pistol gets
state OF society the negro has not an
equal chance with the white man. II
he quarrels with his white brother there Is
every reason to expect negro funeral. 1t was
negro who got buried at Somervile. Al Austin "
was a negro baby. And there seems TO be one klnd
OF punishment for the negro and another lor the
whites. II negro shoots somebody or even threat
ems to shoot somebody, he goes TO lai. II q wni,e m
man kills negro the probabilities are that he Will


be released on bail. DR.. Smiths bail bond at Aus
tlu was for only $4,000. A negro was worth as
much as that wnen he was O slave. Even ii the
negro Is inferior IN intellect to the white man he
cannot fail to perceive how unequal Is this KIND Oh
justice, and it is not to be wondered at that ne
should rebel against II, especially II he has been
the witness or the victim Of many petty Oppres-
slons on the part OF the whites. That he Is very
kindly treated on the part OF most OF the white
people is undoubtedly trne. very eminent law
yer OF this city told me this morning that never
turned negro away who had cause and tue
rient on DIS side, though 1t would be vain to ex-
pect Zee While he was compelled to decline many