Year: 1879

| Meeting was called to order by A. NJ. Har-


low, Chairman.


F. Barksdale, chairman of our committee


of fifteen, stated that the committe was ready
| to report, and at his request Judge X. Bow


man read the report, which on anotion re-
| ceived and adopted.


| WHEREAS, Many false reports have been
| promulgated through the newspapers, not only
| in this State but throughout the West, as to
| the occurrence which took place here on the
| 26th OF July last, and feeling and knowing
| that gross wrong has thereby been done to the
| people OF this county; now, we the citizens OF
| Yazoo City as an act Of Justice to ourselves as


well as to the people OF this county, feel it our
duty to give true statement of the affair." as
well as the causes which led to it. The people
who assembled here on that day were no law
less and infuriated mob, but men of respecta-


bility, intelligence and property, OF honest
voeations, identified with the prosperity and


material interests OF this county, as well as
the peace and good order of its society \


race issue had been inaugurated by II. NJ.
Dixon a man OF violent and desperate charac-
ter, whose career here has been marked by
strife and turbulence, who has been reckless
of human life and OF the law. This man was
the originator and leader of this race issue. or
so-called Independent party, assuming first
the name OF independent Democrats; and was
a candidate for Sheriff of the county. The
people felt that if this course on the part Of
Dixon continued, it would sooner or later cul-
inmate in actual and bloody conflict Our best
citizens looked with gloomy foreboding to the
recurrence OF the scenes OF anarchy, strife
and bloodshed which marked the race contest
of 1879 They contemplated with horror the
saturnalia of lawlessless, crime and misrule


which would follow the Inauguration OF such
a man and his satellites into the government
of the country. To avert these calamities,


and from instinct OF self-protection,
and to the reputation and character of
the county, to avoid more strife, many citizens
did assemble here on the 25th of July From
their number they sent four unarmed men to


Dixon, who was at his house, to request him to


leave the county This he refused to do
Within less than half an hour after their re-


turn to the assembly on Main street, some


friends OF Dixon came from him saying that


he would pledge himself to withdraw from the


canvass. Three of DixOn's friends with one


citizen opposed to him then repaired to Dix


on's house, distant quarter of a mile, OBJ


tanned a card of withdrawal and were return


ing to the crowd on Main street, when they


were met by three gentlemen who were sent by


the same citizens whe sent the first four un-


armed, who insisted that Dixon should in adj


dition pledge him self not to raise the race is


sue again, which he, Dixon, agreed to. We


deny and charge the statement wholly false


that any armed men opposed to Dixon entered


or were near his promises on that day. No


armed men were in view of his house during the


whole day. 1t is not true stated in the sem


sational reports of this "affair," that the
Mayor or any one else with shotgun arrested


the mob from crossing his threshold, because


there was no mob at his hou Sc. Neither did


the assembled citizens hold parley with him.


They simply, through committee demanded


that he should leave the county, which he re-


fused to do, and right on the heel of this refu-


sal he authorized his friends to say, for rea-
sons set forth in his card, that he would with
draw. 1t Is not because Dixon was an indie


pendent that he was asked to withdraw, but
because of the strife between races that he was
engendering because he appealing to the


prejudces of the negro and arraying them in
solid body against the whites, and because his
course would have led, as We believe, to the
spilling of innocent blood both of whites and
blacks. We declare ourselves opposed to mob
law and violence. But the Almighty has
given to US the right Of self protection and
self-defense, and the people have this right,


and whenever the occasion arises it should be
exercised by the people in the same manner
as by individuals. That we may not be mis-
understood, we now declare that we are now
and have ever been in favor of equal rights to
all men before the law: that the colored man
is secure in the enjoyment of all his rights,
and the step taken be the white people was
in the interest of white and black alike, and
that it had no political significance, as the
question was one of self-preservation the
Democracy of this county being at all times
willing to submit to the ballot-box all political
issues fairly presented