Year: 1877

quickly as they would a Republican, pro-


vided he ia not If their Ishmaeltish sort.


Hence, We find them quite as ready to


break up what are called Independent meet
ings as they were last year to assault
and scatter the Republican gatherings. In
some parts of the State the Republicans, at
least SO far as the local and Legislative can
vass rs concerned, are no longer known Dy
that name. Even if they were in majority
in county, and were permitted freely to ex-
ercise the right of suffrage, they are satisfied
should they elect their nominees, that they
would not be allowed to install them. They
have. therefore, determined to support IN
dependent candidates, some of them Repubh-
cans and some OF them Democrats.


Perhaps it is unnecessary to add that this
wise determination is by no means agreeable
to the Ishmaelites They mean to put the
movement down as they would any movement
looking to tranquility; and their first business
is to stop discussion. They can do this by
taking possession of the meetings OF their
opponents. Murder and the various devices
of lynchng they have found to be dan
gerous and violence of the extreme
variety is likely to defeat its own purpose
in the long run, as they have found out by
experience. But if they cannot murder, they
can at least break up the Independent meet
ings. They are doing this, to the best OF their
bad ability, in the Southwest; and an in
stance. illustrative of their purpose, is to be
found i'm recent events in Jefferson COun-
tv. In that county. at Fayette, on the
sth inst, the Independents were to hold


N
a mixed Republican and Democratic ticket
Down upon this meeting swooDed In great
numbers a democratic Club" so-called, all
fully armed and equipped for effective and
vigorous suppression of the speech-making
They began by soaring away all the negroes
who were to be scared. They howled down
Mr. Finly, who was to speak; they silenced
Mr. Hicks, who was also to speak; and Mr.
Ellis, who was to address the meeting, dId not
think it worth while to try to do 20. While
Finly was speaking, one Of the rioters stood
near him, gun in hand, to regulate
his remarks. Hicks, it may be mentioned, was
Democrat of long standing. There was moth
ing for it but to adjourn the meeting.
Then Mr.. Ellis was assaulted in the street,
and finally was compelled, candestinely, 20 leave
the State and go to st. Louis, where he now
is. Not having any taste for sudden death,
he does not propose to return to Jefferson
County. He is a Mississippian by birth his
home is there; his family is there his prop
erty, probably, is there; but he cannot live
there.


One case like this is as good as a hundred
for the purposts of illustration. There are
other counties in which there ls like trouble
Pike County, for instance. Gov. Stone, under
these pressing circumstances, has done what he
usually d0es-he has written letter. in which
he SAYS, with great determination and vigor
that such state of things cannot be tolerated;
and cost what it may, it must and shall be
"stoppedr We do not hear, however, that
upon the strength of this cheering assurance
Mr.. Ellis proposes to return to his old home.
Gov. Stone has Written letters before, breath
ing the same spirit of majestic indignation,
but Southwestern Mississippi and its rioters DO
not appear to have been much alarmed by
them These outlaws still take their guns to
the independent meetings. The Br0oIharen
Comet has heard that a portion of the Amite
budOzers have been captured and lodged IN
iail but on the other hand, The |ic6sbuTg
HeraLd learns that the Judge Of that
district is generally drunk, and wants to know
why Gov. Stone does not remove himY Com
plants are made in all respectable quarters OF
his apathy" They think it hardly enough
to write letters saying that such state OF
things must and shall be stopped" They
prefer that he should write a letter showing
when, where and how he intends to stop it.
The aforementioned Comet is for hurting
" the whole power of the State Government
against the men of the slot-guns. At present 1t |
seems to be a case of intinIidated Governor |
"A kind of character of which we saw some
thing here during the railway riots. If, as we
are told, "the good people of Mississippi are
overwhelmingly in favor of peace" it ought |
TO be easy for Gov Stone to suppress the lsh-
maelites.


1t is beginning to appear as if, for one reason or