Year: 1875

his new organization. And, in 1858


when a portion OF the Republicans of In


State became appalled, at the extrem


measures OF Ames and his friends and


split was made in the Republican ranks


General AlcOrn refused to lead the Con


servatiye wing OF the Republicans anC


allied himself with Ames and his mos


Radical followers. And the Democracy


believed that he, more than any Other
one man, had warmed the Radical ser


pent into life, and yet when it turned
upon him and would have stran'
ged him in its coils, they rallied
to his support and cOndOmed his
offences with forgiveness un'
| precedented in party warfare. But
| this, like every other effort OF the De-
| m0Cracy to cOnciliate the cOlOred voters,
and to show their thorough submission
to the reconstruction measures, proved
\ miserable and disastrous failure. Many
| OF the Old-line Democrats, who had fol.
! lowed their file-leaders, without ques-
! ton, in every other emergency, dropped
! out Of line and refused to follow any
! longer. | was one among this number,
! and for this l WAS not only severely CEN
| sured by some of my old friends, but
| was read out Of the party 10y some OF the





Democratic, but which have since, under
the soothing influence Of the printing
bill, fallen asleep in the arms Of Radi-
calism. But l can forgive their assaults
on me, if they can forgive themselves
| for the miserable failures they brought
upon the party through their instrument
| atty and advice. l did not vote in that
election; but if had, with the lights
before me, i should have voted fer Ames
instead Of AIcOrn, for the reason already
stated, and further, because | believed
that an officer educated at West Point,
and trained under the strict discipline
OF the United States army, would be
less apt to do violence to law and order
than mere politician. But | am now
convinced that would have committed
political sin for which / could now
scarcely forgive myself, and | thank
God that rain and slight illness on
the day OF election saved me such an
iniquity. An honest Judiciary is the
last


STRONGHOLD OF REPUBLICAN LIBERTY,
and since have seen how Ames has
tampered with the judiciary of Missis-
sippi, this alone would render me thank
ful that had not voted for him. In vi





nominate the chancellOrs and send in
his nominations to the senate for approv-
al while it was in session, and thereby
gratified his vanity and love of tyranny
by dancing on the tenteT hooks OF eX-
pectatiOn lot 0f political mendicants,
whom he hoped to bind to his triumph
al car. And again, in violation of the
constitution, he filled and removed these
officers at pleasure in vacation,
and kept his unfortunate appointees in
constant dread of losing their judicial
lives, by holding in terror over their
heads the threat that he would not send
in their names to the senate at it's next
session. But this, though violation of
his oath of Office, was but a small mat
ter when compared with his removal of
one chancellor because he had refused
bail to Radical murderer, and another
because he failed TO decide railroad
case according to his diCt9-
ton; and these acts again sink
into insigniticance when compared
with his subsequent conduct, when we
lind him invading the sancity of the SUI
preme bench, and attempting to make
tool of its gray-haired chief justice, to
assist in cOercing the Judicial opinion
of his son, who sat upon the chanCery
bench, and that too in case which he
knew must ultimately come before the
supreme court for decision. For the
mere contemplation OF such wrong as
voting for him, / may need forgiveness
as much as some or my Rcoasors, VINO
disbanded and well nigh destroyed the
Democratic party in Mississippi. And
as this seems TO be the year of recOncil-
iatiOn and forgiveness, when centennial
celebrations are awakening the BROTH
erly love of the first great rebellion, and
when the Federal aud Confederate SOL
diers are about to unite in their


FLORAL OFFERINGS TO THE HoNORED


DEAD,


who in the last great rebe llion gave up
their lives in defense of their respective
ideas OF constitutional rights, we can
afford to be fOrgiving. A great struggle
is now before us and we need the assis-
tance of all who feel an interest in pre-
serving constitutional liberty. We can
afford to forgive again our leader Of
1873, if he will fall into our ranks and
fight under our banner, or we can well
come him under his own flag, if he will
come as an ally and not as our leader.
We can afford to forgive and to welcome
those OF the former carpet-bag fratern-
ity who have made their homes among
uS-WhO have become citizens OF Mis-
sissippi for veal or for woe, and who
have become alarmed at the headlOng
pace at which their party is leading
them and us To our common ruin. That
there are some such men in our State
our experience tells US, and we have hope
that AL such will be found ON the side
OF honesty and justice, aiding to pro-
mote peace and economy aud warning
against robbery and oppression. A
thieving carpet-bagger was once the
name which rose spontaneously
to our lips when we beheld
white Radical office holder,
but truth cOmpels us to say that there
have been exceptions in our river dis
trict, which have been made more re-
markable by their striking contrast with
others. Men who have welded unlim-
tied power over the cOlOIed race, and
who have used that power for the sup
preston of violence and the preserva-
ton of peace, and who have managed
the financial affairs of their county so as
to promote the material interests of all
| would be glad to welcome all such to
the ranks of the Democracy; or, if we
must meet in opposing lines, we can
meet them as fOemen worthy Of our
steel; and we can say further, that If
more such men had been appointed to
OfficeAamOng us,


THE RADICAL PARTY


would not stink as it does to-day in the
nostrils of all honest men. And we are,
especially, ready to forgive the cOlored
men, who have so long battled against
US in their ignorance and the prejudices
engendered by the false teaching of cor
Tupt advisers. Many Of them are be-
ginning to see how grossly they have
been deceived as to the principles and
objects OF the Democratic party, and are
ready to unite with US in the mainten-
ance of home government, to be ad-
ministered by home folks. But, while
we are ready to receive assistance from
good men Of any and all past political
creeds, and to take them in as recruits
in our ranks, or to welcome them as al
lies under their own flags, we can no
longer fight under any other banner but
that Of the Democratic party. We
fought the battle of 1869 under banner
claimed to be the true Republican ban
ner, and to be indorsed by the Presi-
dent, but we deceived ourselves, and
were defeated. We fought the battle of
1872 under the Liberal Republican
standard, and again met defeat. We
fought the battle Of 1873 under the flag
OF Alcorn republicanism, and were
most disastrously routed. There are
now but two national parties, the