516 



MISSISSIPPI. 



and clerks of election in Mississippi and Arkansas. 

 We hoped that this shameful humiliation would have 

 been spared our people, at least until the freemen of 

 Mississippi decide whether they will submit to negro 

 equality at the ballot-box or elsewhere. We regard 

 this order as very unfortunate and ill-timed, as we 

 fear it will lead to collisions between the whites and 

 blacks, when it might have been avoided. General 

 Ord heretofore has exhibited a wisdom in his admin- 

 istration which has been highly approved by the peo- 

 ple, but we doubt not the lovers of peace throughout 

 the country will condemn the order as injudicious, if 

 not insulting to that race whom God has created the 

 superior to the black man, and whom no monarch 

 can make his equal. The general commanding can- 

 not surely have forgotten that the negro has no po- 

 litical rights conferred on him by the State of Missis- 

 sippi, although he has the privilege by force of arms, 

 under an edict from a corrupt and fragmentary Con- 

 gress, of casting a ballot in the coming farce, which 

 will bo dignified by the name of " election ! " 



Another order of August 22d required com- 

 manding officers of posts to cause all bar-rooms, 

 saloons, and other places where liquor was sold, 

 to be strictly closed for the day, on occasions of 

 political meetings in garrisoned towns. 



Under the act of Congress passed with the 

 other reconstruction measures, which required 

 the Clerk of the Lower House of Congress to 

 designate certain newspapers in each sub-dis- 

 trict to publish the laws, etc., the Vicksburg 

 Eepublican, Meridian Chronicle, and Corinth 

 Republican, were so selected. 



On August 24th general court-martial orders 

 were issued which recited the results of the 

 trial of eight persons during the months of 

 July and August before a military commission 

 at Vicksburg. Seven of the parties were 

 brought to trial on the charge of horse-stealing, 

 and the other for "disorderly condnct," in at- 

 tempting, as alleged, to deter registers from 

 the performance of their duties under the re- 

 construction laws, and to induce negroes not to 

 register, by telling them it was the design of 

 the Government to enroll them for service in a 

 foreign war. The thieves were sentenced to 

 the Arkansas penitentiary, for a term of years, 

 and the other, charged with disorderly conduct, 

 was sentenced to the military prison at the Dry 

 Tortugas for ninety days. There was no pre- 

 sentment or indictment by a grand jury, or 

 trial by a petit jury of the county where the of- 

 fence was committed. 



On September 3d General Ord issued an or- 

 der, removing the city marshal, three justices 

 of the peace, and four members of the city 

 council of Vicksburg. The reason for these 

 removals is thus stated in the order : " For the 

 purpose of insuring an equal and just adminis- 

 tration and execution of the laws upon all alike 

 in the city of Vicksburg, and to secure the best 

 interests of the citizens thereof," etc. Other 

 persons were appointed to these and other va- 

 cancies, who were required, before entering 

 upon their duties, to take the oath of office re- 

 quired by the act of Congress of July 2, 1862. 



The progress of registration aroused the minds 

 of the people to determine their course of action 

 in the approaching election. A convention of 



the Republicans of the State was held at Jack- 

 son on September 10th and llth. It was com- 

 posed of both whites and colored persons. Dur- 

 ing the early proceedings it was moved by Cap- 

 tain Pease that the word *" colored " be added 

 to the name of each colored delegate. James 

 Lynch, colored, moved an amendment, "that 

 the color of each delegate's hair " be also added. 

 On motion of Mr. Newsom the original motion 

 and the amendment were laid on the table. 

 The following platform was adopted : 



1. Resolved, That we do cordially approve all the 

 principles of the National Eepublican party. . 



2. Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to keep step 

 with the National Eepublican party in all the progres- 

 sive political reforms of the age. 



3. Resolved \ That we heartily adopt as our own the 

 plan laid down by Congress for the reconstruction of 

 Mississippi. 



4. Resolved, That we will spare no pains or influence 

 in our power to give free education to every child in 

 Mississippi, and the ballot to every man not disfran- 

 chised for crimes, including treason. 



5. Resolved, That in neither education, the ballot, 

 or other civil or political right will we ever recognize 

 any distinction of race or color. 



6. Resolved, That honest industry is in all respects 

 honorable, and shall always be protected and encour- 

 aged. 



That portion of the people who were not Re- 

 publicans, but recognized the authority of the 

 Federal Government and its power to enforce 

 terms of reconstruction, decided to accept the 

 plan of Congress, and vote with a view to an 

 exact conformity to its requirements. This was 

 expressed as " a choice of unavoidable evils." 



A small convention also assembled at Jack- 

 son, of persons who disclaimed any alliance with 

 the Republicans, but sought to pursue a middle 

 course. Resolutions were adopted which dif 

 fered from the Republican platform only in not 

 pledging their support to the party in all their 

 acts. 



On September 9th an order was issued which 

 forbade the assembling of armed organizations or 

 bodies of citizens under any pretence whatever. 

 Another order directed that whenever any 

 person, indicted for a criminal offence, who 

 should make affidavit, that during the war he 

 was in the Federal service, and procure other 

 evidence of the same, and should express liu 

 apprehension of an unfair trial in consequence, 

 then the papers in the case should be transmit- 

 ted to headquarters, with the names of wit- 

 nesses, etc., for trial by military commission. 

 Overseers of the poor were also notified that 

 every neglect to provide for colored paupers 

 would be regarded as a dereliction of duty. 



On September 10th General Ord issued an 

 order requiring all persons within the military 

 district who had voluntarily exiled themselves 

 since April, 1865, and returned, to report in per- 

 son or writing at his headquarters within thirty 

 days. 



The registration of voters was completed 

 early in the month of September. The follow- 

 ing was the result in all the counties except 

 three : 



