MISSISSIPPI 



578 



mitteo to whom was referred the Governor's mes- 

 sage, feel constrained to dissent in toto from that [>urt 

 of the report <!' tlio mujority of this coininiu. . , 

 M it i-a.l i- mu.l.- u|"'ii the United Htut< 

 t for troops. And upon this subject prcitent 



tiiii in 



BOfity report: 



lluv i_' duly ami fully considered the extraordi- 

 .luucy, snd deliberated 



upon i ,t- tii. i-i-in contained and the un- 



l'i>rtiiii tr disturl ' ' tiihcussi-d, we can see no just 



:icinl'd. So fur UM wo 



.an from reliable source*, this 



is in brief a history of tho recent troubles in tho 

 vicinity of Viokaburg: 



The county otliciuls at Vicksburg were charged 

 with embezzlement, forgeries, and defalcation** in 

 office, and some of them had been duly in.lirtnl i,-r 

 : offenses, and tho sheriff, who is ex-officio tax- 

 oolloctor, hud been found exercising tho functions 

 of hi> oili v without having first given the bonil re- 

 quired by law. Pax-payers, aggravated by their 

 Many grievances, hod repeatedly demanded of him 

 that 'ho should comply with tin- law in this ptirticu- 

 l:ir. mill had again and again appealed to the consti- 

 tutr'l authorities to require him to do so. Their 

 appeals were disregarded, and their remonstrances 

 were vain. They also had learned that the records of 

 their courts were being mutilated for the purpose of 

 protecting corrupt officials. 



In their extremity, a number of them repaired to 

 the court-house and demanded of these irresponsi- 

 ble officials a surrender of their trust. 



That this may have been technically wrong may 

 be conceded ; yet can it be said that when the peo- 

 ple, in moral justice, at least, required at the hands 

 of these officers a compliance ot the provisions of 

 the law. or a vacation of their offices illegally held, 

 that it is an excuse for these men, thus deposed, to 

 Mimmon their clans In the night-time, and without 

 notice march upon tho citv ? 



Up to this time there had been no violence and 

 bloodshed, and no more of threat or intimidation 

 than coula reasonably have been expected from a 

 community thus excited, wronged, and outraged. 



Had the Governor, at this juncture, with a due re- 

 gard for the right or all, and as chief Executive of 

 the whole people, gone to Vicksburg, and diligently 

 inquired into the complaints upon the one hand, and 

 the alleged wrongs upon the other, and shown a de- 

 termination to have the laws faithfully and fairly 

 executed, without partiality or prejudice, we are of 

 the opinion that no collision would nave taken place, 

 and no blood been shed ; but, instead thereof, a proc- 

 lamation was issued which had a tendency only to 

 fan the flame and intensify the passions. 



We cannot fail to call attention to tho fact that 

 one of these very complained-of officers had been 

 installed in office by the Governor, after the Senate 

 had refused to confirm him, upon the express ground 

 of a want of power of the Governor to make the ap- 

 pointment thus overriding all parties and all con- 

 stitutional restraints in exercising what he deemed 

 his prerogatives, and thereby depriving the people 

 of one of their constitutional and inalienable rights. 



In this condition of affairs what could the citizens 

 of Vicksburg be expected to do 1 An armed host 

 was marching upon their city from every direction 

 their houses ana firesides were about to be invaded 

 their wives and children were in danger, and no 

 matter what was the original cause, could they stand 

 idly by and see every thing near and dear to them 

 thus endangered? Was it not the prompting of 

 self-preservation ; nay, more, the protection of their 

 families, that required them to repel the attack at all 

 hazards and at any cost ? 



There is one strange and inexplicable thing con- 

 nected with this me88age t and that is, that while tho 

 Governor can denounce in severe and unmeasured 

 terms the action of the tax-payers, he utters no word 

 of reflection upon the officers ; his anathemas are all 



hurled at the white citizens, and their grievance*, 

 whatever they may be, are no extenuation or cxcuu 

 with him. 



We further dissent from the tatetnent made in 

 the preamble and revolution)! of the majority, for thi 

 reason, that it assumes as true the very charge* 

 against the citizens of Vicksburg which are by 

 uked to be investigated. 



Whatever there may have been, there certainly la 

 now no domestic violence to suppress, and no necee- 

 oitv for United States troops for any purpose, unless 

 it be to aid in carrying special election ordered there 

 for the 81st inst. The question for us should be, 

 what is best for the State f and not bow to maintain 

 the supremacy of any party. We cannot hope for 

 peace and prosperity until the people are left to con- 

 trol their own local affairs, free from Federal inter- 

 ference. 



An address to the people of the United 

 States was also signed by forty-nine Conser- 

 vative members of the Legislature to vindicate 

 their action in dissenting from the majority in 

 culling on the President for troops, and in or- 

 der to preserve the good name and fame of the 

 people of the State from tho alleged calumni- 

 ous charges made by the Governor, and in- 

 dorsed by the Legislature. 



On the 21st of December the following 

 proclamation was issued by President Grant: 



Whereat, It is provided in the Constitution of the 

 United States that the United States shall protect 

 every State in the Union on the application of the 

 Legislature, or the Executive, when the Legislature 

 cannot be convened, against domestic violence ; 

 and 



Whereat, It ie provided by the laws of the United 

 States that, in all cases of insurrection in any State, 

 or of obstruction of the laws thereof, it shall be law- 

 ful for the President of the United States, on appli- 

 cation of the Legislature of such States, or of the Ex- 

 ecutive, when the Legislature cannot be convened, 

 to call forth the militia of any other State or States, 

 or to employ such part of the land and naval force as 

 may he judged necessary for the purpose of suppress- 

 ing such insurrection, or of causing the laws to be 

 dulv executed ; and 



WTiereas, The Legislature of the State of Missis- 

 sippi, now in session, have represented to me in a 

 concurrent resolution of that body several of the le- 

 gally-elected officers of Warren County, in said State, 

 are prevented from executing the duties of their re- 

 spective offices by force and violence ; that the pub- 

 lic buildings and records of said county have been 

 taken possession of, and are now held by lawless and 

 unauthorized persons ; that many peaceable citizens 

 of said county have been compelled to abandon and 

 remain away from their homes and families ; that 

 illegal and riotous seizures and imprisonments have 

 been made by lawless persons ; and, further, that a 

 large number of armed men from adjacent States 

 have irfvaded Mississippi, to aid such lawless per- 

 sons, and are still ready to give them such aid ; and, 

 whereas, it is further represented, as aforesaid, by 

 said Legislature, that the courts of said county can- 

 not be held, and that the Governor of said State has 

 no sufficient force at his command to execute the 

 laws thereof in said county, and suppress said vio- 

 lence without causing a conflict of races, and en- 

 dangering life and property to an alarming extent ; 

 and 



Whertag, Said Legislature, as aforesaid, have made 

 application to me for such part of the military force 

 of the United States as may be necessary and ade- 

 quate to protect said State and citizens thereof against 

 tho domestic violence hereinbefore mentioned, and 

 to enforce the due execution of the laws ; and 



Whereat, The laws of the United States require 



