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MISSISSIPPI. 



JACKSON, Miss., September 8, 18755.30 p. M. 

 To President U. S. GRANT, Washington, D. C. 



Domestic violence prevails in various parts of this 

 State, beyond the power of the State authorities to 

 suppress. The Legislature cannot be convened in 

 time to meet the emergency. I therefore, in accord- 

 ance with section 4, Article IV. of the Constitution 

 of the United States, which provides that the United 

 States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a 

 republican form of government, and shall protect 

 each of them against invasion, and on application of 

 the Legislature, or of the Executive when the Legis- 

 lature cannot be convened, against domestic violence, 

 make this my application for such aid from the Fed- 

 eral Government as may be necessary to restore 

 peace to the State and protect its citizens. 



ADELBEET AMES, Governor. 



On the 9th, General J. Z. George, chairman of 

 the Democratic State Executive Committee, 

 telegraphed to Attorney-General Pierrepont, 

 declaring that there were no disturbances in 

 the State, and no obstruction to the execution 

 of the law. " Peace prevails throughout the 

 State," he said, " and the employment of 

 United States troops would but increase the 

 distrust of the people in the good faith of the 

 present State government." W. H. Harney, 

 Sheriff of Hinds County, signed a dispatch to 

 the Attorney-General, declaring that perfect 

 peace prevailed, and that the officers were not 

 prevented from executing legal processes. 

 This was immediately followed by another, 

 saying that there was " no protection for life 

 to colored me'n " in the county, and that the 

 previous dispatch had been extorted from him 

 by the captain of a military organization. This 

 captain denied the statement, declaring that 

 when the dispatch was signed he was the only 

 white man present and was not armed, and 

 had assured Sheriff Harney that he would be 

 protected in not signing it if he could not do so 

 conscientiously. General George also testified 

 that the sheriff was under no duress when he 

 signed his first dispatch. Ex-Senator Pease 

 added his testimony, to the effect that the 

 peace-officers were amply competent to pre- 

 vent violence, and that Federal interference 

 was unnecessary and would be unwise. 



Governor Ames, having been asked for fur- 

 ther information, made reply, under date of 

 September llth, in which he said: 



The necessity which called forth my dispatch of 

 the 8th inst. to the President still exists. Your 

 question of yesterday asks for information, which 

 I gladly give. The violence is incident to a polit- 

 ical contest preceding the pending election. Un- 

 fortunately 2 the question of race, which has been 

 prominent _in the South since the war, has assumed 

 magnified importance at this time in certain locali- 

 ties. In fact, the race feeling is so intense that pro- 

 tection for the colored people by white organizations 

 is despaired of. A political contest made on the 

 white line forbids it. 



On September 14th Attorney-General Pierre- 

 pont sent the following letter to Governor Ames : 



DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, ) 

 WASHINGTON, D. C., September 14, 1875. ) 

 To Governor AMES, Jaclcson, Miss. 



This hour I have had dispatches from the Presi- 

 dent. I can best convey to you his ideas by extracts 

 from his dispatches ; 



The whole public are tired out with these annual autumnal 

 outbreaks in the South, and the great majority are ready now 

 to condemn any interference on the part of the Government. 

 I heartily wish that peace and good order may be restored 

 without issuing the proclamation, but if it is not the proclama- 

 tion must be issued. But if it is, I shall instruct the com- 

 mander of the forces to have no child's play. If there is a 

 necessity for military interference there is justice in such in- 

 terference, to deter evil-doers. I would suggest the sending 

 of a dispatch or letter, by means of a private messenger, to 

 Governor Ames, urging him to strengthen his own position 

 by exhausting his own resources in restoring order before he 

 receives Government aid. He might accept the assistance 

 offered by the citizens of Jackson and elsewhere. Governor 

 Ames and his advisers can be made perfectly secure, as as 

 many of the troops now in Mississippi as he deems necessary 

 may be sent to Jackson. If he is betrayed by those who 

 offer assistance he will be in a position to defeat their ends 

 and punish them. 



You see b'y this the mind of the President with 

 which I, and every member of the cabinet who has 

 been consulted, are in full accord. You see the diffi- 

 culties, you see the responsibilities which you assume. 

 We cannot understand why you do not strengthen 

 yourself in the way the President suggests. Nor do 

 we see why you do not call the Legislature together 

 and obtain'from them whatever power, and money, 

 and arms, you need. The Constitution is explicit 

 that the Executive of the State can call upon the 

 President for aid in suppressing domestic violence 

 only when the Legislature cannot be convened, and 

 the law expressly says, " In case of an insurrection 

 in any State against the government thereof, it shall 

 be lawful for the President, on application of the 

 Legislature of such State, or of the Executive when 

 the Legislature cannot be convened," etc. It is 

 plain that the meaning of the Constitution and laws, 

 when taken together, is that the Executive of a State 

 may call upon the President for military aid to quell 

 domestic violence only in case of an insurrection in 

 any State against the government thereof when the 

 Legislature cannot be called together. 



You make no suggestions, even, that there is any 

 insurrection against the government of the State, or 

 that the Legislature would not support you in any 

 measures you might propose to preserve the public 

 order. I suggest that you take all lawful means and 

 all needed measures to preserve the peace by the 

 forces in your Dwn State, and let that country see 

 that citizens of Mississippi, who are largely favorable 

 to good order, and who are largely Eepublican, have 

 the courage and the manhood to fight for their rights, 

 and to destroy the bloody ruffians who murder the 

 innocent and unoffending freedmen. Everything is 

 in readiness. Be careful to bring yourself strictly 

 within the Constitution and the laws, and if there is 

 such resistance to your State authorities as you can- 

 not 1 by all the means at your command suppress, the 

 President will quickly aid you in crushing tnese 

 lawless traitors to human rights. 



Telegraph me on receipt of this, and state explic- 

 itly what you need. 



Very respectfully yours, 



(Signed) EDWAEDS PIEEEEPONT. 



Another political outbreak occurred at Fri- 

 ar's Point, on the 5th of October, which was 

 evidently incited by the colored Sheriff of Coa- 

 homa County, who had called together a body 

 of armed negroes for the purpose of supporting 

 his action in the county convention. These 

 were dispersed by the whites, who rallied un- 

 der General Chalmers, and Sheriff Brown was 

 driven out of the county. On this subject the 

 following dispatch was sent to Attorney-Gen- 

 eral Pierrepont by Senator Alcorn : 



Having read several incorrect and sensational dis- 

 patches touching the recent race troubles at Friar's 

 Point, I beg to assure you there need be no alarm 

 for the peace of this country. Several hundred armed 



