Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 18—NOVEMBER, 1962—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
MISSISSIPPI
4 01e Miss’ Riots
Bring Variety
Of Reactions
(Continued From Page 17)
been formed after careful and deliber
ate consideration of what I believe to
be the law. I have not changed my
position in the slightest degree. I shall
never apologize for anything I have
said or done in this regard because 1
have acted in good faith in discharg
ing the duties entrusted to me. My
conscience is clear.
“I am moved only by deep and abid
ing affection for the welfare of all the
people of Mississippi. I shall ever keep
the faith that the people of Mississippi
have entrusted to me as their gov
ernor.”
★ ★ ★
No Time for Gloating,
NAACP President Says
In a memorandum to members of
the Mississippi State Conference, Na
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People, President
Aaron E. Henry of Clarksdale, said:
“We should all take pride in the
exemplary manner that Mr. James
Meredith has conducted himself as a
student at the University of Missis
sippi.”
“We should also understand that the
mass confusion on the campus at the
University was not the activity of the
administration, faculty and students,”
the president said. “Some students did
participate in the confusion, but with
the news media and ‘advice’ available
to them, how could we expect little
else?”
Henry said “for those of us involved
in the Freedom Struggle and Negroes
in general, this is no time for gloating
and bragging.”
"True Peace’
“Our aim must never be to defeat or
humiliate our white oppressors, but to
win their friendship and understand
ing,” he said. “Out of this turmoil we
pray will grow a true peace. True
peace is not merely the absence of
tension; it is the presence of justice.
The tension we see in Mississippi to
day is the necessary tension that comes
when oppressed people rise up and
start to move forward toward a perma
nent, positive peace.”
Henry said that the Meredith case
“has already cost the NAACP upwards
to $30,000.”
★ ★ ★
Patterson Says No Court
Can Compel Fraternization
State Attorney General Joe T. Pat
terson, in an Oct. 16 address to the
University of Mississippi Law School,
said “no court order or decree can
compel the students of this university,
to socialize or fraternize with, or to
accept in any way, an undesirable stu
dent.”
Patterson requested “equal time” be
fore the law school after he had in
terpreted an address by U. S. Asst. At
torney General Nicholas Katzenbach as
urging student acceptance of James
Meredith.
“It is the constitutional right of ev
ery student here to ignore and ostra
cize any undesirable student, and let
no one lead you to believe that such
is not your right and freedom,” the
Mississippi attorney general said. “The
constitutional guarantee of freedom of
association, freedom of speech and
freedom of thought is much older and
deeper embedded in the basic law of
Flowers in the Debris
-Graham, Arkansas Gazette.
our land than the 14th Amendment
and its dubious origin.”
“ ‘Ole Miss’ is too big, her proud
place in the history of Mississippi is
too secure, her bright prospects for the
future are too great, her facility and
student body are too determined to
accomplish their lofty aims and ideals
to let one person destroy, or even deter
for one short day, her majestic march
toward those higher goals and ideals
we all seek to accomplish,” he said.
Sees No ‘Integration’
Even through Meredith had been at
tending classes since Oct. 1, Attorney
General Patterson said, “I want to
frankly and emphatically say to you
that I do not consider ‘Ole Miss’ now
integrated as a result of court-ordered
enrollment and attendance of classes
by one individual accompanied by
armed United States marshals.”
The Mississippi official accused
President Kennedy and his brother,
U. S. Attorney General Robert Ken
nedy, with “playing politics” in the
forceful enrollment of the first Negro
student at ‘Ole Miss.’
Taking cognizance of a press confer
ence held Oct. 9 by Meredith in which
he complained of the assignment of
Negro soldiers at “Ole Miss” to “KP”
duty in removing them from their reg
ular duties, Patterson said:
“We have also read and heard that
the newcomer to this campus was only
seeking an education; yet we read in
the papers of Oct. 9, where this hum
ble one seeking only an education,
calls for, and gets, a private press
conference in order that he might ex
press his dissatisfaction with the com
plexion and assignments to duty of the
more than 23,000 soldiers stationed for
his benefit.
“Does this have any relation whatso
ever to the furtherance of his stated
purpose in being here—to obtain a
better education? Does not this cor
roborate our position in the defense of
this suit—that the plaintiff was ‘a man
with a mission,’ and that mission was
not to obtain a better education?
“And what further evidence of na-,
tional politics do we need than to read
the statement of the secretary of the
Army in response to this complaint—
wherein the secretary virtually apolo
gized to the complainant, and hastened
to correct that which was displeasing
to the complaining party.”
Referring to an interview given by
Attorney General Kennedy to a Lon
don newspaper representative in
Washington during which the former
assertedly “turned to one of his aides
to ask him to lodge a strong complaint
with university authorities for refus
ing to take disciplinary action against
any of the students who had been
arrested and turned over to them,”
Patterson said:
“I would like to remind the U. S.
attorney general that the University
of Mississippi, its faculty and its stu
dent body has not, as yet, been ordered
into the custody of the U.S. attorney
general. He has no authority whatso
ever over the faculty and students of
this university; and I say to him, as
the attorney general of Mississippi,
that he is not going to brow-beat and
intimidate the officials of this univer
sity, its students, nor the attorney
general of Mississippi, regardless of
the power of his office and that of the
president.
Says Duty Comes First
“I am confident the officials of this
university, and I assure you the at
torney general of Mississippi, will do
whatever they deem it their duty to
do, in their own time and way, with
out fear or benefit of threat, coercion
and intimidation at the hands of the
Legal Action
Three days after the federal justice
department on Oct. 10 turned over evi
dence against six University of Mis
sissippi students to university officials
in connection with rioting on the
campus Sept. 30, Gov. Ross Barnett
named a nine-member legal commit
tee “to protect the constitutional rights
of the students.”
Robert J. Rosthal of the justice de
partment said evidence being compiled
involved all demonstrations against
Negro student James Meredith and not
just the riot on the night of his ar
rival on the Oxford campus. He said
the federal government plans no pros
ecution against students at this time.
In turn, the evidence was turned
over to the Student Judicial Council
and then filed with State Attorney
General Joe Patterson.
Patterson said his department does
not “initiate” prosecution and the mat
ter will be handled by District At
torney Jesse L. Yancy.
‘Y’ Don’t Want Y’ Daughter
T’Marry A Kennedy, Do Ya?’
—Haynie, Louisville Courier-Journal.
U.S. attorney general and his army of
aides and assistants.
“I pridefully admit that the officials
of this university, and its student body
have not seen fit to adopt the phi
losophy of law, government and edu
cation now being advanced by the
disciples of the ‘new frontier,’ but such
is no evidence of ‘weakness.’ ”
A ★ ★
N.Y.-Born Rabbi Says
‘More Mississippi’ Needed
Rabbi Benjamin Schultz of Temple
Beth Israel at Clarksdale, told the
Business & Professional Women’s Club
there Oct. 24 that “What America needs
is more Mississippi—not less.”
The New York-born rabbi is former
national director of the American Jew
ish League Against Communism. He
went to Clarksdale last August, stat
ing he asked for a Southern congrega
tion because he believes this section
to be the “most pro-American in the
nation and freer than any other of
infiltrating Communists and their
dupes, the sometimes misguided ‘lib
erals.’ ”
Addressing the women’s organiza
tion, Rabbi Schultz said, “it would be
a fine gesture in view of the Cuban
crisis for President Kennedy to with
draw the rest of the troops from Ox
ford because our enemy is not here—
our enemy is Communism.”
Traditional Patriotism’
“If Mississippi had its way, ‘red
baiter” would be a term of honor and
‘flag-waver’ not a dirty word,” he de
clared. “Traditional patriotism would
again sweep the land to strengthen
—Payne, Charlotte Observer.
Also investigating the rioting are two
special committees—state and federal.
The state group is the General Legis
lative Investigating Committee, and the
other from Sen. James O. Eastland’s
judiciary committee.
In connection with appointment of
the “legal committee,” Gov. Barnett
said it will defend the students whose
constitutional rights he said “have
been violated by the invasion and oc
cupation of the campus by federal
troops.”
The attorneys will serve without
compensation.
“Students or their parents who are
in need of legal counsel may contact
any of the attorneys named,” the
governor said. “That includes those
named in affidavits filed by the fed
eral justice department.”
“Reports indicate the students’ con
stitutional rights to freedom of speech
and freedom of assembly are also be
ing threatened,” the governor said. “In
our people inwardly, and insure vic
tory in the international crisis.
“As it is, America is losing. It is
losing mostly because of decay among
its own intellectuals.
“If Mississippi had its way, pro-com
munists would be off American college
facilities. Corruption of our youth
would stop,” Schultz contended.
Rabbi Schultz called on “the dedi
cated clergy of Mississippi and the
South, generally, to demand that our
Northern preachers fight the cold war
for America against Communism, even
if it means less time to attack the
South.
“After all,” he said, “If Communism
conquers us, do we not all lose—Jews
and Gentiles, black and white? Re
ligion loses most of all.”
★ ★ ★
In an Oct. 9 interview with a reporter
at Oxford, Meredith criticized Army of
ficials in charge of soldiers on duty at
the University of Mississippi for his
protection.
Meredith said “Negro soldiers had
been purged from positions in the
ranks” and given lesser duties, includ
ing KP details.
The interview, requested by Mere
dith, reportedly caught off guard the
federal Justice Department, in charge
of his “continued attendance” at the
university.
A Department of Justice official at
Oxford said Meredith called him and
said he wanted to issue a statement. It
was granted, the federal official said,
since “Meredith’s not a prisoner and
can make any statement he desires.”
Secretary Explains
Immediately after the criticism, Army
Secretary Cyrus Vance in Washington
said Negro soldiers had been taken off
of patrol duties for a few days “to avoid
unnecessary incidents.” He said they
had been restored to their normal
duties.
State Attorney General Joe Patterson
criticized Army officials for using Ne
gro soldiers at the university and ac
cused them of “bowing down” when
Meredith’s complaint was registered.
He also criticized the searches without
search warrants.
Community Action
State Reduces
Citizens’ Council
Broadcast Grant
The donation of public funds to the
private pro-segregation Citizens Coun
cil Radio & Television forum has been
drastically reduced by the State Sover
eignty Commission, Mississippi’s segre
gation ‘watchdog’ agency.
The reason given was a waning
budget. The action followed the “Ole
Miss”-Meredith enrollment controversy
in which officials of the forum served
as confidants of Gov. Ross Barnett.
The action was considered a victory
for the sovereignty commission’s public
relations department whose funds had
been sharply reduced about a year
ago although only $500 had been cut
from a $5,000 monthly “donation” to
the forum.
At the time of the earlier reduction,
Erie Johnston Jr., public relations di
rector of the commission, was given
a sharp salary cut and his stenographic
help eliminated.
At a recent meeting, the sovereignity
commission cut the forum’s monthly
donation from $4,500 to $2,000, but left
the public relations budget untouched.
order to provide the students free legal
assistance in any matters which might
arise, I have appointed a legal com
mittee which has agreed to serve
without compensation.”
Those named were:
O. R. Smith Sr. of Corinth, president
of the University of Mississippi Alumni
Federation; Jack Doty of Pontotoc,
guest lecturer on the University of
Mississippi Law School faculty; Glenn
Fant of Holly Springs, former member
of the “Ole Miss” Law School faculty;
Will Hickman of Oxford;
Murray Williams of Water Valley,
former U. S. assistant attorney for
the Northern federal court district;
Byrd Mauldin of Pontotoc, secretary of
the Democratic State Executive Com
mittee; Fred Bush Jr. of Tupelo,
former director of the State Agricul
tural & Industrial Board, and Russell
Moore of Jackson, judge of the Hinds
County Court.
Barnett Names Student Aid Group
‘How’d You Like Your
Daughter Man-yin’ One of
Them?’
—Conrad, Denver Post
William J. Simmons, president of the
forum, and official in the “parent”.
Citizens’ Council organization, said the
action will seriously affect the nation
wide radio and television program de
signed to arouse the people over states’
rights and constitutional government.
The functions of the two groups are
somewhat a duplication. The sovereignty
commission’s public relations depart,
ment spearheads a speakers bureau
which sends volunteers to other sec
tions to tell “the Mississippi story on
segregation and race relations.”
Friction erupted between Johnstoa
and Simmons after a speech by Johns
ton to his alma mater’s graduation
class at Grenada, in which he said the
solution to the problem was through
“co-operation and understanding be
tween the races.” Johnston maintained,!
however, that segregation must be con
tinued.
Simmons interpreted Johnston’s
speech as “surrender” of the state’s
standpat position on segregation. Ef
forts were made to fire Johnston, j
ara
efff
bet
tho
rig
195
J
the
Pai
aim
ly
for
for
stit
situ
met
Scl
R<
In
G<
Resolution Disclosed
Disclosure of the budget cut also
brought to light a resolution adopted
by the sovereignty commission headed
by Gov. Ross Barnett. The commission
declined to “participate in any personal
controversy between Mr. Johnston and
Mr. Simmons over Mr. Johnston’s com
mencement address on May 25, 1962
It noted that Johnston was not speak
ing in his official capacity.
However, the resolution approved a
“policy of co-operation with Negroes
in an effort to maintain segregation i»
Mississippi as being in the best inter
est and welfare of both races, but we
do not concede that it is the onl?
method by which such relations cat
be maintained.” That was much the
same position expressed by Johnston
The commission also approved 1
policy of co-operation to provide f®
the Negroes separate but equal facljj'j
ties in the colleges and schools, pub®
parks and other public facilities withia
the state, but this commission does not
yield in any manner its policy of op*
position to integration in any for® 1
within or without the state.” That u®
also Johnston’s approach in his ad
dress.
Thus far, the forum has received
in excess of $100,000.
A suit was filed in federal cotffl,
challenging the donation of puWJ
funds to the private agency, butJJ
has not come to trial. It was filed “
W
Roc
clas
tion
0
schc
yea:
1958
closi
D
of :
Octc
repo
ase
play
beer
Cenl
with
Phil;
for ]
Th
dent
Pate
after
this
UI
dent,
beloi
?anu
A
j i
by v
William Higgs, young Jackson attorney
who was associated in it by R- ^
Smith, Negro of Jackson who ran
successfully for Congress, and
labor leaders. However, the labor leg
ers withdrew their names from
the
suit.
Higgs, a Harvard law graduate
formerly of Greenville, is counsel
the state advisory committee in
& <
federal civil rights commission.
Stacked Deck?
—Montgomery
%h
si