Newspaper Page Text
Old Series —Vol. 25, No. 122.
THE INSURRECTION.
We continue this morning an account
of the Negro Insurrection. The con
fessions of some of the colored people
are simply frightful and show that
their enfranchisement, far from making
them more civilized and worthy of the
boon of citizenship, has, on the con
trary, evinced a tendency on their part
to drift into the worst of barbarism.
The great protection of the whites is
in the impossibility of the negroes
themselves to have concert of action.
They will be betrayed when they least
expect it and by their own people. The
white citizens of Georgia have exhibited
sublime forbearance under provocation
of. the most damnable character, and
Gov. Smith deserves the thanks of all
good men aud women for his energy,
promptitude, good sense and calmness.
The worst enemies of the peaceable
and well-disposed blacks seem to be a
certain class of so-called “ preachers,”
who, instead of inculcating the Gospel
of Jesus Chkist, as they pretend, are
mere imps of darkness, and no better
than the demons incarnate who hold
their hideous orgies on the banks of
Lake Ponchartraiu. These pestilent
rascals should be held in suspicion by
both white aud black. Doubtless there
are negro preachers who do not come
within this category, aud to such as
are worthy of respect no odium should
attach. But every negro or colored
man who really wishes to live at peace
with the whites, and has the sense to
know’ that a conflict must end only in
irremediable disaster to the weaker
party, should cast out of society,
churches and counsels all agitators
who strive to hand the race over to de
struction. The welfare of the colored
people depends upon peaceful rela
tions with the whites, and he who at
tempts to persuade them to the contra
ry is a fiend in human shape, for whom
the gallows is only too merciful.
We i egret that some remarks of the
Albany News in regard to the alleged
appointment of ex-Comptroller Gen
eral Petekson Thweatt to the position
of the Keeper of the Archives at the
old capitol in Milledgeville, copied
iuto this paper with a jesting comment
that the “archives” were the old files
of the Milledgeville Recorder, have
been construed as containing a reflec
tion on Mr. Thweatt and meaning that
a small office had been created for
him. The News article was in a hu
morous vein and our own in the same
spirit and directed jocosely at our old
Milledgeville journalistic contempora
ry and not at Mr. T. The exact facts,
as we learn them officially, are that
there is no such office as the Keeper of
the Archives at the old capitol, and
that Mr. Thweatt’s mission at Milledge
ville is merely temporary, the Gover
nor having invited his services as a
gentleman fully qualified by his gen
eral intelligence and long official ex
perience to institute some researches
among the documents at the old capi
tol in certain matters of importance to
the interests of the State. No better
man could have been found for this
delicate and responsible duty than Mr.
Thweatt.
i ■ i
The “Washington Chronicle’s city edi
tor has this item : “A niece of Jeffer
son Davis, who, with a party of ladies,
was being shown through the capitol
yesterday by one of our young lawyers,
was, of course, taken into the law li
brary, w here he took great pride in
showing her the written law of the
laud. The librarian, with a triumphant
wave of the hand, assured her that
ours was the most complete law li
brary in the world. The lady was ap
parently stunned for a moment at the
sight of 60,000 volumes, but broke the
silence by this remark : “If you would
only make a compendium of this li
brary aud bring it down to three or
four books, and then place the Bible on
top cf them, -I think your law would
do the country some good.” We have
not seen a better reply for some time,
and what Mr. Davis’ niece said of
♦‘boiling down the law” could be ap
plied to many other ponderous ag
glomerations.
Scofield's Rolling Mill, of Atlanta,
has again “busted.” The Atlanta Con
stitution says Mr. Goodnow, the receiv
er, who undertook to run it, was, as a
Rolling Millist, a dead failure. The av
erage Atlanta man always considers
himself competent to grind a pair of
scissors, manipulate a bank, shoe a
horse, keep a hotel, teach base ball,
preach a better sermon than the regu
lar pastor, run a huckster stand, super
intend a railroad, make kites, boss a
State College, shingle a house, build a
truss bridge, run a faro bank or church
and make them both pay, and all men
women and children in the town know
they could get out a better paper than
the Herald or Constitution. As to Sco
field’s Rolling Mill there are ten regi
ments who can take it now and make
it pay one hundred per cent a month.
The German journalists are in Con
gress at Bremen. They are asking for
freedom of the press and a truthful
publication of affairs of State. Is this
a confession that the German newspa
pers have been the mere appendages
of Imperial policy? It would seem
so.
The first frost of the season is re
ported at various points in Illinois
and Minnesota. From the caprices of
the weather this year, it may be that
w 0 shall have a very early frost in the
South.
____ „ in i—
iNDiANAPCfUS, August 23.—Rev. Cyrus
Nutt D. D. and LL. D., for fifteen
years President of the Indiana State
University, at Bloomington, died of
.remittent fever. '
ctliu fails (Eoiidihituntalisl.
.■ t *
FOREIGN DISPATCHES.
THE BOSNIAN REVOLT.
Ihe Montenegrins Capture Seven
Forts—Attempts to Patch up Peace—
Austria and the Grand Padishah Do
Not Agree—The Sick Man of Turkey
on His Last Legs.
Ragusa, August 22.—A number of
Montenegrins who joined the Herze
govinian insurgents have captured
seven small forts around Gasko, Duga
and Nistke, near the Montenegrin fron
tier.
London. August 23. —A special to the
Times from Constantinople says the
Porte has accepted a proposition of
friendly powers to counsel submission
of insurgents to Turkish authority and
represent to them the utter hopeless
ness of foreign intervention. Server
Pacha has been appointed special com
missioner to examine into the grievan
ces of disaffected people. It is confi
dently expected that the insurrection
will thus soon terminate.
A Berlin special dispatch to the Times
says the Austrian Ambassador at Con
stantinople suggested to the Turkish
Government the expediency of allowing
Hezegovina a semi-independent admin
istration. Had this suggestion been
accepted the northern powers would
have been prepared to assist in its ac
complishment. The Porte, however,
rejected the proposition. The inter
vention of Austria is no longer consid
ered altogether improbable. The Aus
trian Government seems to consider
that a change has become indispensa
ble, and that it had best be effected at
a time when Austria may hope to ex
ercise a leading influence.
The Times, in a leading article, says
if any mode could be devised of giving
Herzegovina and Bosnia an indepen
dence similar to that enjoyed by Servia
it would be a great relief to the Porte
and an advantage to Europe. The
writer points to a gradual and inevi
table disruption of the Ottoman Em
pire and protests against the supposi
tion that the foreigu policy of Eugiand
might be governed in the interests of
holders of Turkish bonds. The article
concludes that whenever the moment
arrives for a further step toward the
liberation of the outlying provinces of
Turkey we need not hesitate to assist
the movement if that course should
appear desirable.
Attempt to Establish a Free Press in
Germany—Spanish Rumors--Sup
pression of Convents in Geneva.
Berlin, August 22. —A congress of
German journalists opened here to-day.
Resolutions were adopted asking im
perial legislation in behalf of the liber
ty of tbe press to publish truthful re
ports of public proceedings of law
courts, and granting immunity from
the disclosure of the names of the con
tributors.
Santander, August 22.—1 tis rumor
ed that serious disturbances have oc
curred at Estella, aud that the arrests
and iucai’ceration of Gens. Mendir aud
Mogrovejo and other Carlist officers
was because of their complicity in a
plot against Don Carlos.
Geneva, August 22.—The National
Council has passed a resolution for the
suppression of convents and Sisters of
Charity.
Archbishop Ledochowski and the
Pope.
London, August 23.—A special to the
Daily News, from Rome, says the Pope
bas invited Archbishop Ledochowski
to Rome on the expiration of his term
of imprisonment, in February next, to
attend a special consistory, at which
he will receive the insignia of the Car
dinalate.
The Havana Mail.
Havana, August 23. —The steamship
City of New York, which sailed hence
on the 21st inat. for New York, left her
mail ashore. It was taken by the
steamship Wilmington, which sailed
the same day, and will be landed at Sa
vannah.
Important Advantage of the Alfon
sists—Failure of the Austrian Wheat
Crop.
London, August 23. —Madrid dis
patches report that the Alfonsists at
Seo De Urgel have severed communi
cations between the Citadel and an
outlying fort which defends it aud have
cut the aqueduct which furnished the
besieged with their principal supply of
water.
Vienna, April 24.—Official reports
show that the wheat crops in Austria
and Hungary have fallen off iu quan
tity and quality and will not yield more
than five aud a half million quintals.
Condition of the European Crops.
London, August 23. —The Mark Lane
Express, in its weekly review of the
graiu market says, the wheat crop in
Great Britain has been gathered in
much better order than expected.
Prices generally has yielded la2s., in
some cases 2a3s. New samples look
well in comparison with those of last
year with less average and diminished
yield.
Paris, August 23. —The market has
felt the beneficial effect of the weather,
the price of flour having declined two
shillings per sack. In many parts of
France the harvest has been gathered,
but in uone will it be auywise like that
of last year. Accounts from the Con
tinent differ somewhat, but all agree
upon the fact that violent local storms,
with unusually large hailstones, doing
immense damage, have visited France,
Belgium aud Holland. Prices are but
little changed on the Continent gener
ally. In Germany the markets are firm.
Failure iu England—A United States
Minister Sick.
London, August 23.—Edward Hewitt
& Son, provision dealers of Montague
Close, have failed. Liabilities, §125,000.
Mr. Moran, United States Minister to
Portugal, is ill in consequence of the
privations he experienced during the
wreck of the steamer Boyne.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
He is Greatly iu Demand for Agricul
tural Speeches.
Chicago, August 23.—Hon. Jefferson
Davis has received an invitation from
Des Moines, lowa, Charleston, Illinois,
and other points in the West, to deliver
annual addresses at the meetings of
their several agricultural societies, this
Fall.
FROM NEW JERSEY.
A Railroad Squabble.
Patterson, N. J., August 23. —1 tis
said the New Jersey and New York
Railroad owes the Erie Railroad §30,-
000 and refused to pay. The Erie there
fore to-day seized two ears of the for
mer road at Long Dock and tore up the
other company’s track at Hackensack
Junction. There was great excitement,
but a police force from Jersey City pre
served order.
AUGUSTA, GA., TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 24, 1875.
FROM WASHINGTON.
Special River Report.
Washington, August 23.—The Mis
sissippi river has fallen four inches at
St. Louis, thirty-seven inches at Cairo,
fifteen inches at Memphis and one
inch at Helena, where the river is now
forty-two feet and one inch. It has re
mained stationary but is rising at
Vicksburg, where it is forty feet and
ten inches.
General Items—Postal News-Whiskey
Wrigglings.
Washington, August 23.—The United
States steamer Gettysburg is undergo
ing repairs at the Washington Navy
Yard, and will be fitted out for a sur
veying expedition in the Gulf of Mexico.
She is under command of Lieut. Com
mander F. M. Green.
A motion to quash the attachment
against Wm. H. Ottman’s property was
overruled.
Arrangements are progressing for the
use of registered mail pouches beween
Boston and NewOrleans and larger cities
between those points. The system
has been found to work well between
Boston and San Francisco. The regis
tered package will be placed in these
pouches. They will have peculiar
locks with keys only at distributing
offices.
Col. Washburn has information that
a discharged gauger, who is an im
portant witness against the Chicago
whiskey ring, was wounded, it is sup
posed by the instigation of the ring.
Detectives have him iuasafe place and
will produce him on trial of distillers
and rectifiers in Chicago.
Naval Intelligence.
Washington, August 23.—Bristow
and Pierrepont have returned.
The Rio Bravo was towed to Galves
ton by the revenue cutter Dix. When
repaired she will relieve the Plymouth
at the mouth of the Rio Grande. The
Plymouth will join the North Atlantic
squadron.
The District United States Attorney
will defend General Ruggles aud others
arrested for false imprisonment at
Omaha.
FROM NEW YORK.
Reception of the American Rifle Team.
New York, August 23. —The mem
bers of the Rifle Team arrived at the
City Hall at half-past 2 o’clock, where
they were received by Mayor Wickham
and a number of distinguished citizens.
The Mayor, in a brief but compliment
ary address, welcomed the Team and
complimented them ou the successful
competition with British marksmen.
Duncan, Sherman & Co.’s Assignees—
A Turner Celebration.
Ex-Judge Shipman, assignee of Dun
can, Sherman & Cos., and N. A. Con
drey, S. L. M. Barlow and W. W. Mc-
Farland, his sureties, justified to-day
before Judge Ribinson, in the Court of
Common Pleas, iu §500,000 each.
Various Turner societies, containing
representatives from different States,
numbering 3,000 men, marched through
the city to-day to Jones Woods, where
a three days’ festival is in progress.
The Tweed Case.
Appeals from orders in the six mil
lion suit of the people agaiust Tweed
were argued to-day before the Supreme
general term, one being in the form of
an order refusing a bill of particulars ;
second iu the form of an order refusing
to direct the complaint to be made
more definite ; third in the form of an
order refusing to vacate the order of
arrest or reduce the three million bail.
The decision is reserved on all three.
CRIMES AND CASUALTIES.
Fatal Clubbing—Frost in Illinois —
Burning of a Hotel—Building Blown
Down—Two Children Killed.
Weehawken, N. J., August 23.—Po
liceman Lundy fatally clubbed Philip
Kuch for interfering when Luudy was
shooting a dog.
Chicago, August 23.—There was frost
in various points in Illinois Saturday
night. Potatoes and vegetables were
severely in j ured in the vicinity of Free
port.
Watkins Glenn, N. Y., August 23.
The Arlington Hotel was burned by
the explosion of a gasoliue lamp. The
guest3 escaped with their baggage.
Albany, N. Y., August 23. — A portion
of the Manufacturing Hall at the Fair
Grounds was blown down and two chil
dren killed.
Shocking Case of Baby Farming-
Murder aud Suicide.
Rochester, August 23. —A shocking
case of baby farming was brought to
light in this city. The woman admits
that three out of four babies brought
to her for board have died within five
weeks. She says they are taken from
their mothers so young they cannot be
expected to live.
New York, August 23.—Abram Sy
monds, probably insane, killed his
daughter with an axe and then killed
himself.
Highway Robbery.
Matafiediac Quebec, August 23.—A
passenger on a stage, when near As
senietquagen, drew his revolver, pre
senting it at the driver’s head, ordered
him to stop and compelled him to cut
the mail bags. The driver jumped off
and the robber drove away with the
stage.
Destructive Frosts in the Northwest.
St. Paul, Minn., August 23.— Killing
frosts last night and the night before
are reported from several points along
tbe line of Lake Superior, destroying
corn and other unripe crops. If the
frost extended through the State the
large corn crop will be an entire fail
ure.
Lynch Law—Yellow Fever.
Montgomery, Ala., August 23.—Two
men jailed for rape in PensacoPt were
taken out and lynched Saturday morn
ing before day.
A case of fever reported at Pensacola
was taken there in a boat from near
Barrancas. It was promptly isolated
and now convalescent. No other cases
reported.
FROM MEMPHIS.
First Bales from Arkansas aud Mis
sissippi—Death of a Prominent Man.
Memphis, August 23.—The first bale
of cotton from Arkansas was sold to
day for 36 cents per pound ; also, the
first bale from Mississippi at the same
price, and shipped to New York.
W. B. Greenlaw, President of the
Memphis and Little Rock Railroad, and
of the People’s Insurance Company, of
this city, died this morning of dropsy
of the heart.
Favorable News of the Cotton Crop.
The rapid decline of the river has re
lieved the overflowed cotton above
here. Some planters whose cotton was
in the water say they will make a two
thirds crop if the season is propitious.
Damage to the plant has been compar
atively light.
THE NEGRO fVNERRECTION.
CONFESSIONS OF PRISONERS.
:u
Undoubted Existence if a Plot—Mur
der, Rape and the Objects—
“ This is Governm sll Land and Must
be Divided as Golie:; ament Land.” —
Tbe Governor's £j,>e : eh at Sanders
ville—No Pardon Convicted In
surgents. i
[Special to the Cc|:sf;tutionalist.]
Sanders August 23.
The State not bej?ig ready, the pre
liminary examination < f the insurrec
tionist prisoners, \jui h was set for
to-day, was postpo:|.3d until Monday
next, the 30th, whe.y i le cases of the
accused negroes will i 5 taken before
the grand jury at tie special term of
Washington Superior -Court set for
that day by Judgv Johnson, The
Governor left yesteifia*- for Waynes
boro en route for .dyagasta, and ex
presses himself satisfied there was a
plot to rise in insurrection, and will
not interpose the Executive clemency
in cases* of convicti|a. He deems it
proper that special % terms shall be
called to try the insurgents in Burke,
Wilkinson and Lairieiie, and will so
advise Judges GibsLn Bartlett and
Pate. There is great indignation at the
revelations made by t aelprisoners.
[Correspondence of tie Savannah News.]
Candy Harris, who seems to have
been a prominent leader in the league,
states that he quit it ip March last, aud
that Jim Sessions, gh; is hiding out,
has the record book the organiza
tion. In May last, iffeirding to his
statements, this newc;glunz&tion made
its appearance, Joe lliiifrris, of Burke'
county, being the active mover in its
establishment, aud r. R. Rivers, of
South Carolina, star,?tug god-father.
Candy Harris corroborates all this, but
persistently declares iji&t he was op
posed to it all, and tii-a: the meetings
were held in the were con
trary to his advice. jflJhis statement,
however, is wholly at Muiance with his
past conduct, and thone' timony of his
deceived followers. LMfiris is a sharp,
smooth-tongued, trick Jjvegro, and just
the kind of a person ' ake the lead
iu a movement of fills kind. He
is about five and \ h half feet
high, of small build;! |hin features,
smooth face, “glib” tor,.'tie, and weighs
about 135 pounds an j \is a Baptist
preacher. He claim.* that “ Gen. ”
Morris, Rev. Jerry ; Simmons and
others, with “ Gen.” Ridels in the back
ground, were the prim 4 if overs in get
ting up the mass mi [[rings. He says
Morris is a scamp. Se[tfhim §11.25, at
his request, to publisMf notice, as lie
said, ot mass meeting. gMhraim Brant
ley was also iu the oonfK’l of the affair.
Meetings were postpot fcd and matters
got mixed up, which lt|i to the failure
of the plans for a g®4ral uprising.—
All the testimony gljes to confirm
Harris’ statements thaf;‘his movement
commenced about the l'grst of May, and
that “ Gen.” Morris wail the active agi
tator and promoter of-'the affair, with
Rev. Candy Harris, EpSSaim Brantley,
Rev. Jerry Simmons, ar fithe officers of
the companies to assist him. The char
acter of the organiiiuous can be
gathered from the follo#i;tg statements
freely made under oatjhl aud without
intimidation :
James Wright, of Bl; |! shear’s mills,
Laurens county, says ;hi here is a se
cret military organisition in this
neighborhood, and H.|i;son Tucker
commands it, and is [called Captain
Tucker, but I know vtJry little of this
company. About four? months ago I
joined Captain Jerry Wij-tors’ company,
of Johnson county, b|b I never at
tended a drill. I rema) nhd a member
of this company abouf, |three weeks,
and then directed thajf, |ny name be
taken off the rolls. I fuller paid the
initiation fee, but took to abide
by the laws of the co|h|)any. About
three weeks ago, In L * conversation
with Isaac Wright, he &>;*d me that if
they, the white people] did not mind
the negroes will have t|iis land. The
oath was about in thjte]) words: “I
will come into this meeting and abide
by the laws, whatsomqk r; whatever
hour or minute I am c|ieed ou I will
go. That I will not tell * die secrets of
the company ; and if I dot the punish
ment will be hard.” I v|i| told that if
I violated the oath I wo| l?l be tried by
Grant’s law, and tl|s* punishment
would be death. | !
John Chiles, of Johns'! - bounty, says:
There is an organization?. Jisting iu this
part of the State, and it i s*of a military
and secret character, anil ij you will al
low me, I will explain tb.;s whole move
ment in full —from tne |ery beginning
—what it is for and wild the principal
negroes are, and the office- they hold,
and what they intendts;! doing. The
movement first started ly Candy Har
ris, colored, (who is Secretary of the
organization), calling a &i--eting of the
cob red people to assemfel' in Sanders
ville for the purpose of s| 'jUng general
orders, and to know hoi| *to proceed.
Francis Murkerson, coif fed, (who is
captain of a company i| fWashington
county,) also was a principal man iu
the meeting. I attended the meeting,
as also did most all the ly Uored people
in this section. The effect of that
meetiug was to get all men
to unite into a secret mil;f, try organiza
tion for the purpose of gy| ing “equal
ity”—by that, I mean to ||ike lands in
this county by force and Unns—to kill
out the whites, beginning j with the lit
tle babe in the crib, aud j, riing all up.
Under orders from “G‘ ifaral” Rivers,
of South Carolina, and “u|meral” Mor
ris, of Burke county, U-4>rgia, issued
by Candy Harris, secretaM of the or
ganization, colored con!Janies of a
secret and military character have
been formed in all this fiction of the
State. I know of three Companies in
this neighborhood, one eJy.ed the Zion
Hope Company, aud colimanded by
Captain Jerry Walters. |
Tbe second company is; he Buckeye
Company, commanded : y Harrison
Tucker. The other eomj any is com
manded by Francis lurkerson.—
These companies were rmed upon
orders from Candy H ; rris, Secre
tary, at the instance c “General”
Rivers and “Gen.” Morri- : and an oath
of secrecy, to keep even ! hing secret,
and to mutually stand to" ach other, is
administered to every - e ; I joined
the organization, but did iof pay the
initiation fee, and waslnot called a
regular member ; I did n> t join either
company, but intended a the first to
join Jerry Walters’ comp ay, but saw
the danger ahead of me iri quit the
organization ; I remainei with the or
ganization long enough, however, to
know that the negroes int ided to take
the lands by force, to di\| le by lot the
lands into forty-acre lots-Jeach to draw
for his share, and to dri de the per
sonal property, such as lorses, cows,
wagons and household. I rniture, be-
tween us ; I know that we (I mean all
included in this organization) were to
kill out all the whites, as I have told
you before, and to take all the money’
we could find and give it to our treas
urer—which was for our mutual benefit.
A short time ago I was in Jake
Mooreman’s house at night, at a called
meeting; there were present Jake
Mooreman, Hubbard Hines, Francis
Merkerson, Jerry Walters, Neal Hus
ton, Ben Oliver, Zone Fish, Nig. Miller,
Webb Wright, George Sampson, Bob
Hightower, Jake Hicks, Austin Masar,
Ben Wright, myself, Felix Guyton, and
others I don’t remember and don’t
know. The object was to discuss the
whole matter, how to do and what to
do ; and Francis Merkerson. who was
President of the meeting, said (speaking
the voice of the meeting,) and that after
everything was ready the movement
would begin from the Tucker plantation
that was the starting point; all the
companies in this section were to meet
there, fully armed and equipped (as
well as possible), and commence the
line of march, going first to Dr. A. J.
Haines’, to march through his yard, to
take all his money, and then go on to
Wrightsville, As I have said before,
the object of the organization was to
kill out the whites, from the babe in
the cradle up; to get all the money we
could find and put it in our treasury;
to divide all the personal property be
tween us, and to divde the lands into
forty acre lots between us; and I sup
pose you know that their intention was
to kill all the whites along the line of
march, but I don’t know what they in
tend doing after reaching Wrightesville,
except to hold a mass meeting, and at
that time all would know what to do.
I might say just here that oue of the
main objects of this organization was
tbe enforcement of the civil rights bill,
representation in the jury box, &c. I
kuow that Candy Harris is the princi
pal leader in this section of the State
and all orders were issued by him.—
Their intention was to take the crops,
and give to the whites only so much as
they saw fit. This was the order from
Candy Harris, and Morris and Rivers.
Jake Mooreman, of Washington
county, swears : I, Jake Mooreman, do
make this my confession, in full, iu
reference to the insurrection which we,
the colored citizens of Washington,
Laurens, Johnson and sixteen other
counties, the names of which I do not
know, have entered into:
lain First Lieutenant of a colored
company, commanded by Jerry Walt
ers; we were under the command of
Francis Murkerson, who in turn was in
command of Candy Harris, who in turn
was commanded by Joseph Morris, of
Burke, who was appointed and com
manded by P. R. Rivers, of South Caro
lina; Murkerson was first Captain of
the Eighty-eighth District, and he ap
pointed Baldwin Fluker. On last Fri
day or Saturday we received orders
from Francis Murkeison and Candy
Harris that all our companies aud all
the black men were to meet at No. 11,
Central Railroad, to transact our busi
ness [this lie explained to be the carry
ing ut of the insurrection plans], and
we were then to commence to kill all
the white men aud ugly white women,
and take the prottv white women for
ourselves. Then we were to take axes,
hoes and brickbats, and take the guns
and ammunition of the whites as we
killed them, if the white men did not
submit and give up. We were also to
get all tbe money we could from the
dead whites, and divide. This move
ment was to commence on Friday, Au
gust 20th, 1875. Then orders came
from Francis Murkenson, who got them
from Candy Harris, who got them from
Major Joseph Morris. I told my com
pany, and Murkerson told Capt. Har
rison Tucker’s company. Both com
panies said that they would do as we
said, and would go with the movement.
Our orders, from Morris, through Mur
kerson, were to go to Sandersville to
Wrightsville, and then to Dublin, and
then to Irwinton, in Wilkinson county.
The fourcouuties of Washington, John
son, Laurens and Wilkinson.
Ben Davis, of Washington county,
swears: I am Third Lieutenant of
Jerry Walters’s company. Jacob told
mo that we was to organize the com
pany—his company—and go down the
road and start to killing out the whites.
He didn’t say what day we were to
start. He said we would kill the whites.
He didn’t say what he was going to do
with the children. He said he would
kill 3ome of the women. [Mark this,
in connection with Mooreman’s state
ment.] He didn’t say anything about
the money. It was to take place on
Friday, the 20th of August, 1875. I
didn’t know what they were going to
fight with. Captain Jerry told me we
was to fight with first one thing and
then another. He said we would leave
a few of the women. I heard about
No. 11 (Tennille) a few days ago. Our
sign was so. |He makes a sign with
the right hand across the breast.] We
had a secret oath, which was binding
on us ; and any one wbo was to break
the secret, we was to turn him over to
the United States and Grant would
punish him. I was persuaded into this
company by the head men. Candy
Harris and “Gen.” Rivers was to cotn
maud us on the day they come to San
dersville. “Gen.” Morris was to com
mand us on the day when we com
menced the killing.
Eliza Young swears : I hear that the
colored folks, both women aud chil
dren, and men, are going to rise with
pitchforks, hoes, etc., aud kill white
man, woman and child. Tom Deraseaw
told me that my brother and Virgil
Walker was in the fuss. I heard Uncle
John Hasty talking about it at Teu
nille about a month or six weeks ago ;
he said there would be better times in
the county in about six weeks; I in
ferred from what be said that the pres
ent troubles were what he had refer
ence to ; I heard the men from Jeffer
son telling the colored folks in town
the day of the big meeting in town that
if the colored folks would lean their
heads together they could succeed. I
have heard the colored folks saying
oftentimes that they did not like the
white folks ; that there would be an
other war soon, and if there were they
would take their hoes, pitchforks, &c.,
to kill the whites with. I have heard
so many talking about this matter that
I cannot remember all they were say
ing about it.
Jobe Morris, of Laurens County,
swears.—There is a secret military or
ganization in this neighborhood. It is
known among the colored people as a
military company. About 3 months
ago Harrison Tucker and others asked
me to join this company, stating that I
was pretty smart fellow, and they
wanted to put me in office and make
me do all the writing. I consented,
and joined at the next meeting, but
paid only ten cents of the initiation fee
of fifty cents. At that meeting Harri
son Tucker was appointed Captain.
Jim Tucker was at that time chairman
of the meeting, and is still, so far as I
know. The meetings of the company
have been irregular, sometimes every
Saturday, and sometimes every other
Saturday. I don’t think the com
pany ever drilled any in this
county, but think they did in Sanders
ville and at Mrs. Williamson’s; I
was given no office at the first meeting,
or any other moeting, because the cap
tain begun to suspect me; on Saturday,
the 24th day of July, the company re
ceived orders from Capt. Tucker to as
semble at Mrs. Williamson’s and form
the company and march to No. 13 (Ten
nille), Central Railroad, where we would
meet “Gen.” Morris and Rivers, and be
marched with other companies to San
dersville, to hear speaking in the Court
House. We met “Gen.” Morris and
about seventy-five men at No. 13, Cen
tral Railroad, and started to Sanders
ville, under Morris’ orders; somewhere
on the route we heard that Mr. Mayo
(Sheriff of the county) was tryiug to ar
rest “Gen.” Morris, when he deserted
us and ran like a seared dog; we re
turned from Sandersville, but had no
other meeting, I think, until two weeks
after.
About this time I heard Andrew Pe
ters and Tony Wright say in conversa
tion, this was government land and if
it is government land it must be cut up
in government pieces, and they would
have it so. The impression left on my
mind was that each man should have a
piece, and I believe that to be the im
pression of every man in the company.
From the language used and manner
of expression, I think they intended to
take the laud by force if necessary. At
any rate they intended to have the
land, let what come that would.
Three weeks ago last Friday “Gen.”
Morris, in conversation with Candy
Harris and myself, at Harris’ house in
Washington county, said if Harris
could not find two men iu Johnson or
Laurens county who would burn the
Court House in Washington county, he
could bring two would do it.
Richard Smith, of Blackshear, Lau
rens county, swears : There is a se
cret organization known as a military
company. I went to a meeting for the
purpose of joining, but declined to do
so because the captain would not tell
me the secret before joining. It was
about midnight when I attended this
meeting. I asked Alexander Rose, an
officer of the company, what was the
object of the organization. He replied
that this laud was government land,
and that the negooes were justly enti
tled to a part of. it* and they intended
to have it or blood, one. He, Alexander
Rose, said he would toll me nothing
more until I joined the company.
From all I heard, I firmly believe that
the negroes intended to kill the white
people and get their lands. They ex
pected help from the North, or some
where. Ido not kuow when they were
to commence killing, but I have been
looking for it to commence every day.
Gov. Smith, in his public address,
paid a high compliment to Judge
Herschel V. Johnson (whom he em
phatically pronounced “a great and
good man, for such he really is,”) anil
stated that the judge had written him
that this insurrection was a terrible
reality in its foul and bloody pur
poses. And it was this letter that led
Gov. Smith to visit Sandersville.
Gov. Smith, accompanied by Col. C.
S. Williams, of his staff, and a volun
teer aide, left Atlanta on Friday night.
On their arrival at Tennille (No 13, C.
R. R.) they were met by the Mayor and
Aldermen of Sandersville, the acting
Solicitor General, Col. C. S. Guyton,
Maj. Mark Newman, Mr. P. Happ/Dep--
uty Sheriff Harrison, Col. T. J. Smith,
and others, and were conducted to car
riages iu waiting to take them to this
place. The Washington Dragoons were
drawn up in line to receive the Govern
or, and escorted the carriage to the
outskirts of the town, where the
Washington Rifles, headed by the
Sandersville brass band, here joined
the procession and they conducted the
Governor to the residence of Col. John
W. Gilmore, Mayor. The streets and
public square were thronged with peo
ple from every direction, who had come
in to see the prisoners, and to hear the
Governor’s views on the situation. A
committee at once waited on His Ex
cellency and asked that he would ad
dress the citizens from the steps of the
Court House, which he consented to do,
and said that so long as he remains
Governor, law and order must and
shall pe preserved within the borders
of this State. Every innocent man
shall have a fair and impartial trial,
but when he has had this, and the re
sult is against him, he must not appeal
to the Executive clemency, except
there are very remarkable circumstan
ces to justify that step. He was the last
man in the world to interfere with the
honest verdict of an intelligent jury. To
the negroes engaged in this insurrec
tionary movement, whether innocent or
guilty, he guaranteed a speedy and im
partial judicial hearing. The innocent
will be protected, but the guilty shall be
made to suffer the extreme penalty of
their crime. The law shall be vindi
cated, and black as well as white must
submit to its decrees. With this as
surance, he was confident that the
white people of the community would
be satisfied, and seek no retaliation
upon the negroes. He had come here,
after hearing from Judge Johnson of
the massacre, to speak a word of cau
tion to the people, but to his surprise
he found them perfectly law abiding
and in no way unduly excited. He was
proud of their conduct—proud to be
the Chief Magistrate of such a people.
“You have acted in this matter,” he
said, “like true Georgians. Such a
spectacle of forbearance as this, under
such a terrible provocation to Violence,
(he world has never before witnessed.”
Hundreds of negroes were present to
hear the Governor, aud he wisely took
occasion to give them some oxcellen t
advice for their future guidance. Every
right guarnteed them under the laws
of the State they should be fully pro
tected in, and their homes, however
humble, should be as safely guarded as
the princely mansions of the rich. If
they would but attend to their duties,
respect themselves and endeavor to be
good citizens, they should never have
occasion to complain of injustice or
wrong under his administration of
affairs. He talked to them kindly
but candidly in regard to “General
Rivers and his staff,” and “General
Morris and his staff,” and asked them
what these adventurers had ever done
to benefit the negro race in Georgia.
Morris had written him a threatening
letter, in which he declared if guns
were not furnished for the negroes of
Burke county, the bones of these ne
groes would rise up against him in the
day of judgment. Such trifling ad
venturers and disturbers of the peace
should not be allowed to mislead them
by their vile counsels, rob them of
their hard-earned money, aud keep
them constantly dissatisfied with the
treatment they were receiving at the
hands of the white people. In every
court of justice they could stand up
and seek redress for any wrongs in
flicted upon their persons and property.
The new postal card is to be cream
white. It will nevertheless be read,—
“TWO GENERALS ”
General Joe Morris, the Insurrection
Leader—What His Old Master Says
About Him—Joe’s Boyhood and Man
hood —Interview with Prince Rivers
He Says He Knew Him Not.
Gen Joe Morris, the Ringleader.
We have had a conversation with
Col. Robert Morrison, of this city, in
regard to the characteristics of his
former slave. Joe, who was the ring
leader of tne late plot to arouse the
negroes of Burke, Washington, Jeffer
son, Johnson and Wilkinson counties
with insurrection aud general murder
of the white people.
He says that Joe is a full-blooded
African, ginger cake color, has very
small eyes and a peculiar nose, not al
together Roman, but rather stands out
more boldly from the face than the
regular flat nose of the negro. His fa
ther and mother were full negroes.—
Col. M. raised Joe, and never remarked
anything peculiar about his disposition.
Saw that he had less sense than the
average colored men on his plantation,
and that he was a surly fellow. His
father bore the character of an old
rogue, but he does not now remember
anything especially bad about Joe when
he was a slave.
Col. Morrison’s plantation lies- di
rectly over Rocky Creek in Burke
county, and three miles below is a
country church and school house.
When he was set free he went to a
plantation in the neighborhood and
worked a year or so, when he disap
peared. He was next heard of at Gor
don, Ga., a station on the Central Rail
road in Wilkinson county, eighteen
miles this side of Macon. From thence
lie is supposed to have knocked about
through the counties of Washington
and Jefferson, to havo frequently visit
ed South Carolina, and there learned
what an immense character a negro
Major General is. He may have visited
Washington City, but of tlrs there is
no certainty.
Two or three years ago he turned up
at his old home on Rocky Creek and at
once assumed a certain air of authority
over and demanded obedience from the
the colored population. This they soon
learned to accord to him. To win an
immediate livelihood he opened a negro
school at the school house near the
Rocky Creek Church, and just before
the late disturbance had something
like fifty scholars. Having only a
smattering of education, with but little
conception of the meaning or connec
tion of words, Joe as a schoolteacher
must have been quite ordinary.
Asa Major General.
His great ambition was to be a mili
tary hero, and to this end he devoted all
his spare time. He frequently appear
ed in a flashy uniform putting ou the
airs of a General, although without
commission or command. He had a
regular set of couriers who are sup
posed to have carried his orders aud
letters to distant negro settlements.
Col. Morrison relates that cn the night
of the intended outbreak one of these
couriers dashed through his place and
galioped off in the direction of Joe’s
house.
Mounting Guard.
For weeks before the 20th, the day
fixed upon for the massacre to begin,
Gen. Morris had his person and house
regularly guarded by a squad of 15 or
20 negroes. They went, on duty at
dark and came off at daylight. He has
seen them going home with their guns.
He, however, like all other planters
in the neighborhood, thought nothing
of it, or rather that it was some of the
peculiar vagaries of the negro.
Interview with Prince Rivers.
“M. D. W.,” a special correspondent
of the Atlanta Herald, was in Augusta
on Saturday and gives the following
interview with Prince Rivers:
Gen. Joe Morris claims to have acted in
concert, and under the Instructions of
Prince Rivers, of Soutri Carolina. This po
tentate is a Major General of militia in
Houth Carolina; served in the United
States army as sergeant and color-bearer,
has been Intendant ot Hamburg, in that
quiet old tpwn across the river. As he oc
cupied a conspicuous place in the public
eye in connection witn these occuren
ces, I decided to visit this sable gen
eralship, and get what he had to say
about the conspiracy. Accordingly, I took
my way across the bridge in the
early light of the morning, and found him
at his house up stairs over a store. He
was not yet up, but on announcing my bus
iness I was ushered into a plainly furnish
ed room, with pictures of Gen, Grant, Pres
ident Lincoln, the famous surrender at Ap
pomattox, and others of that sort, hanging
on the walls. After a while he came in, a
tall, somewhat slender black man, with a
high forehead sloping back ou the head,
long and well combed moustache and
beard, plainly dressed, about fifty years of
age, a pretty good specimen in ciress and
appearance of a South Carolina planter’s
coachman before the war. He speaks with
caution aud deliberation, has no fluency, is
evidently but poorly educated, and I should
take him for a dark man iu every sense of
the word, dark in counsel and in deed. A
man of that sort of coarse shrewdness pe
culiar to the negro, backed by more than
ordinary obstinacy and force of natural
character. I would not like to fall into his
hands and be in his power. Judging from
phy-iognomy he is a very cold-blooded,
cruel specimen of his race. He denied very
strongly any knowledge of the troubles in
Georgia, and said that he hardly knew
Morris, that they would not recognize each
othar if they were to meet on the street, so
slight was the acquaintance. He says he
has been invited to take part in
processions, acting as marshal or gen
eral officer, in Georgia. But as to this
particular matter he knew nothing of
it. He had received an invitation under
Morris’ signature to attend a mass meet
ing to be composed of delegations, but as
soon as he saw delegations to the call he
knew he had nothing to do with it, and put
it in his desk, where it is yet. He says
further, that he was busy on his farm, and
would not have attended any meeting at
that time unless officially called to do so.
He has never interfered iu any way with
Georgia affairs. Ail he wants Is to be let
alone in South Carolina. I told him his
card of denial in the Constitutionalist
might be accepted by the white people,
but that his own color, as they were
arrested, were constancy implicating him;
could he explain that ? To which he persist
ently replied that he did not know any
of them, had never interfered in Georgia’s
affairs, and that no one of them could show
a line that he had ever written on the sub
ject. If they could, he was willing to stand
convicted. He seemed to be a little excited
as he proceeded and said he had no idea that
any such letter as that alleged to have
been found had ever been written by Candy
Harris or any other negro. All that stuff
about killing with axes and pitchforks, etc.,
was too absurd to be believed ; the negroes,
if they intended harm, would not issue or
ders in that kind of sryle. He intimated
verv strongly that it was written by some
white person and dropped for the occasion,
though he did not say so directly.
Minor Telegrams.
St. Louis; August 22.—A jury of in
quest on the recent deaths at the In
sane Asylum say, that if any blame ex
ists in the matter, it attaches to the
nurses who administered the overdose
of medicine.
Paducah, August 22.—A1l the printers
are on a strike, in consequence of a re
duction in wages from thirty to twenty
five cents per thousand.
Key West, August 23.— The yellow
fever has entirely disappeared and Key
West is now exceedingly healthy. The
weather is cool and pleasant,
-New Series—Vol. 3, No. 17.
A CURIOUS ADDRESS TO A POPU
LAR PREACHER.
Au Open Letter to Rev, Dr. John
Hall.
INew York Sun, August 19.]
No minister of the Presbvterian
Church occupies a higher position than
you, Dr. John Hall. No minister in
New lork preaches to a larger assem
olage, W ith a church coating a round
mill ion, and situated on our most splen
did avenue, you have about you per
haps the richest congregation in the
whole country. The chief pews in your
new house of worship cost as much as
a comfortable house, and their yearly
assessment amounts in each case to a
larger sum than nine men out of ten in
this great city can afford to pay for
house rent. These facts we do not cite
to criticise them, though wo do not al
together like these great proprietary
churches wherein the rich man finds au
elegant sitting, while the poor man
must; not only contrast his meaner
attire, but also his poorer accommo
dation in the house of God, with his
more fortunate fellow-sinner. How
ever, the churches must live, and if
they are vast in size and expensive in
equipment, if the Pastor is highly paid
and has a fine parsonage, it takes a
great sum of money to keep them run
ning. Moreover, tho rich have full
power to make their houses of worship
as grand as they please,, Their lofty
spires and fretted arches dignify and
grace the town.
But it is to the poor that the word of
comfort needs most to be preached.
They are now, have always been,
always will be, in the vast majority
among men. To-day they are in worse
straits than usual. The stagnation in
business of the last two years has bit
terly used the poor. They look for
ward to a Winter of even severer hard
ship, and we tremble as we contem
plate tho sorrows which await them
as the direct consequence of the de
moralization of capitalists, the mis
management of our finances, the cor
ruption of public affairs and adminis
tration, and the low tone of business
morality generally, striking a sinking
blow at our commercial reputation
throughout the world.
It is to capitalists that you preach,
Dr. Hull. They listen with attention
to your words, and justly pride them
selves on your character aud your elo
quence. You are no fancy preacher,
Dr. Hall, catching the public ear with
jest and llummery of words. You
preach with directness and force the
severe old doctrines of Jonathan Ed
wards, and do not try to delude men
into trust in gush and fervors of re
ligious delusions. This wo like. Not
because it is Calvinism, but because it
is logical preaching founded in convic
tion, and making, if not always enlight
enment, at least serious aud thought
ful character. It is not syllabub, but
strong meat; and the experience of
history shows that men develop
strength of character and integrity of
lives under such doctrines, if they
make them a rule of life and not a
plaything of the intellect.
Holding a position like yours, you
have extraordinary opportunities to
serve your fellow meD, not so great in
their improvement, perhaps, as those
of Father McGlynn, for instance, who
has a parish of poor people equal in
numbers to a chartered city. Day and
night he and his priests are climbing
tenement-house stairs to shrive the
dying, baptize the new born, and ad
minister the consolations of religion to
the sick and distressed. Hard worked,
little paid, devoted only to their
calling, they are a body of men deserv
ing of honor and fruitful of good. Pro
testantism must silence its assault
on Romanism until it also opens wide
its doors on Sunday and week days
to the lowly ones of the world. To
them, with sorrowful experience of life,
their bodies bent with labor, and their
eyes weary with toil, the Church is a
haven of rest, a sunburst of hope; and
these poorest Catholics entering the
grandest of their cathedrals feel that
it is their rightful home, aud even
though their garments be mean, they
are not distressed by contrast with
those who wear brave raiment in the
temple of the Lord. This is a point of
advantage which the Catholic Church
has. It is, indeed, its true glory, as it
should be the distinguishing trait of all
churches of any name whatsoever
which profess to teach the doctrines of
Him who came to preach the Gospel to
the poor.
But you have opportunity for a great
work among the rich, Dr. Hall. Say
what doctrinaires and careless writers
in luxurious libraries may, the seat of
the moral disease which eats at the
vitals of our society is not in Avenue
D, but in the Fifth avenue, and it gets
its spiritual banqueting in the churches
of the gay thoroughfare, not in those
of Tompkins square. What Mr. Lin
coln used to call the “ plain people ” af
ford the best examples of American
character. It is among them that hon
esty most appears, integrity exists,
simple truth and square dealing are
best represented ; and the burdens of
life bear hardest on them. They rest
with a more crushing weight, because
just now corruption exists am'ong our
rulers, eats up corporations formed for
the public benefit, buys leading news
papers, and parades its ili-gotten gains
in the faces of the workmen whom
thievery and ruinous gambling have
deprived of the labor for which they
wait with willing hands and hearts al
most dead with despair.
It is to such social cormorants, Dr.
Hall, that the preacher needs to appeal
above almost all other men. It is they
who most require revival awakening.
They have grown rich in running rail
ways, telegraphs, steam-ships, and
daily journals, notin the interest of the
stockholder or the public, but in that
of their own insatiable private greed.
This is one of the most vital evils that
afflict this people. The voice of the
pulpit cannot now be better raised than
in denunciation of such commercial
wickedness, and in devoted, moving
efforts to convert and save those who
are sunk and lost in its habitual perpe
tration.
You will bear a prominent part in the
religious work to be undertaken by
Messrs. Moody and Sankey. Make it
your duty, Dr. Hall, to see that that
assault on sin does not overlook or
avoid these most conspicuous and most
influential sinners.
Inebriated Wag (with his arm around
the lamp-post): “Hi, p’lice ! p’lice!” A
100: “Well, sir, whatis it?” Inebriated
Wag : “I’ve lost look y’ here. I’ve
lost ” A 100 : “Well, sir, what have
you lost ?” Inebriated VVag: “Lost
my legs, p’liceman.”
Two dollars a year tax on every dog
is altogether too high. Take, for in
stance, the case of that poor widow
woman in Philadelphia who has twenty
four dogs—the members of the church
supply her with eatables, but she has
been compelled to take in washing tq
pay the excessive tax for her pets,