History ~ Artesia Uprising

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		submitted by Clare Leinert-Sallee <clareh@en.com>


Tri-Weekly Index
Columbus, Miss., Tuesday Morning, November 14, 1876
Jackson Clarion upon the Artesia Affair

We notice in the Clarion of the 8th, comments upon the Artesia 
disturbance; its comments being predicated upon anaration of 
events by the Meridian Mercury.

The Mercury may have desired to represent the people of Lowndes and 
adjoining counties as law abiding and submissive, but those people 
do not envy a national reputation for forebearance at the expense of 
a local reputation for emasculation and cowardice.

In its comments, the Clarion says:"We find the few white men who 
reside at Artesia unarmed and having to call upon the Federal troops 
for protection. Why were they not reinforced the night before by bodies 
of white men from the country and adjoining towns?

"If Artesia had been on the line of the Vicksburg and Meridian Railroad 
last Wednesday morning when the five hundred armed negrooes were forming 
solid squares and marching and counter-marching and establishing "dead 
lines" in an hour or two, Warren and Hinds counties would have put into 
that quiet little village a body of men, who would have planted that 
dead line so deep that nothing except Gabriel's trumpet could have moved 
it. That five hundred armed negroes would have had a corporal's guard 
left for duty. A body of men who, our word for it, would have made Rome 
howl. A body of men who have not forgotten the daylight attack on 
Vicksburg or the Clinton massacre. Men who have been there and who 
would have known what they went for again." 

Why does not the Clarion copy an account of this occurrence from the 
local press!
For correction of the Clarion's comments, we publish, that some of the 
best men of Lowndes went to Artesia, not to create, but to prevent a 
disturbance. That when armed negroes came into town, they were disarmed. 
Afterwards Lee and Whitfield were direced to go among them and collect 
them to hear speaking. Troops were not called for. But on the contrary, 
in reply to a dispatch from the United States Marshall, received some 
time after order had been restored, said Marshall was telegraphed, all 
was quiet.

After we had all had a good dinner, and Lee and Grazee had agreed to 
abandon all their appointments in Lowndes, and everybody was ready to 
go home, a Federal officer with a squad of soldiers arrived. The officer 
came to learn the facts to report to Gen. Aager in New Orleans and a 
posse of citizens.

Lowndes does not invest much in demonstrations, but we can claim she 
has demonstrated her ability to look out for herself. She is not windy 
in puffing what her people do, but rather prefers to be judged by her 
achievements.

Feeling that the Clarion has no caused to do our people an injustice, 
we ask it to publish our statement.