"Dublin Core:Title","Dublin Core:Alternative Title","Dublin Core:Description","Dublin Core:Abstract","Dublin Core:Table Of Contents","Dublin Core:Bibliographic Citation","Dublin Core:Creator","Dublin Core:Contributor","Dublin Core:Date","Dublin Core:Date Created","Dublin Core:Date Available","Dublin Core:Date Accepted","Dublin Core:Date Copyrighted","Dublin Core:Date Submitted","Dublin Core:Date Modified","Dublin Core:Date Valid","Dublin Core:Date Issued","Dublin Core:Subject","Dublin Core:Coverage","Dublin Core:Spatial Coverage","Dublin Core:Temporal Coverage","Dublin Core:Language","Dublin Core:Type","Dublin Core:Format","Dublin Core:Extent","Dublin Core:Medium","Dublin Core:Identifier","Dublin Core:Relation","Dublin Core:Has Part","Dublin Core:Is Part Of","Dublin Core:Has Version","Dublin Core:Is Version Of","Dublin Core:Replaces","Dublin Core:Is Replaced By","Dublin Core:References","Dublin Core:Is Referenced By","Dublin Core:Has Format","Dublin Core:Is Format Of","Dublin Core:Requires","Dublin Core:Is Required By","Dublin Core:Conforms To","Dublin Core:Source","Dublin Core:Provenance","Dublin Core:Rights","Dublin Core:Rights Holder","Dublin Core:Access Rights","Dublin Core:License","Dublin Core:Publisher","Dublin Core:Accrual Method","Dublin Core:Accrual Periodicity","Dublin Core:Accrual Policy","Dublin Core:Audience","Dublin Core:Audience Education Level","Dublin Core:Mediator","Dublin Core:Instructional Method","Item Type Metadata:Text","Item Type Metadata:Interviewer","Item Type Metadata:Interviewee","Item Type Metadata:Location","Item Type Metadata:Transcription","Item Type Metadata:Local URL","Item Type Metadata:Original Format","Item Type Metadata:Physical Dimensions","Item Type Metadata:Duration","Item Type Metadata:Compression","Item Type Metadata:Producer","Item Type Metadata:Director","Item Type Metadata:Bit Rate/Frequency","Item Type Metadata:Time Summary","Item Type Metadata:Email Body","Item Type Metadata:Subject Line","Item Type Metadata:From","Item Type Metadata:To","Item Type Metadata:CC","Item Type Metadata:BCC","Item Type Metadata:Number of Attachments","Item Type Metadata:Standards","Item Type Metadata:Objectives","Item Type Metadata:Materials","Item Type Metadata:Lesson Plan Text","Item Type Metadata:URL","Item Type Metadata:Event Type","Item Type Metadata:Participants","Item Type Metadata:Birth Date","Item Type Metadata:Birthplace","Item Type Metadata:Death Date","Item Type Metadata:Occupation","Item Type Metadata:Biographical Text","Item Type Metadata:Bibliography","Item Type Metadata:Episode","Item Type Metadata:Season","Item Type Metadata:Episode Type","Item Type Metadata:Explicit","Item Type Metadata:Block","PDF Text:Text",Scripto:Transcription,tags,file,itemType,collection,public,featured "Letter from Haskin Smith to Governor Ames",,"Letter from Haskin Smith to Governor Ames.",,,,"Smith, Haskin S.",,1875-08-03,,,,,,,,,"Smith, Haskin S.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Document at the Civil War & Reconstruction Governors of Mississippi Project. Original held at the Mississippi Department of Archives & History.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,"
Port Gibson Aug 3rd 1875.
To the Hon Gov Ames.
Dear Sir.
It is with no ordinary commotion I write you this epistle but it is with the greatest pleasure of my heart I would like to borrow about 24 guns for the use of our brass band the have been thereatened to be waylaid by the Democrats We went out last Saturday to pay for the speaking about fourteen miles west of Port Gibson and when on our way home we met two or three men who told us there was a crowd of Democrats waiting on the road to fire on us as we came by so we all had to get out of the wagon and change our course. by the band getting out of the wagon and changing our road was all that kept the fuss down if you will let us have those guns we will keep them safe and let no one know where the came from and if you should organize a Militia here we will all Join my self and the band will be personaly responsible for the guns Paye and other leading ones are in favor of it and instructed me to write to you
Keep this to yourself and let mw know whether you will let me have them If so I will come up by land and get them
Yours Truly
H S Smith
THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
Legislative Department,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Port Gibson, Miss., Decem 27th 1874
To His Excellency Governor Ames;
Dear Governor;
From developments of the past week and unmistakable indications of to-day there is a movement on foot, it may be in shape of a petition, to have R F Gordon appointed to the position of Circuit Clerkship made vacant by the death of Frank H. Smith. About a month ago a committee was appointed by a mass meeting of republicans to wait upon R F Gordon to have him head our local election ticket. At that time it was indeed a difficult task for our party to select a candidate who was really eligible. Our material was indeed scarce, and we were in a precarious condition. R. F. Gordon had always enjoyed the patronage of the Republican party; has occupied several offices in the gift of the Republican party, and agreed to keep secret, when the committee waited upon, its action. The committee having waited upon him, felt safe in making him the standard bearer of our municipal election. About twenty four hours prior to the opening of the polls it became known that R F Gordon was our candidate for mayor. On hearing this the “White Liners” monopolized his society and succeeded in their attempt to have him withdraw his name from the ticket. Gordon came out on the corners of the streets in a card denying any connection with the ticket entirely. This threw our party out of the field altogether, and left the “Liners” only to walk into office. And, sir the most significant charge we prefer against Mr Gordon is the fact that ^he^ voted the straight “White Line” ticket, thus severing his connection with the Republican party as known here.
There are a few of his personal friends, backed by the “White Liners,” who are endeavoring to secure his appointment to this office. It is obvious that they do not reflect the wishes of the republicans but consciously incurring the bitter hostility of the dominant party. I am of opinion, sir, that such an appointment, repugnant as it undoubtedly would be to our party, giving a democratic com-plexion to a republican office, would result in serious consequences to the party.
The Republican Executive Committee of the county meets on the 29th inst at which meeting it will recommend some one. It is desired that action on your part be defered until this recommendation be made.
Yours Respectfully
H S Smith
Feby 2—1874
To his Excellencey
Adelbert Ames Governor of the State of Mississippi
The undersigned Senators and Representatives of the several Counties Composing the Fifth Judicial District Respectfully show unto your honor that on the second day of February A D 1874 there was passed through both Houses of the Legislature a Bill Entitled Senate Bill No Entitled An act to [gap] In the fourth Judicial District and for other purposes
We would further Represent that this Law was passed in a hurry without due deliberation is manifestly unjust and oppresses [?] the Judge of the 5th Judicial District. In this that the Terratory in question is about equally Divided While the amount of population and the amount of business transacted in the Fifth District is almost equal to all of the Business Trans-acted in the first and fourth District in point of Time consumed and in population
The population of the Fifth being upwards of Nine Thousand While the Combined population of the First and fourth Districts Barely Exceeds Ten Thousand The Judge of the Fifth District is required to hold his Court for Twenty Eight Weeks while the Judge of the First District is only required to serve for Fourteen Weeks
It seems to us sir that the Territory and business is unfairly divided in point of population Territory Business and means of access & would Respectfuly petion Your Excellencey to Return Senate bill dissapproved And as In duty Bound your petitioners will ever pray
John Street
Senator of the 6th Dist
T. L. Mendenhall
Senator of 8th Dist
Haskins S Smith M [?]
J Smothers Represintif Claiborn
Richard Christmas Rep from Copiah County
David Buffkin Rep Copiah
Representative from Simpson S Legett
” ” Lawrence E O Cowart
” Smith G. W. Stubbs
” Jasper J. F. Smith
” Jones & Covington E. M. Derall
H B McClure Senator of Jefferson and Franklin
James D. Cessor H. R.
Wm R. Landers H. R.
Representatives from Jefferson
J. D. VERTNER – CLAIBORNE COUNTY.
JACKSON, MISS., June 23, 1876.
J. D. Vertner sworn and examined.
THE INTERMARRIAGE CASE.
Q. Did he state that to you? A. Yes, sir. Our campaign opened, I think, in the month of September, about two months before the election. Just prior to the opening of the campaign, however, an incident in no way connected with politics occurred, which produced a very bad state of feeling between the whites and blacks. It was not the marriage of a negro with a white woman, so much as the incidents connected with it. There was such a marriage in the county, and while the white people took no part in it whatever, the parties being of humble origin and not in the society of the place, yet the father of the girl felt himself very much aggrieved, the boy having been reared in his family and brought up with the girl. The father was a desperate man, and he threatened to kill him. I myself overheard no such remarks on the part of the negroes, but a gentleman of respectability informed me that they had threatened to burn the town and wreak vengeance on the people if a hair of that negro’s head was harmed by Mr. Smith.
Q. Smith was the father? A. Smith was the father.
Q. State the names of the persons married. A. The boy was a negro by the name of Haskins Smith. The girl was the daughter of William Smith, who kept the public hotel of the place. The boy, while a member of the legislature, was a boot-black in the hotel and a waiter, and continued there during the time that he was in the legislature, waiting on the table during the recess, and finally he ran off with this girl. It created some impression upon us, but of course was beneath our notice; but these remarks which were said to have been made very publicly–
Q. You say the father of the girl was very much excited? A. The father of the girl was very much excited, and the mother was never recovered from the shock that she received at the time. The father in that exasperated state of feeling proposed to kill the negro whenever he returned. He was a very good negro, and held in very good esteem by the white people. The negroes here, Haskins’s friends, seeing him with a shot-gun, gathered round his hotel en masse. I saw myself the excited crowds that gathered there from day to day.
They were absent during all this time – the man and woman who were married. The negroes made a great many threats, according to hearsay, but we paid no attention to them. On Sunday, about one week after the occurrence, the negro was brought back to the place by prominent negro leaders, among them the black coroner of our town, who is now in this jail, the leader of a band which has been sent to the penitentiary for burglary. They went down with carriages to bring the negro back. The negro protested against it, saying he had outraged the feelings of the family and preferred to remain where he was; but they took him by force and brought him into the village on a quiet Sunday, with four or five young men armed, and they paraded our streets, up and down, with this negro, who had offended the feelings of this family in their midst; and then, not content with this, they followed our young ladies, and went to our grave-yard where our parents are buried, and trod all around there, and marched back.
",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"h smith",https://msstate-exhibits.libraryhost.com/files/original/7936df8ca8a94ad554c4e18ecbe83acd.PNG,Text,"Against All Odds: The First Black Legislators in Mississippi ",1,0 "Vicksburg Herald clipping",,,,,,"Vicksburg Herald",,1874-08-22,,,,,,,,,"Smith, Haskin S.; Miscegenation",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Claiborne county generally, and Port Gibson in particular, have been in an intense state of excitement for some time, growing out of the recent marriage of Haskins Smith with a white person, and his subsequent parading about the streets with an armed guard. Both parties appear to have been arming for the affray, but latest accounts appear more peacable. [Natchez Democrat, 18th.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"h smith",https://msstate-exhibits.libraryhost.com/files/original/f6973d5214ff492f2ab8f29fa6da3f96.PNG,Text,"Against All Odds: The First Black Legislators in Mississippi ",1,0 "Vicksburg Herald clipping",,,,,,"Vicksburg Herald",,1874-07-14,,,,,,,,,"Smith, Haskin S.; Miscegenation",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"WHAT HE DID SAY