Post by John Duncan on Dec 19, 2019 22:09:45 GMT -5
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On September 25th, 1962, the most serious clash of state versus federal authority, or "state's rights" came to a head. At issue was whether or not the state of Mississippi had the right to deny the admission of a black man, James Meredith, to the all-white University of Mississippi at Oxford, nicknamed "Ole Miss".
A long series of court rulings, all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, had ordered his admission and an end to the state's resistance. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett and Lt. Governor Paul Johnson guilty of contempt for blocking Meredith's admission. Their patience exhausted, the judges then directed the Federal Government to enforce the court's order. The ball was in "the Kennedys" court.
Mississippi was the most thoroughly segregated, bitterly prejudiced state in the Federal Union, and the Kennedys had hoped to gain admission for Meredith without either the need for force or violence. Every day for nearly ten days, a new attempt was made to enroll Meredith. Every day, more federal marshals accompanied him. Every day, words with Governor Barnett grew sharper. Every day, the marshals and Meredith were turned away.
Finally, on Sunday, September 30th, Barnett recognized the inevitable. As the President federalized the Mississippi National Guard, Barnett gave in. The governor suggested that Meredith be whisked into Ole Miss that day, when the campus was deserted, adding that he would have state police on hand to ensure his safety. Rather than take Barnett at his word, the President ordered troops on standby alert in Memphis, Tennessee. Meredith entered Ole Miss escorted by federal marshals, university officials and state police, and was taken directly to the men's dormitory. The force of about 550 federal marshals took up guard positions at the Administration Building, away from where Meredith was located. This force was made up of civilians from the offices of the Justice Department. They were unaccustomed and unprepared for combat. At mid-evening, Governor Barnett issued a statement saying that Meredith had been sneaked in "by helicopter" without his knowledge. By 10PM, while the President was preparing for a nationwide speech, an ugly mob was gathering near the marshals. The two hundred state police which had been supplied by the governor to ensure Meredith's safety suddenly vanished.
About 2,500 roughnecks and racists from all over the South converged on Oxford, Mississippi. Led by former Army General Edwin A. Walker of Dallas, they brought clubs, other rocks, pipes, bricks, bottles, baseball bats, firebombs, and even guns. As rioting raged through the night, a newsman and a townsman were shot dead, two hundred marshals and Guardsmen were injured, vehicles and buildings were burned, a stolen fire engine and a bulldozer tried to batter their way into the administration building, and frenzied attackers roamed the campus.
Governor Barnett proclaimed that Mississippi would "never surrender". The marshals were bloodied, exhausted, and unfed. They were fearful of snipers in the dark, and were uncertain how long they could hold out, even with National Guard help. The President mobilized the stand-by troops in Memphis. Their response was slow.
Calls from Oxford begged for reinforcements. Each time the President called the Pentagon, he was told that they were "on their way". This was the pay-back for the Bay of Pigs: the Cuban Brigade on the shore, tired, bloodied, unfed and begging for reinforcements, the military begging in vain on their behalf for the President to intercede. Now it had come full circle. The military, unable to deny Kennedy as he did them just 18 months earlier, did the next best thing to it by reacting slowly. Finally, the stand-by troops started pouring in until they numbered about 20,000. Peace was restored, resulting in about 200 arrests.
On October 1st, still angry over the slow response of the military the day before, the President ordered a full report on the timing of each call placed from the White House to the Pentagon, the time such orders were implemented,
and an accounting for each minute in between. Early in the morning, James Meredith, accompanied by a group of marshals, officially registered amid the cat calls of his fellow students. "The Kennedys" had won, but it was a bittersweet victory. The law had been enforced and righteousness prevailed, but the cost was in lives. The President knew that this victory would cause much bitterness toward him, in fact, his relations with the South would never be the same again.
As a result of this situation General Edwin Walker was detained and put in a psychiatric hospital for inciting those who opposed Meredith's enrollment. Added to his previous issue with the President that led to him being cashiered out of the Army, Walker had no love or admiration for him. Some researchers have said that Walker was involved in the assassination, but proof has not been put forth. He did act strange on the day of the assassination however.
On September 25th, 1962, the most serious clash of state versus federal authority, or "state's rights" came to a head. At issue was whether or not the state of Mississippi had the right to deny the admission of a black man, James Meredith, to the all-white University of Mississippi at Oxford, nicknamed "Ole Miss".
A long series of court rulings, all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, had ordered his admission and an end to the state's resistance. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett and Lt. Governor Paul Johnson guilty of contempt for blocking Meredith's admission. Their patience exhausted, the judges then directed the Federal Government to enforce the court's order. The ball was in "the Kennedys" court.
Mississippi was the most thoroughly segregated, bitterly prejudiced state in the Federal Union, and the Kennedys had hoped to gain admission for Meredith without either the need for force or violence. Every day for nearly ten days, a new attempt was made to enroll Meredith. Every day, more federal marshals accompanied him. Every day, words with Governor Barnett grew sharper. Every day, the marshals and Meredith were turned away.
Finally, on Sunday, September 30th, Barnett recognized the inevitable. As the President federalized the Mississippi National Guard, Barnett gave in. The governor suggested that Meredith be whisked into Ole Miss that day, when the campus was deserted, adding that he would have state police on hand to ensure his safety. Rather than take Barnett at his word, the President ordered troops on standby alert in Memphis, Tennessee. Meredith entered Ole Miss escorted by federal marshals, university officials and state police, and was taken directly to the men's dormitory. The force of about 550 federal marshals took up guard positions at the Administration Building, away from where Meredith was located. This force was made up of civilians from the offices of the Justice Department. They were unaccustomed and unprepared for combat. At mid-evening, Governor Barnett issued a statement saying that Meredith had been sneaked in "by helicopter" without his knowledge. By 10PM, while the President was preparing for a nationwide speech, an ugly mob was gathering near the marshals. The two hundred state police which had been supplied by the governor to ensure Meredith's safety suddenly vanished.
About 2,500 roughnecks and racists from all over the South converged on Oxford, Mississippi. Led by former Army General Edwin A. Walker of Dallas, they brought clubs, other rocks, pipes, bricks, bottles, baseball bats, firebombs, and even guns. As rioting raged through the night, a newsman and a townsman were shot dead, two hundred marshals and Guardsmen were injured, vehicles and buildings were burned, a stolen fire engine and a bulldozer tried to batter their way into the administration building, and frenzied attackers roamed the campus.
Governor Barnett proclaimed that Mississippi would "never surrender". The marshals were bloodied, exhausted, and unfed. They were fearful of snipers in the dark, and were uncertain how long they could hold out, even with National Guard help. The President mobilized the stand-by troops in Memphis. Their response was slow.
Calls from Oxford begged for reinforcements. Each time the President called the Pentagon, he was told that they were "on their way". This was the pay-back for the Bay of Pigs: the Cuban Brigade on the shore, tired, bloodied, unfed and begging for reinforcements, the military begging in vain on their behalf for the President to intercede. Now it had come full circle. The military, unable to deny Kennedy as he did them just 18 months earlier, did the next best thing to it by reacting slowly. Finally, the stand-by troops started pouring in until they numbered about 20,000. Peace was restored, resulting in about 200 arrests.
On October 1st, still angry over the slow response of the military the day before, the President ordered a full report on the timing of each call placed from the White House to the Pentagon, the time such orders were implemented,
and an accounting for each minute in between. Early in the morning, James Meredith, accompanied by a group of marshals, officially registered amid the cat calls of his fellow students. "The Kennedys" had won, but it was a bittersweet victory. The law had been enforced and righteousness prevailed, but the cost was in lives. The President knew that this victory would cause much bitterness toward him, in fact, his relations with the South would never be the same again.
As a result of this situation General Edwin Walker was detained and put in a psychiatric hospital for inciting those who opposed Meredith's enrollment. Added to his previous issue with the President that led to him being cashiered out of the Army, Walker had no love or admiration for him. Some researchers have said that Walker was involved in the assassination, but proof has not been put forth. He did act strange on the day of the assassination however.