A letter Morris wrote regarding the 1872 presidential campaign,
Letter from J.S. Morris, Esq., Attorney-general of Mississippi, on the Presidential Campaign of 1872, reveals the political divide, not just among the
Reconstructionists and military occupation of the former
Confederate States, but also within the Republican party during the campaign of
Ulysses S. Grant. In this letter, Morris speaks for the continued protection of African Americans in the U.S. south, as well as against excessive taxation of white merchants and labourers. Referring to Grant, who was generally despised by whites in Mississippi, as the former
Union Army General who defeated the Confederate forces, and due to the U.S. military continued to occupation of the state, Morris addressed Grant's presidential rival
Horace Greeley's campaign,
Anything to beat Grant. Morris writes:''"Suffice it to say that the motto, 'Anything to beat Grant,' does not meet my approbation. Let it rather be, “Anything to help Mississippi!” We are not in a condition to beat “anybody or anything.” Let us get into the prevailing sentiment of this great nation, make ourselves a part of it, secure its confidence and friendship, obtain a voice in its councils, and assist in guiding it. Then, and not till then, we may talk about “beating” somebody for President."''Grant took the state, winning by
27% of the vote. == Other writings ==