The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-09 00:00:00

7IIE SOU7HERN STITES.

The Alabama Democrats at a recent meeting de-
nounced the law the Legislature passed which was
vetoed by the Governor, authorising itself to choose
Presidential electors. They appeal to the people
to vote for electors next November. The Republi-

cans of the Georgia Legislature have agreed to a
bill empowering the Legislature to choose electors,
but it has not yet been publicly introduced. The
Democratic Managers generally are preparing to

have votes cast for the Presidential electors in al

the Southern States under the old laws, setting aside
those of Congress and the new State Legislatures.
As such votes will not be counted this may lead to

trouble hereafter.

In the Alabama Democratic

meeting resolutions were adopted promising the

vote of Alabama to Seymour and Blair.

Messrs,

Akerman and Farren have been nominated electors

at large by a Republican Convention in Georgia.
Mr. Johnson has officially announced that Georgia

has ratified the 14th Constitutional Amendmen

Its Legislature has rtjected the bill which proposed
to exempt foreign capital invested in manufactures

from taxation.

In Atlanta on the 18th Angus

there was a torch light procession in honour of
Grant and Colfax, when a dispute arose from the
arrest of a drunken negro by the police, which
ended in one negro being killed, besides a policeman
and two negroes wounded. The recent legislation of
the South Carolina Legislature shows an effort to
place the negroes, not only on an equality, but as
superior to the whites. Governor Scott has vetoed
several measures, and excited thereby theintense
indignation of the blacks and their " carpet-bag"
leaders. One of the acts was to repudiate the
foreign claims represented by Messis. Baring
' Brothers against the State Bank. It instructs the
Governor to seize the Bank's assets, which are to
be sold and money raised to pay the members of
the Legislature, who for a long time have not re-
ceived anything. A bill has been filed in the Court
of Equity demanding the sale of these assets by the
holders of the currency of the bank, and bonds are
to be issued to redeem that currency. The bonds
held in London under the Act of 1838, " for the

rebuilding of the city of Charleston," provided for
the payment of the principal and interest, and
made the assets of the State Bank a special and
inalienable claim to the holders—a contract which
cannot be impaired, as the Messrs. Baring argue, by
any subsequent legislation. In answer, the Legisla-
ture states that Reconstruction has swept away the old
system and every contract connected therewith. The
people either cannot, or will not, pay any taxes, and the
Governor has tried in vain to negotiate a loan.,

Reports are current that the blacks in different
parts of the State arc arming and threatening
violence. Never did a retribution more terrible over•
take a country, and never was a contrast effected
within a short period more striking than that of the
Palmetto State in 1860 and 1868. Imagine the feel-
ings of a planter in the former year who dreamt
that in his State's Legislature, largely composed of
negroes, he saw a full-blooded black on the floor
rebuking the whites who bad sneaked into the lob-
bies to avoid a vote on a bill admitting negroes t,)
the social privileges of white men, wherever they
could possibly meet ! and how would such words as
these sound in his ear—" But when the coloured
man asks to be recognised as a man, and to be pro-
tected, without stooping to the performance of
menial duties, then he becomes an object of aver-
sion, and the member talks about social equality,
and imagines he must take you into his arms, as he
probably would your sister, if she is good-look-
ing. This is an outrage upon the coloured man."
A number of citizens of Charleston have peti-
tioned President Johnson to pravide protection
for the city against the threatened lawlessness, as
the civil authorities are unable to preserve order.
The new Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, ap-
pointed by the Governor, was inaugurated on the
17th August, when the City Council met. The
police force is half black, and many of the city
officers are coloured men. In three States, militia
laws had been passed giving to the officers who are
appointed by the Governor extraordinary powers.
In North Carolina they may arrest without war-
rant or civil process not incurring legal liability. The
former Mayor of Columbus, Mississippi, who was
removed by military authority, has issued a pro-
clamation stating that as military domination has
been withdrawn, he and the City Council are the
rightful rulers of the city, and advising citizens who
may be arrested and imprisoned by the military to
bring suit against such for false iwprisonment. The
committee of five appointed by the Constitutional
Convention of Mississippi to count the votes at the
late election in that State, to announce the result,
aud, if necessary, to reconvene the Convention, are
about to issue a proclamation declaring the election
in six counties illegal and void, on account of frauds
and violence. They have decided not to call the Con-
vention together again. As Gen. Gillem refuses to
recognise this committee, they intend to call upon
Congress to sustain their action and to complete the
work of reconstruction in Mississippi by appropriate
legislation. The Democratic State Committeelet,
but adjourned till September 22 to ascertain the
action of Congress before acting. If Congress fails to
meet on the 21st September the Democrats will
choose their Presidential electors, as will Virginia
and Texas. The Freedmen's Bureau agents in
Louisiana report fourteen murders where Governor
Warmouth said there were 150, which is a slight
difference.—Governor Warmouth headed a confe-
rence of the Radical leaders with the Conserva-
tives on the 15th August when opinions were inter-
changed, and a farther interview appointed. The
Republicans desired to know what their opponents
wanted, and what should be done to preserve the
peace, to which the Democrats replied that the
Legislatures should stop the enactment of arbitrary
and oppressive laws. They intended if their wishes
were consulted to act only in a legal and constitu-
tional way, and they would sustain the Governor if
be threw himself upon the people. Th 3 Governor
said that for peace he would concede anything in
reason, and that he was authorized to state that
measures obnoxithis to the people would be modi-
fied. The officers commanding Federal posts have
been ordered by General Buchanan to gather in-
formation on the condition of affairs in their neigh-
bourhood and keep him informed. In case of dis-
turbance they were not to interfere with the civil
authorities, and to act only on instructions received
from head-quarters. The China's news is that the
negroes in Northern Louisiana are effecting armed
organizations.—Gen. Stoneman has issued an order
directing the State.auditor of Virginia to receive
from the railroads indebted to the State the whole
or part of their debt, to be paid in current funds
or in State bonds at par. The amount of State
bonds received is not to exceed two-thirds of the
total payments made by a road. The whole amount
due by the roads is almost 300,000 dollars. There
has not been a case of yellow fever this sea-
son at New Orleans. A. correspondent says the
Legislature will, without doubt, resolve to vote for
the Presidential electors, and thus secure the State
for Grant ; adding that if they fail to do so there
will be a majority of 20,000 for Seymour. Frank
Blair was expected at New Orleans about the 22d