New-York daily tribune., 1865-09-28
THE ALABAMA CONVENTION.


declaring the act of Secession null and void.
As in the case of Mississippi, which was fortu-
nate enough to have Presidential benson pro-
nOunced on its labOrs, the action OF Alabama IS
intended to make a basis for its readmlssion.
There is joy over this repenting sinner; some
what more, it seems to U.S. than the occasion
calls for OF justiies. We have yet to see
in any of the insurgent States disposition
to do any but the most Indispensable
acts of loyalty. 1t may be said that
the perfect approval which the President
bestowed on Mississippi removed all induce
ment for any State to do more than Mississippi
had done. That is so; at the same time
it would be impossible for any State to DO less
than Mississippi or Alabama. The spirit in
which the act has been performed is, therefore,
quite as important as the act itself, for the real
question to be settled when the States present
themselves to Congress as petitioners for
admission to the House and Senate, is whether
they come with loyalty in their hearts as well
as loyalty Oh their lips.
Indications of the feeling which pervades
the State may be found in the proceedings
of the Convention-in the debates quite
as much as in the votes. IL need not
be supposed that the measures OF
constitutional amendment were adopted with
out discussion. The discussion was spirited
and far from harmonious and the reason why
the final vote was so nearly unanimous was
simply that both sides agreed on the necessity
of policy which to one of them, at least, was
extremely repugnant. There were two reports
before the Convention The majority report
declared Slavery abolished-pure and simple
The minority report declared it abolished pro-
yded the Supreme Court should sustain the
Emancipation Proclamation. SO far as the re
ports 20. they show that the majority of the
Convention would have clung to that slender
chance of postponing emancipation, could they |
have cherished a single hope of getting recogni-
ton in Congress after such declaration.
The leader of the conditional emancipationists !
was the Hon. Alexander White. We fnd
his speech reported at length. He was the
author of the proposition to refer all questions
of abolition to the Supreme Court. He did not
hesitate to declare his reasons frankly. The
effect of the ordinance OF the Committee" says
Mr.. White, "precludes all hope upon the ques-
ton of Slavery by our own act" The little
atom of hope that might rest on a possible de-
cision by the Supreme Court that the Emanci-
patton Proclamation was unconstitutional, Mr.
White would still cherish. At any rate, he
would not have Alabama do or say anything |
that could seem ike abandoning Slavery volun-
tarily. " If Slavery is abolished, as gentlemen /
say it is, then it is the act of another, and not
our ac, aud hereafter when the accumulated
evils that this measure will bring shall press our
people to the earth, we shall have the consola-
ton of not having in any way been accessory to
it," He would even close his ears to the sug-
gestons of expediency and will acknowledge no
necessity for a return of the State into the
Union. 1t is said that we must get back into
the Union. That is the clap-trap by which the
people are deceived" 1t is something more
than clap-trap: it is - precipitation" Mr.. |
White has the extreme frankness to say.
ave were precipitated out Of the Union with reckless
audacity and widespread ruin. 1t is now proposed
with trembling tmidity that We shall preopitate back
the Union % be JOi0rsG by consequences s.N more
fatal because uRirersal, lasting and equally
vital in their character. opposed the with all the
energy of an earnest and thoroughly aroused nature
down TO the last momcrt of its Accomplishment. end
ri,h like snail c0niegf against the other
One reason why Mr. White and his friends
might be willing to stay out in the cold while
longer is that there are a number Of dreadful
people in tie Union known as Radicals. These
Radicals, it appears, are not ready to see the
Union restored las it was;" they prefer to see
it restored, as Ward Beechcrsays,. with all the
modern improvements We don't know whether
we are Radicals or not in Mr.. VS. view, but
we clearly are i'll favor of improvements. " In
terual improvements - was good old Whig
doctrine and we are not ashamed to 60 for
them still. But Mr. White has an idea thai
magnanimity is the particular panacca for all
general ills, at present, and his idea OF magma
nmity seems to involve an unlimited admiration
for the oniession-impled, not expressed-ofI
Alabama that she has been whipped And we
are inclined to agree that there must be some
thing to account for such feelings as find vent
in this outpouring;
"Al hostile demonstrations our part have ceased.
Eyen tens of thousands Of youthful but veteran soldiers
who scarcely know any other vocation than war, or
aBv other corpan ionshp than that Of the camp, who
undismayed have often mingled IN the terrible hall
storm of battle and stood undann ed In deaths widest
carnival have turned 10 peaceful pursuits ot private
life. No mntiny no ortbreas' ana scarce On aet OF
violence within the limits Of our State Resistance
has ceased the part Of our people and all are await
ing the restoration OF our political relations aud re-
lf, hnnls n fpilou shin which held To