, 1865-09-01

consideration Of the substitute otcfed by Mr.
Hudson. II proposed to abolish slavery for
ever in the Stale, but added the proyiso that
this ordinance Of emancipation shouIl remain
scntatiycs had been admitted to Congress. and
the military forces had been Withdrawn from
Mississippi. 1t neela hardly to be stated That
this Proylso was the worst fo1m of opposition
which the Tree Constitution men had yet en-
counterctl.
The great event Of to-day, and, indeed, of
the Convention, Eas The manly, patriotic ind
eloquent speech Of Hon. VIM. =. Ycrger. ]
know not what higher praise eau accord to
this gentleman than to soy that he Is the safest
counsellor to the people whom Mississippi can
boast today,
Air. Yergcr began By saying he believed that
Of MI the provisions and substitutes which the
free Constitution had encountered, the one
under debate WIS by far the most obnoxious.
They who advocate 1t seem to forget entirely
The past five years when listening to them,
he would forget entirely, we're 1t not for the
surroundings, that they haa passed through
one Of the most stuPendons and devastating
wars Of modern times, and that It hna turned
and overturned ".until there was scarcely
yestge remaining Of the past. Five years
happy people that the Almlghtp ever permit
ted to live; to-dny what were they ? Ruin
and dcsolation itself. Their property had
faded from their grasp, their rights had gone
from them, and themselves were huuiliated
In the Dust Then VIC lived under q Consti-
tuition which guaranteed us every right aud
security that free people could ask today
we hare only the bayonet- One source Of
1lscord fcmulued ; that was ala very. Hr.
Tergcr alluded to the fact that In December.
1860, proposition was introduced into Con-
gross, which would lave secured abundant
prevented tlls war; md that this proposition
might have been pissed if tho Louisiana Sen
ators, who were still there, had been willing
to act upon It, They refused to yote, and the
South WIS plunged into the war.
Mr.. Ycrger then gave ., rapid but graphic
picture Of the war, with its varying fortunes,
ending with the surrender Of Lee, Johnston
and Taylor.
Then the Legislature Of Mississippi WAS as
semL1cd, md Judge Sharkey md himself ap-
pointed Commissioners to 70 to Washington
aud ascertain the wishes Of the President re-
aar1ing the future. While this Legislature
The wires to Gen. Canby to disperse 1t, II need
be By forco Of arms. It hal adjourned,
however, before tho order could be executed.
Governor Clnrko was informed that none Of
its nets could be recognized for moment, and
that all The State archives must be turned
over to the military, which was done On
arriving at Washington, they were Informed
by the President that they could not be re.
ccircd Us Commissioners Of Mississippi, bnt
only as private citizens. As such they we're
received with the greatest cordially and kind
ness, and asked By the President what scheme
o BAG to propose for ths S tsds td Of
Convention called for By the rebel Legislature
ho allowed 10 assemble, md rc-organize the
state. This proposition he rejected at once,
as none of the officers or appointees Of rebel
officials could be recognized for moment. He
asked If they had read li5 North Carolina
f}e VI
slit them. They replied that they had, and
that their people would prefer that next after
the plan they had proposed. Tho President
then told them that the people Of! the South
must distinctly understand one thing, and that
WIS that they must recognize md abide by
The order Of things as brought about y the
slavery. He did not propose to order or die
tate anything, but give theHa plainly to Under
stand that unless they amended their coust1-
tntions to conform to the facts Of the situa-
lion, himself at least, would never. consent
to their return. And Il The potent arm
Of the Chief Executive should DO turned
| against them, Whit could they hope to ac-
compUsh nsninst the radicals Of Boston, In
| another interview With the South Carolina
| delegation, he had distinctly informed them
| that they were expected to amend their Con-
stltution, and do It in good faith and ali the
! other States must do the same. All the
| Governors had so announced in their procla-
| nations 1t had been so announced In this
State. And get, In the face Of al these
| statements, both Of the President and his ap-
| pointces, as clearly and explicitly made as
| language Vas capable OF making them, some
men pretended to say In this Convention that
they had no information as 10 what the Pres.
| itlent and tho people Of tho North expected
| them to do Indeed; why should tho Con.
ycntiou hare been assembled at ali, If some
change in the Constitution was not expected
Why not have proceeded at once to elect
members to Congress, according to the lawE
OF The State, Il some chnDge lad not been ex'
Mr. Yerger said he had made II his specia!
| business, while going to Washington and
lack, to make inquiry In the North as to tht
state Of parties, and he discovered, from tht
moment he reached Cairo, until he returned
that the whole people were Of one mind OF
the great subject of slavery. There were nj
longer two parties, but one and al agreed
| with one voice that slavery wns dead forever
but on one question there were two parties
aud that was Us to negro Suffrage. Thez,
were also two PARTIES dividing On the gre:l
question rs to tho stai4s which tic insurgea
States shonld be made to misunderstanding
they should be held rs conquered terHtofic
and governed By the sword, OF be considered
/ 10 have remained always In the Union, nut
! allowed to reconstruct their governments
4 On these great questions the President Is Will
us, 50 aro his best military commanders
Sherman; Logan, Cox and others-th hey hav
| publicly Lcciared themselves as s,lstainin.
President johnson, and he isnoW struggtin!
| 1nanfully against tho oyesbcaring curreut. o
| rndicalism, and let rs be careful. Q, let us b
| yrry careful to do nothing which .,shal
| venken his hands. Let ns show our5clye
worthy Of the confidence he has reposed i
| Us. and We shall then dlsarm the designs q
Il further humiliation, which arc being e,te1
tanned against us.
But gentlemen viii persist in sl,utt1ng thel
eye6 to the facts. He has been amazed g
! statements and arguments nade on tha. Zoo,
/ gentlemen say slavery: is not abolished
Nly, when wc come into this very It'll, w
pass among black guards who grin In on
faces, and their bayonets. glitter before On
eFes, and these same ;gunrd5 We once cal1e
our Slaves. The Frccdmen's Burcan perpetu
ates martini lar In our midst, and only th
other 1ey Judge was arrested In Fickabur
for issuing writ Of habeas corpus Ia favor {
one arrested by that bureau. The garrison
| will ue{cr be withdrawn until Missi4sjppl ha
given good pledges, by making laws to pre-
erty OF. the j, freedmen. i that she
truly ,repentant, nnd ! returns to !. :th
Union, Why, the. proclamation :dcc}alin
the South in insurTection has never been Eit1
| drawn by. the President get, nor viii 1t be III
til We, incorporate this amendment In OF
constitution, and do it In good faith, Withou
any quibblcs, provisions, threats Or -ment,
. reservations whatever. The United States ha
already destroyed slavery, and did not stan
In any need Of their assistance, but it WI