Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-11-29
eovERNoR,s MESSAGE.

else NL All leI EblllI1dA l4-aAln III Il
Onion, continued military occupancy
the country rendered unnecessary, az
her people permanently restored 60 Il
protection and benefits Of civil law an
order.
It. members, deeply impressed 10y ii
condition of our people and their affair
REGARDLESS Of their individual feeling
addressed themselves % the discharge
the solemn duties which devolvtd O
them, IN a spirit of lofty patriotism an
enlightened slaiesmaushlp-
Recognizing tie fact that slavery an
the right Of secession hsi been destrOye
av the result Of the war, without con
sumiug precious time in Useless regret
OF worse than useless ordinations, the
declared the one forever prohibited, eX
cen- as a punishment for crime, am
quietly Welded 20 the other notwith
standing one half Of the entire property
Of the State was invested in the former
and many Of them had been educated il
the belief that state Rights included
the latter.
Let us indulge the hope that the wis
dom of their action may be more anC
more apparent as each successive yeal
rolls round and that Our chilGTen's chill
dren for many generations 10 come vii
sit iu this pleasant land of ours beneath
their own roof trees, around their OWL
firesides, in the midst Of uHnGmbered
LIeSsiugz. aHd call them blessed who had
the wisdom and firmnes5 under such
TRYING circumstance, while surrounded
~ the ruin which attends and the eX-
hausriou which follows four years OF
fierce and RELENTLESS war, TO lay anew the
foundations Of Government, and upon
the hroadest principles OF liberty 70 all
consistent with public good.
on you and your successors they de-
vlIvad The duty of rearing supeTstruC-
ure worthy of such foundation.
OUR FEDERAL RELATIONS
Are steadily and favorabiy progressing.
All seems ro be- working wei, and ] trust
The result viii be a complete triumph Of
the Presidents policy Of reconstruction
or restoration st am early day. To render
this certain, we must omit on our part
nothing which j. necessary % put the
state in line with him and those who
sustain him i'm its adoption.
On the first of February. eighteen
hundred and siXty-fye, the Congress OF
the United States adopted joint resolU-
t0u. entitled % a resolution submitting 20
the LEGISLATURES Of the several States
proposition % amend the Constitution Of
the United States, as follows:
" Res5'rsd by tie SaIuis and HJHse
or PegrasrltItirGs u tic tated States
of 4l1r-'cq. ie Congress assembled, 1.-TWO
thirds Of both Houses coneurringi, That
the following article be proposed % the
Legislatures Of the several States IS an
amendment 10 the Constitution of the
United States. which, when certified by
tbre,--fourth- gf said Legislatures, shall
Ile valid ta an inteuts and purposes as
part OF said Constitution, namely:
"ARTlcLE NIL-SsciiOs l. Neither
slavery nor involuntary -ervltude, eN-
rept as punishment for crime, whereof
tbe party shall have been dulyc0Bvictod.
shall exist within the United states, OF
any place subject Co their jurisdiction.
- Sec. 1T. Congress shall have power
20 enforce this article by appropriate leg
isatiun.'
A duplicate of this resolution and pro-
posed amendment has been transmitted
ID me by the Secretary of state, with
the request that the decision Of the leg
isIature of Alabama may be taken upon
the subject. u iAaccOrdingly laid before
YOU with an earnest recommendation iu
favor Of its prompt adoption by unaui-
NOUS vote This being done, and laws
enacted in obedience 20 the mandate OF
our own Constitution, which secure the
freedmen full protection % person and
property, the right of Alabama 10 her
Representation in the Congress OF the
THisei States, and her complete TestOra-
tim 90 all her political rights, powers
and privileges in the Jniou, VIII be ac-
carded by her sister States, in Congress
assembled, without unreasonable delay.
=. BY am Ordinance of the Convention,
Gta Provisional Governor OF the state
was requested 10 order an election for
R-urezeutatives iu Congress from this
state. This WAS t3Oue and an election
was held iu the several districts, accord
ing 70 the laws Of this state, in all re-
.l.ects as they existed on the fourteenth
iav Of January, eighteen hundred and
-iytv-8ue. except a, 10 the time of hold
ing IT, BY the first section of the fourth
article of the Constitution OF the United
States, the times, places and manner OF
holding such elections shall be prescribed
in each state by the Legislature thereof
This was mol unu0jiced by the C0nVen-
ton. bui the plan adopted was deemed
the best that could be devised under the
circumstance. To cure the defect, H 20
should be regarded as one, / recommend
the passage of am act ratityiug what has
been done in Jhis behalf
3. Tho Constitution makes il the duty
of the Legislature, at this session TO pass
such laws a. VIII protect the Freedmen
of this state Ia the fun enjoyment OF all
their rights OfBer-on and property and
20 guard them and the State against any
evil that may arise frsm their sudden
rmancipation.'
Tie duty here imposed Is plain and
imperative. ia performing IT, two things
are 90 be borne IN mind, viz; protection
TO the freedmen in the full enjoyment Of
their rights OfpeTs0n and property, and
in such way a. to guard them and the
State from any evil that may arise from
their sudden emancipation. Shall this
be- attempted bv a code of laws entirely
new. OF by the passage Of an act decidr-
ING that they shall receive the same pro
lection which cur laws secure to our non
voting population
Many difficulties are I'm the way OF the
first, which viii readily suggest them
selves to an who have had any expert
euee n legislation. but from which the
lasI is entirely free. In the first place
there VIII be- great difference Of opinion
as what i- fun protection, and a. to the
exact tenor of legislation necessary %
secure IL 0u the one hand and 10 guard
the freedmen and the State on the other +;
but there can be uo doubt that we, the
law-makiug race, honestly think that our
laws give fuA protection 30 those OF our
own race who have no voice in making
them, and that those laws are SO eX-
pressed a. 10 guard them and the State
from any evils that it Is in our power to
guard against By legislation.
Again, ia the effort TO frame such a
4 N. j
moi impossible. 10 diyest the mind Of the
fact that IL L lesizlat.h- pol for great
principles, but for a class
For these and many otnef reasons, after
tlia ID. Isl careful and earnest cousidera-
f.ou. / have come % the conclusion that
our interests a. people, cspevta4ly y thai
offbe white race, VIII 6e Pioluoiel 10y
the uassage Of an act declaring tha, leed-
men shall have the same measure ol pro-
lection which our laws secure 10 oll y .I 'l'
voting white population. rms WIN pa,
adoption of vagraBt laws, sinilar iii LioS p
respects 90 those Of Massachusetts, u
demonstrate 10 tie world that We af'
honestly eudeaV5rlng TO meet ooIh a.
pects of our new condition.
The idea Of requiring @ freedman z
carry pass "a. amy time, but especially
in time OF peace, that he shall not be "a
liberty TO hire himself for a less perio,
than a month, aud that he shall NOT b
permitted 10 have u ugff in his DWELLING
after aEy given hour is not only moon
Fisleni With cur American nsti0ns o
freedom, bat IS utterly at war herewith
Iiber,y and ths Is CuTfeWn cannot exis
together
when Columbus decided that the worll
was round, he boldly turned his shil
westward upon an unknown sea in searcl
GA new continent. He watched with
zigilaut eve the compass and its Yaria
fians. but he filtered not in his pUfpGs6
Eybat II lis heart had failed him, and b
bad turned his ship to the shore iron
which he had sailed
The people Of Alabama, Ia Convention
assembled. have forever prohibits
slaver,--in 50 doing they have ioreve
etabIis he'd Liberty! Let Us boldly