Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-11-08
RECONSTRUCTION = THE ALA.
BAMA CONVENTION.

That is true, in our opinion-as true as
Holy Writ. And that is all the loyal
people of the North ask for or want
simply that such a settlement and return
of the Southern States as shall secure uni
versal freedom and a guarantee Of a per-
petual Union, and no more quarrels about
State Rights or grounds for any more re-
bellions.
The Alabsns Convention adopted an
ordinance declaring slavery uncondition-
ally and forever abolished, and by a
unanimous vote, declared the ordinance
Of secession null and void. This looks
well and is we'll. The stand taken by the
leading rebels in the Alabama Convention
is IN encouraging feature in Southern re-
construction, and If their future action
shall only prove their sincerity, the work
of reorganization and Of restoring the in
surgent States to me Union will be much
easier than many have apprehended. But
the Government should move cautiously,
and give itself time to await developments
that shall prove the professions of sub
mission and loyalty shat are made to be
genuine. More than this should not be
asked; less than this cannot reasonable be
expected. The loyal people of the North
are as anxious to have the Union restored
and the country returned to prosperity
and peace, as any Of the rebels or their
Northern sympathizers, but they want it
done on a secure and permanent basis,
with universal Freedom as the chief corner
stone, and when the Southern people
show BY their acts that they are ready
and willing to accept this kind Of a settle
ment, they will find the way open, and
nobody at the North disposed to oppose
them.
But there were two circumstances, or
facts rather, developed during the discus
sions in the Alabama Convention, on the
ordinance fbolishing slavery, which are
worthy of attention. The first was the
fact that the most radical" men, 80 to
speak-that is, the men who were the
readiest to accep, the legitimate results Of
the war and acknowledge them, among
which are the death Of slavery and seces-
sion. were the original secessionists and
men who had served in the army, all
through the war. While on the other
hand, the men who most held back and
were opposed to the unconditional abo-
lition of slavery, were the conservatives
and men who had opposed secession on
the start, and remained at home during
the war. And this, it is said, is generally
the case in most parts Of the South. The
military men appealed to the sword,
staked the result on the fate of war and
the of battle, and having been
beaten, they acknowledge the fact and
give up the stakes. II should not sur
prise US if this class of men-the honest,
earnest and most Jealous rebels-turn out
TO be the most sractable and reliable Union
men Of the South.
But the most important fact developed
was by what was said by Mr.. White and
those who favored his substitute, in re-
gard to the abolition of slavery. He
offered the minority report, which simply
recited the fact that slavery wal said to be
abolished by the Proclamation of the
President and the act Of war. and that the
people of Alabama would accept this fact
and acquiescc in it, until it should be de-
cided otherwise, or should be affirmed or
annulled, by the Supreme Court Of the
United States or at least such wa the
substance of the substitute offered by him.
In his speech defending his proposition,
he admitted that the resolution would not
satisfy the Radicals and Abolitionists of
of the North /; but he didn't care for that,
and thought the Convention should not
care for it. It would satisfy that other
party at the North-the great conserva-
tive, Democratic party, and he thought
that the party which the people of Ala
bama and the South ought to satisfy and
look upon as their friends. The same
was declared and argued by others who
favored the substitute. They freely &C.
knowledged that they looked to a union
with the Democratic party of the North,
and thought that they ought to try and
satisfy that party which had always been
their friends or go only so far as that party
required Of them, instead Of trying to
please their enemies, the radical party Of
the North for when the Southern States
shall get back into thf Union again and
have q voice in the nation, they and their
Northern friends, the Democracy, will be
able to control the legislation Of the
try, and thus be able to restore to the
people of the South their lost rights, and
make them some amends for what they
have suffered and lost from the hands Of
their enemies.
Mr.. Whites substitute did not pass. It
was voted down by the Convention. and
an ordinance declaring slavery uncondi-
tionally and forever abolished in the State
of Alabama waspassed by a large ma
jority. This we say was well. But the
loyal people Of the North and the Govern
ment should take warning from the signs
of danger and mischief developed by the
g.. conservatives Of the Alabama Conyen-
ton. II is evident that the so-called
" Democracy" Of the Northern States,
are ~endeavoring TO deceive and mislead
the people of the South again, as they did
before the rebellion, by encouraging them
to hope for a different result and different
kind Of reconstruction and settlement
from that decided upon and required by
the loyal people Of this country. The
sooner the Southern people understand
this fact and begin to act upon it the bet