The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-17

;idered by majority Of thirty Six.
As the first vote was published in large
letters by ore Of our city cotemporarles
with considerable flourish of trumpets,
we give below the vote to reconsider
which settles conclusively the fact that
the House Of Representatives are willing
to vote for bill allowing negro testimony
though they differ SO widely as to details,
that SO far, they have been unable to
agree on a proper law.
Mr. Griffin moved a reconsideration OF
the vote of Yesterday hv which the House
rejected the original 4th section OF the
bill as amended to confer civil rights on
freedmen. which was decided in the at
firmative bv yeas and naYs called for by |
Mr. Lyles, Phipps and Labsuve as fol-
lows: :,
Yeas-Mr Speaker, Acker, Arnold,
Barry, Bpauchamp, Blanchard, Boddle,
Boone, Bowden, Brown, of Issaquena,
Brown, of Kvmper, Bridges. of Choctaw,
Bridgers, of Tallahatchie. Burress, Bur
ton, Cameron, Carter, Cnle. Deason, Fl,
lis, Gillstrap. Grace. Graham. GrIfhn,
Hamil on, Hanson. Hearn. Hlllver' hun
ter. Hudson, Huffman, Irhy. Kennedy,
KqrdalI. Lewis, Levers. Liddell, Luse,
Mabrv, Manning, Marable, Meares, Mer-
rilI, Mpdearig, Morphis, McInnis,
Mcneil. Mckinney, McRae, Murdock,
MURRAY. Nye. Owen, Pepnvbacker, Phil
ins Robertson. Simrall. Tankersly. Tin
| dali. Walker. Webb, of Amits, Webb, OF
franklin, Wlliams-63.
Navs-Bowen. Brown, of Yalobusha,
Brooks. Caportor, Cromwell. Daniel,
Dotson, Duff Easterling, Foxworth,
Gresham. HenIv, I.abauvp. Lyles, Mar
tin. Mavson. Morris. McElroy. Phipps,
Pound. Rcd. Seal. Shannon, Suratt,
Thompson, Wall. Webbpr-27.
Thlc question Of allowing negro testi-
mony is novel one to the public, but
wherever it has been fairly presented, it
has met the popular approval. A COM
plete revolution is taking place in the
public mind, that will. whenever it can
find expression, astonsh those who are
now making such violent opposition.
| Ag matters now stand, all criminal ca
ses in which negroes are parties, are tria-
BILE before civil courts, on the express con-
dition agreed to by Coz. Sharkey, that
neg,o testimony lcopld be receired by the State
courts. These courts are now in session,
Judges have been elected by the'people,
the cases are ready for trial, but if the
Legislature fails to allow thi evidence it
is certain that such cases will be taken
from the civil tribunals and our citizens
4 dragged before Military Commission, de-
MED the right of trial by jury, and their
lives at the mercy of strangers who, IN
many instances, come here prejudice
AGAINST them, and who will not only
: admit but credit negro testimony. Where
is the wisdom, the patriotism, the manhood
: of thus degrading people who have al
d ready suffered the direst calamities o
war? Will the representatives of the
= people allow their constituents to be rob
= bed, plundered and murdered by military
e commissions, whenjust and sensible leg
e islation will prevent these evils?
f OF all the miserable cants to arouse tn,
/, prt iudices and cloud the understanding
8 of the public on this question, negro equal
n tn is >he greatest. This objection was s.
/. ably met by a CORES pondent, whose let
n ter we published some weeks since, tha
a we reproduce It:
But some persons object TO the admis
sion of negro testimony, because they sa
it is raising the negro TO an equality wit
the white man. AdmlssibiiIty to tn
b witness stand, is certainly new an
n strange test of equality, and If 1T be tn
true one, then ali men who are compe
tent as Witnesses are equals; the wltnes
e who would have no cgeuit with the jur
is the witness whose statements are pre-
is ven to be false, Is the peer OF any man Il
- the land, no matter how pure or how e
evated his character may be. The note
g rious liar, the highway robber, the hors
II thief are the equals OF all men, oecaus
lie they can go to the witness stand. b
20 this process of reasoning, instead OF ral'
:, ing the negro to an equ thty, we are Ie
ii ting ourselves down. Nobody objects t
N the negro's right TO sue, which Is the higt
st er and greater right; he may 60 into couI
~ side by side with us, that does not max
. him our equal, bat keep him oft of tn
81 witness stand, that makes him our equa
Of If this be the standard of equality, the
le the negro has always been our equal, fC
IT, he has always been competent to testify
= from the same witness stand, against whit
nl witnesses. in prosecutions against ne groe
lie and il has always been the practice of tn
De Jury % weigh his testimony against th
80 testimony of white WITNESSES.
But it is sometimes urged that if W
u permit negroes 10 testify, they will be pU
es on iuries and allowed the right of su
le frage. | answer that jury service Is nj
a right at all, it is duty, and 1T is dI
ty the State may require of whom sh
pleases. Even now a juror must posses
certain qualifications, he must be free
oil holder or a householder, and he must
er white person. In regard to the rigt
es of suffrage, that is a matter liked by IN
constitution, tue voter must be whit
's person, and so it must remain until whit
voters may choose to change 1t.
lie Those who oppose the right of negrot
j" to testify, do not effect that they are pu
suing the very.policy which the Norther
radicals approve, and in tact are givin
DO aid and comfort to the fanatics OF Ii
ID North, by helping to break down th
in President, and, If they could accomplls
their purpose, they would most assuredl
keep our members out of Congress, whic
10 is tie object of the extremists OF tn
North, and our refusal TO admit the negI
10 as q witness in cases where he is interes
NJ ed. would furnish them with most pov
erful argument with which to drive tn
conservative party from us.
es Now, | ask the people to reflect on tn
question; and if they will do SO, prejudic'
~ will be overcome by the force of reason