Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-07-20
SOUTHERN UNION coNyESrIoN.
address TO the People taf The south

Address 60 the People slf the south.
WAsHTNGroN, July II. -sPhe followine
is call for aconvention Of Southern TniDn7
lists, to be held at independence Hall, In
the city Of Philadelphia on the FIRST Monday
Of September, 1866
70 The LOgal Elli0Htsts Of tie .Sotah.
The great issue is upon us. The majority
In Congress and its supporters. firmly declare
that the rights Of the citizens enumerated
in the Constitution and established by the
supreme law, must be maintained ingiolate.
Rebels and rebel mpathizers assert the
the rights of the citizens must belong to the
States alone and under such regulations as
the respective States choose voluntarily TO
prescribe We have seen this doctrine of
State Sovereignty carried out ia its practf-
cal results until all authority in Congress
was denied the Union temporarily DESTROYED
the constitutional rights of The South nearly
annibilated, and the land desolated By civil
war The time has come when the Struc-
ture Of the State governments must be laid
on Constitutions principles, or the despot
ism grown up under anatrocious leadership
be permitted to remain. We know of no
other plan than that Congress under its
constitutional power shall now exercise its
authority toestablish the principle whereby
protection is made co extensive with citizen
ship. We maintain chat no State, either
BY its organic law or legislation, can make
transgression on the rights OF the citizen
legitimate We demand and ask you to
concur in demanding protection to every
citizen of the great Republic on the basis of
equality before the law and further that no
State Government should be recognized as
legitimate under the Constitution in SO far
as it does not by Its organic law make impair
tlal protection full and complete. Under the
doctrine of State sovereignty, with rebels in
| the foreground controlling Southern legIsla-
lures, and embiHered By disappointment in
their schemes to destroy the Union there
viii be no safety for the loyal element of the
South. Our reliance for protection is now
on Congress, and the great u mon party that
has stood and is standing by the nationality
BY the constitutional rights of the citizen,
and by the benefcient principles of free
government For the purpose of bringing
the loyal Unionlsts of the South into conjuc-
tive action with the true friends of republi-
can government of the North, VIC invite you
to send delegates in goodly numbers from
all the Southern States, including the States
Of Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia,
Maryland and Delaware, to meet at Inde-
pendence Hall IN the city Of Philadelphia,
on the first Monday OF September next. 1t
Is proposed that we should meet at that
time to recommend measures for the estab-
lishment Of such Government in the South
as accords with and protects the rights Of all
citizens. We trust the call viii be respon-
ded to by numerous delegations, Of such as
represent the true loyalty Of the South, and
that kind Of Gavernment which gives full
protection to all the rights Of the citizens
nm II a1 4af
claim as our birth right Either the lovers of
constitutional liberty must rule the nation or
rebels and their sympathiZers be permitted
to misrule it, Shall loyalty or disloyalty
have the Keeping of the destinies Of the
nation? Let the responses to this cali which
is now in circulation for signatures and is
being numeroasly signed answer. Notice is
given that gentlemen at a distance can have
their names attached to it by sending a re-
quest by letter, directed to d. W. Bingham
| Washington ID. c.
Signed by W B. Stokes, Tennessee; j os.
s. Fowler, Tennessee. James Gettys, Tenn
essee; a. L. Hamilton, Texas; George w.
Paschai. Texas Lorenzo Sherwood, Iexas.
G.. W. Ashburn, Georgia; Henry G. Cole,
Georgia; j " McClu-g Missouri; JnO.
r. Kelso, No, j. T. Benjamin, Missouri;
George W Anderson, Mo-; John b. Froth
Fairfax county Virginia: J. VI. Stewart,
Alexandria, Va, Allen, G. Harmon, Alex
andria, Va; Lewis Nc kenzie, Virginia; j.
" Hunniyett, Virginia; j. c. Underwood,
Virginia: BuTnham WardWell, Virginia;
Alexander NJ Davis, Virginia; Byron Lain
North Carolina: Daniel r Goodloe, North
Carolina; George Reese, Alabama: d. I'll.
Bingham, Alabama; I'll. j. Spaiford,
Alabama: j. ii. Lareombe, Alabama.