Smyrna times., 1866-07-18
NJ Is CELLANEOUS
Convention of Loyal southerners.

"A meeting of the Southern loyalists now in
Washington, was held on Monday week. AZ
which the following call was unanimously adon.
ted and signed. Other signatures will be adj
ed during the week, making the call a moro
complete one, when it will be issued in official
form. In Its present shape, there will be found
many OF the most prominent public men of the
South, lawyers, journalists, merchants and Of
hcers. The call for the Convention is as fol-
lows:
10 the Loyal Unionists of the South:
The great issue is upon us. The majority in
Congress and its supporters firmly declare that
the rights OF the citizen, enumerated in the
constitution and established by supreme law.
must be maintained inviolate. Rebels and
rebel Sympathlzers assert that the rights ofthe
citizens must belong to the State alone, and
under such regulations as the respective States
choose voluntarily to prescribe We have seen
TINS doctrine OF State sovereignty carried out
IN Its practical results, until all authority in
Congress was denied, the Union temporarily
destroyed, the constitutional rights of the citi-
zenS OF the South nearly annlhilated, and the
land desolated by civil war. The time has
come when the structure of Southern States
Government must be laid on constitutional
principles, or the despOtism grown up under
an an atroclous leadership be permitted to remain
we know OF no other plan than that Congress.
under Its constitutional powers, shall now exer-
else Its authority to establish the principle
whereby protection is made contensive with
citizenship. We maintain that no State. eth
er by its organic law or legislation, can make
transgresslon on the rights of the citizen legiti
mate. We demand, and ask you to concur in
demanding, protection to every citizen of the
great Republlc on the basis Of equality before
the law, and further, that no State government
should be recognized as legitimate under the
constitution In so tar as it does not by its or
ganlc law make impartial protection full and
complete. Under the doctrine of State Soyer-
eelgnty' with Rebels in the foreground control
Ing southern Legislatures, and embittered by
disappointment in their scheme to DESTROY the
Ohlon, there will be no safety for the loyal ele
.: ..ehc Vi the south. Our reliance for protec-
~ Cion 10 no" on congress, and the great Union
party that has stood, and is standing hv H.
nationality, by the constitutional rights IF the G
citizen, and by the benefcent PRINCIPLES of froo
government For the purpose of bringing the
loyal UnlOnlsts OF the South into coniunctive
action with the true friends Of Republican
government Of the North, we invite you to
send delegates III gOOdly nunJers irom all
Southern States, including, Missouri Ken
tucky, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
to TO- meet at Independence Hall, in the City OF
Fhlladelphla, on the first Monday Of Scptem-
VI heAt: IL Is proposed that we should meet
at t9at time to recommend measures for the
establishment of such government in the South
as accords with and protects the rights of all
cltizens. We trust this call will be responded
to by numerous delegations of such as repre-
sent the true loyalty of the South-that kind
OF government which gives full protection to
all therlghts OF the citizens, such as our faith
ers intended and VIC claim as our birthricht
Either the lovers of constitutional liberty mnst
rule the nation or rebels and their sympathi-
zers be permitted to misrule it. Shall l6vaItv
or disloyalty have the keeping of the destinies
of the nation? Let the responses to this call
which is now in circulation for signatures and
is being numerously signed, answer. Notice
is given that gentlemen at a distance can have
their names attached to it by sending a reouest
by letter, directed to d. W. Bingham, Es1.
Washington, ID. Z.
w. B. Stokes, Tenn, ]. S. Fowler Tenn
A. ]. Hamilton, Texas, G. w. Paschal, Texas,
Lorenzo Sherwood" Henry q. Cole, Ga,
g. w. Washburn, Ga, John b. Kelso Mo-,
]. w. MeCurg, Mo-, G. W. Anderson, Mo-,
F. J. BENJAMIN, Mo-, J.C. Underwood Va,
Durham Wardwell, Va, Lewis Mckenzie, Va,
John b. Troth, Va. J. NJ. Stewart, Va,
WIN. NJ Berkeley, Va, Allen G. Harmon, Va,
J. w. Hunnicutt Va, Alex. NJ. Davis, Va,
Geo. Reese, Ala, ID. II. Bingham, Ala.
| M. j. Stafford, Ala, Byron Latin, N. c.,
| ID. X. Goodloe, N. c., ]. III. LarcnInbe, Ala,
James Getty, Tenn.