The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-03-03

specially, yours, 49,,
/ Ira r. Foster, r. p. Zimmerman
james +. Alexander, l.. $. Salmons,
| A, r, Reagan, William Herring,
1 John. Collier, H. H. Dawson,
1 l., G. Wells, j, A, Hayden,
Pr y. Pease, Joseph Thompson
w. r.. Vcnable, f. p. Watkins,
u. Il. Harmon, j. j. Thrasher, =
+. L. Mynatt, 4. w. j. Hill,
A. X. Seago, T., Hubert.
"a ATLANTA, Feb, 80, 1867
Gentlemen: / have the honor to aclknowl
edge the receipt of your kind and ilatternt
communication. While l do not pretenC
that Ipossess the influence you are PLEASED
to attribute to me, confess with profound
gratitude the obligations am under to tn,
people of Georgia, who have so often honor
ed me with their confidence; and have nevei
withheld from me any position for which
have been candidate, from the lowest tt
the highest within their gift.
You are pleased to address me as the "seh
tinel upon the watch tower" and you ask
me, what of the night" Were the senti
mel, l should unhesitatingly reply: The night
is dark, dreary, gloomy no rainbow of hope
spans the black impenetrable cloud that
overshadows us. Scarcely la ray of light Ii
seen upon its margin. But am not the
sentinel. l hold no public position at pres
ent imposing that responsibility, nor have
sought or held any since the war, nor do
ever expect to hold any in future.
/ have no power to control events. We're
it even the desire Of the people ofmy beloved
State to invest me again with official au-
thority, and my own wish to accept, there is
a power higher than their will, which will
deny my eligibility VI
l, therefore write, as indeed my custom is,
with perfect franknass, without regard to
the effect which the communication of
truth may have upon my present or future
popularity. am aware that the facts which
feel it my duty to communicate, are unac-
ceptable to the good people of Georgia, bnt
they are none the less facts on that account.
During my late sojourn in the City of
Washington, conversed freely with persons
high in authority in every department of
the Government, and with men of distinc-
ton of every shade Of political sentiment
which is represented there. was received,
as was Judge Walker of the Supreme Court
of this State, who accompanied me, with
kindness and courtesy My object was TO
learn the true state of affairs, and believe
succeeded. The result may be summed
up as follows: s
The party usually designated the "Radi-
cal party,is sustained by the majority of the
people Of the North. Tho Congressman of
that party are generally representative men
The Democratic party is not sustained by
the people of the North, and is not gaining
ground. As was always the case after sue
cessful war, the party in the government
which is set down as opposed to the war,
is unpopular.
The reconstruction policy of the President
Is 3 not sustained by the popular sentiment
OF I'M Ghe Tsrthern people.
President The breach is wide and the CON
test angry. They have over two-thirds in
zach branch of Congress, and have power to
pass any measure they please over his veto.
By this means they are constantly hedging
him in more closely, and limiting his power.
lie stands firmly by what he considers the
light, and avows his purpose to support the
Constitution, and maintain the just rights |
If the States under the Constitution. He |
till holds the doctrine that no State could |
II did 60 out of the Union, and that at the |
md of the war he had the right to recon-
truct republican governments in the insur-
dictionary States. They deny his power of
and contend, that as the
ower to make war is vested in Congress,
he power to make peace, and re-establish
tate governments in the States lately in
ebellion, rests also with Congress. They
re unit in denying the validity of the
tate governments formed under the direc-
ion of the provisional Governors appointed
y the President.
They are also unit in sustaining the con-
bitutional amendment proposed at the last
sssiOn as a basis of reconstruction. And
nee this has been rejected by the Southern
tates, they now unite in the determination,
rat no State government of the insurrec-
Il,
II each State has adopted the constitution
amendment, and Incorporated into its
constitution a guaranty Of anir~saI man
ood suffrage. They are, in my opinion,
SO a unit in their determination, SO soon
! three-fourths of the States which they
I'll loyal, by which is meaut, the States ,
presented in Congress, have ratified the ,
amendment to declare it
lopted, and to enforce their constructions !
his, they have the power to do 1t is |
erefore, fixed fact that the constitutions
amendment will be adopted in a very
ort time, as it was said when left Wash !,
gton, they lacked but single State and
was expected that more than one would
t very soon, ,,
Upon the above points there exists no d. /
sion of opinion which is worth notice in 7
Q Radical party. Just here, however, r
ore radical wing of the party, which is not {
nor is it at present sustained by O q
ljority of the people of the North, is for e
ting aside the present State Governments =
null and void, and declaring all a
is done under them void, except such as 4
ngress chooses to approve; as the repu- i,
ltion of our State war debts, the abolition Il
slavery by the States, &c, which they d
uld ratify. They also desire to place us n
der military government till State Gov ii
lments can be organized upon their plan. o.
the organization they wish to exclude, M
only from eligibility to office, but from u
, baliot-box and the Jury box, all persons ~ y
o voluntarily participated in the rebel n,
n, and to place the government of these n
ties in the hands of the few whom they a
loyal men among us and the freedmen, "
o as they expect, would form State Con- n,
iutions forever DISTINGUISHING us, and de- nj
wing us of all participation in the gov fe
ment, or in the execution of the laws. en-
} bills known as the military bill and the W.
Iisiana bill, which passed the House, en- m,
y substantially these measures. In adj ar
on to this, it is believed to be the nlti- m.
e design to cOnfiseate the property of the ov
tn for the payment of the war debt of the III
ted States, so soon as the popular mind wi
he North can be educated or excited TO ne
proper point and to obviate cOnstitu- In
al difficulties, If any are admitted to ex- of
by amendments comforting the necessary we
er when ratified by three-fourths of the tn
l States. This class is not believed to 7
large one at present, but five continue or
eject the terms proposed by Congress, it cal
lieved, it will grow rapidly in popular ant
T, in the Northern States, and that pol a
ans now disposed to be more moderate cha
be obliged to bend TO the storm. for
lie other wing of the Republican party, M M
d the moderate wing, do not desire to he
roy OF drive us from the country. They ado
' that commercial and general prosper anc
annot long continue, If the present diff the
es remain unadjusted, the labor and en- this
Of the South paralyzed, and that finan- our
1anic and great depression must be the Teri
late result. They, therefore, desire a l' s
sment Of the question. But they are rs a.
mined as the ultra wing in their opPo-
to the Presidents policy, and will, at 49,
yards, maintain the power Of Congress hi
the whole question Of adjustment. Gov
tell us that we complied with every com
rement made BY the Prcsi- Gov
whose Jurisdiction over the the
ion they deny, but when Congress, and
ssing As they claim, all power in the ativ'
ses, rendered ms the constitutional cenn
dment az a settlement, which they claim lnis
beral, when rendered by the conqurors III ~
conquered, we rejected it, and in their 70 a.