The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-04-12

government, IN the State Of Georgia,
against certain surveyors acting in
defiance of the Federal authority, be-
cause he understood that they were
ordered so to act by their State Gov
eminent and believed themselves
bound to obey the command.
This petition sets forth that the pas
sage of the Ordinance of Secession
was simply an attempt of ''aportion of
the people" of the State to withdraw
from the Union, though it is record
ed truth that this portion expressed
the voice of nineteen twentieths, that
there was, indeed, no Union party in
the State, and that the parties to the
contest which existed, differed, not as
to the propriety of Withdrawing from
the Union, but as to the time when
the act should he performed So unan-
imous was this sentiment that,
/ throughout all her borders, there was
not a voice heard to utter a contrary
/ opinion In the Convention chosen
| by the people to declare the position
+ of the State, there were but few who
voted against the Ordinance of Seces-
sion, and it was signed with even
/ greater unanimity.
How unfortunate, then, the plea that
/ this was not the act of Mississippi in
her sovereign capacity. 1t is unfortu-
nate, because it violates the truth of a
/ history Of which she should not be
ashamed, and because it bears the APP
/ pearance of an attempt on her part to
avoid the consequences of her failure,
in her political capacity, by throwing
them upon a class of her citizens
whose crime, if crime they committed,
consisted in their prompt obedience to
her commands and willing sacrifices in
her cause.
We repeat what we have before said,
that evasions and subtcrfuges like
these, doing violence to the truth of
history and injustice to a portion of
our citizens, may bring dishOnor upon
the State, but can afford no permanent
relief from the consequences of the
loss of her cause and her subsection
to the authority of the Uuited States.
The petition sets forth that '.the said
Estate of Mississippi admits that, by
"the wrongful act of a portion Of her
"citizens and the neglect of the Fed
"eral authority 70 protect the loyal,
cher government become temporarily
''disorganized in reference to its rela-
.'tions to the federalgovernment but she
''claims that the evil has been correct
led in a proper manner by her people. "
If this confession results in defeating
the execution of the Military Bill, the
people of the State will pay dearly for
their exemption from its penalties, Sc
we're as they are. 1t is not only an adj
mission of crime in the commission OF
an act which they believed to be right !;
but it is really an arraignment of the
federal government for not extending
its protecting hand to deserters and
other persons disloyal to the State,
over the slain bodies of her heroic
sons.
Our fate has indeed been a hard one
1t was bad to be compelled, as a con
quered people by direction of Presi
dent Johnson, to revoke our Ordi
nance of Secession ard to declare the
abolition of institutions which consti
tuted the basis of our political and so
cial organization. 1t VIII be baC
enough to be compelled to accept tn,
rigorous provisions of the RecOnstruc
ton Bills of Congress; but these acts
being in conformity to the demand:
of government which by the decision
of the tribunal of war, has acquired
the power to rule over us, affix nc
stain upon the honor of our State
But when she comes forward yolunta
rily to disavow her solemn and deliOe
rate acts-to charge them upon por
ton of her citizens, and to hold then
up as scape goat for confessed trans
| gressions; when she goes even fur
Their and proceeds with mock indig
nation to censure the Federal govern
ment for not more speedily reducing
her to subsection, she casts a blot o.
iufamy upon her name, which neither
tears of repentance in after years, MOI
the apology of sympathizing friends
nor the magnanimity of generous
foes, can erase.
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