The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1867-11-27
THE ALABAM, CONVENTION.

lhe' Mobile Ilmes ana Otner papers
have for weeks been describing or
rather denouncing, this convention as
exclusively composed of unprincipled
Yankee adventures, seal
awags, rencgades, niggers, &C., | spare
you some other epithets as too strong
for your type and | have just read in
a perfectly reliable Northern paper
(thc New York Worldly that "the
Radical delegates are of such utterly
unknown anteccdents, and so untirely
unrecognizable, even by n,me, that in
publishing General Popc's order which
contains full list of their names and
pseudo constituencies, the Montgomery
Mail omits that section, with the fol-
lowing remark:
"The delegates are wholly unknown
to the people of Alabama, and as the
publication of list Of their names
would be of no interest to our readers
at this time, we omit them"
"Alabama," continues the World,
"is the heaviest cotton producing State
in the Soe,th, and weshall watch with
interest the process of its restoration to
peace and prosperity by three score
and ten nonnentities and a dozen and a
half of blacks"
Under the impressions such articles
are calculated to produce, | have at
tended two sessions yesterday and to-
day. of these "tl,rce score and ten
noacntities aud II dozen and half OF
blacks" with the following results
in the way of impressions and intor-
nation.
The convention is held in the hall
usually occupied by the Lower House
of the Legislature Of Alabama.
The delegates are one hundred in
number, and sixteen are freedmen
The seats having been been drawn by
lots, the members are, of course, seated
irrespective of color. As | looked al
them | could not but reflect that be.
helda magnificent exhibition ofpoeti,
and retributive justice, for these mel
now occupy the place where sat but
seven years ogo the proud, defiant
Confederate Congress that made slave
ry the Keystone of their arch Of gov
ernment.
As to the general aspect and BEARING
ofthcse men, my first impression wa,
also my last. \ more earnest, scrio,l.
and orderly tlclibcrativc, body / have
never seen, and this impression is con
frmel by the general admission il
Montgomery, that they are a mucl
bettcr-,'ooking set of men than the Ala
bama Legislature.
OF the eighty-tour whites, twenty
two are Northern men who havc taker
up their residence in the State sing,
the war. The remainder are all old
citizens.
| made special inquiry as to theii
various callings and social positions,
and found that among them were:
Nine members of former Alabama
Legislatures.
Eight present or formcrjudgcs ofva
rious courts of the State.
Twelve lawyers.
Scrcn officers and sisiecn non-com'
missioned officers and priratcs ot'thc reb-
e army.
Six physicians all number OF
planters, merchants, &c.
The president of the Convention is
the Hon. Il. w. Peck, for forty years
resident of Tuscaloosa, formerly
Chancellor of the State, recognized as
possessing ono of the first legal minds
in the country, and a man of unblem-
ishcd purity Of character.
Among the rebel officers is Major
Semple lawyer by profession, and q
graduate of Cambridge law School
who for some time commanded tho
artillery in Clcburne's division and
distinguished himself at Chickamau-
ga.
/ made the acquaintance ofand con-
vcrsed with some twenty members
Judge Peck, Major Semple, Judge
Martin, Mayor Horton, Messrs. Scat;
ford, Griffin, Kcfier, Miller, and 9TH
ers, and found them far from being
nonentitics.
On Yesterday General Pope arrived
from Atlanta, and ivited toa seat il
the convention. He made short adj
dress, strongly marked by good sense
and indicating a high order Of abilit,
i hear on all sides praise from tn,
loyal-and admission from the rebel'
as to the produce, energy, and moder-
alton Of his administrator in Gcorgi;
and Alabama.
Although only at their second and
third days session, with very few
members familiar with parliamentary
usages, the Convention dispatched
business rapidly, and appeared to un
dcrstand that their real work was to b.
done in committees. ..I
Ifthis convention is a fair index ant
exponent of the conventions to be helt
in the nine other Southern States, it il
risking but little to say that their in
tclligcncc, honesty and ability vii
soon silence misrepresentation ant
Pedestrian!sm.