The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1867-03-21

the South, uaQer exlsung clrcumstan-
ces, is actioh af tue mos iAsal charac-
ter. It will be the act ola person who
refnsesto escape from ahurning house
while its timbers ARE cracking With
the. deyouring element or the adt Of
ono who surrenders himself unresist-
ingly to the current which is sweeping
him onward to the yawning precipice
| below 81 8 r,vla sasa se sits asfis9s
Intbe case of this people, non. action
will be the execution of, their purpose
to acceptthernle Of q military dictatpr
from whose decision there Isl no appeal
anithe abrogation at his win of all the
| safeguardsasofs personal and epolitical
liberty, with an almost certain prospect
in the early future of general cenasca-
ton and Acknowledgement.
Youmay call .this' mastery iuHc-
tivity''non-act or whatever ebe you
please, but it is simply the reckless
resolve which plunges into irretrieva-
blesruiR 1t is sometimes said with a
loftiness of spirit which we respect, in
favor of this idea of nonsactfon, that
the South cannot without dishonor be
party to the disfranchisement and
disqualification for office, of a class of
her best and truest men. = But they
who are prompted by this feeling must
remember that the responsibility Of
DISTINGUISHING this meritorious class
cannot attach to the people Of the
South. Hhas already been accomplished
by the recent legislation Of Eongrssas
The law establishing military rule and
declaring our State governments
provisional" prohibits that class
from voting or holding office, These
disabilities soiHnot.5e removed until our
people u discreet action obtain control Of
their local governments, and voice in the
gorsrnnssat Of tie United States.
And so in the case Of negro suffrage.
The same legislation which 4afixes
political disabilities to class of white
persons places the ballot in the hands
ofthe negro. There is no escape from
the0evn consequences apprehended
but in the recognition of the inevitable
fact ana the proper direction Of orr
energies toturn it to the best account.
Lester Of Hon. VIM. Yerger.
s.f5f JACKSON, March IL, l967.4
Messrs, John W. Robinson, VIM. TT. Allen,
ThonasE Helm and others, ,,3..s 81; .sf.s
GENTLEMEN have just received your
communication of the 9Th inst addressed
to myself and others reqne sting an express
sion of our opinions asto the wisest course
to be pursued In view Of the heavy respon-
sibilities resting upon the Southern people,
since the passage of thenact of Congress es-
tablishing military governments. eyerthem.
1t would be presumpbuOus in me to indi-
cate, any as the wisest course to be taken, in
the present colditionl ofafairS yet asfmy
all is inyolyea In thesiissns;4 feel that-when
called upon to, speak, ], have. no right to
withheld frop1my old friends and 1neighbors
a candid expression of my opinions.
This question should be. decided by our
reason. 1T is too vital in its character to
be determined under the influence of pas
SION or TO be controlled by the dictates of |
prejudice The South needs quiet md re- !
pose. Our situation demands relief from |
further political agitation. Our people long |
for the restoration of permanent constitu-
tional government. -Four years of tlisas-
treus war have been followed by eighteen |
months Of agitati ion. uncertainty and doubt. |
To add to our political ills, deficient har-
vests IN every portion of the South. have
reduced many families to- destitution; and
that the last drop might not Be wanting, |
to canse the cup Of bitterness to
overflow, the sctsof the dominant party in |
Congress have eliminated in the passage of |
The sMilitary Bill striking down at one
blow all constitutional freedom. abolishing
the right of trial by Jury, suspending the
writ of habeas corpus, and placing our people |
under martial law, administered by asn1ilitaS
~ commander, with thes~an 3lufe and I'M
limited powers of an imperial despot. The
BxecutiOnof this law we are powerless to
resist by foreea No one advises or contem-
plates such, q course. - yxy - "a p "a Splj
Under these circumstances, the question
for our consideration is, not what we would
do. if left to free and untraninleled action,
but what can-Tweodo to- nitigste the evils
that enEirpa n. and to save. from the wreck
Of Constitutional government q few frag-
nents, whichin more atispicions day, may
enable our children to regain some of. the
blessings Of civil and political liberty which
their fathers have lost Before proeeeding i
TO express any opinion, as to the course
which the people shouldhbw take, il ii MsiI
to ascertain and ifpossiBi1 TO fealizs our ac-
t1fsi situation. = ssS.Ii94sK = sII19s9f&Kl
The close Of Ii, var found our people 60, in
almost actual anarchy. The State govern 4
fnsnts existing during the war had been i
oyerthrown.is Most of the Governors had
been arrested and imprisoned. The Legis. /
latnres were dispensed or forbidden to as-
Semhle, aud the civil officers were every
where pr0hibftsd the exercise Of any onfcial
The reign of thu soldier was
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