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

hero6y Ee6pecBtuk4y Eek4ut5bcu 20 sIcCA.sA
submit to this State, or the Legislature
thereof, q final splan fori the adjustment of
State and Federal relations, by the terms
whereof representation IN Congress viii be
restored, and all other Unconstitutional bone-s
fits assured as6I3ftaA yft ISL alA41e ist
!. Resolved, further, That the Governor be,
and he is hereby requested to commnnicate
a.copy, of these resolutions to- the President
of the Senate and Speaker of the House. of
Representatives, with request that they.
will, lay the same before their respective
houses Of Congress e3 ass3 F4s sssss q ssi
Is - = -. 80
I.etfer, Of Hon. w. r. Harris. l
Is JAcKsoN, March ~, 1867. I
s. GEsrLrMRN ~ proceed to reply briefly
to your letter. of the 9th. inst, requesting
my views of the course of action proper to
be adopted in regard TO the recent act of
Congress providing for the government of
the Southern States ~ al.,45~- --At.l 5.:=as.
It's to be observed that the act Of Con-
gress does not leave either the 'extensionof
the right of suffrage or the disfranc chisement
of certain class of the white citizens Of the
State to depend ON our consent. Both these
results are accomplished by the act and are
not demanded of us as CONCESSIONS. The
civil government existing here is declared
| to be without authority, except to the extent
that it may be permitted to exercise its func-
| lions as an instrument of administration, by
the district commander. This precarlous
existence cannot be continued without o
resort to elections and these elections must
conform to theprinciples Of the act as to quail
| fications for suffrage, and these qualifications
| involve the dsfranchisenent OF portion OF
the white citizens, and the extension OF the
right to vote to all others without regard to
race or color. Therefore whether we consent
or not, no civil government cam be created
or protracted here, without conforming to
the principles of the act Of Congress in these
respects. Negro suffrage, therefore, must
be regarded as one of the conditions on
which we are to have civil government here.
The reorganization of the State Govern
ment under the provisions of the law Will
linevitably take place. i If the white citizens
of the State whose rights are still preserved
to-. them, (and they comprise the great mass
fofourwhite male population1 should deoline
to cooperate in the measures which shall be
taken to organize civil government here here
| their refusal to actwiil be virtual surren-
der of the civil power into the hands Of
those who will surely employ it to perpet'
Iuate their powersby further prescriptions
cannot, after the most anxious consideration
OF the subject, perceive how any of the owls
ofthis law can be averted by or how any good
can possibly result from silent inactlon on
| the part of those who still retain their poht
ical rights . on the contrary, it seems to me
| that such course would be attended With
| the most injurious consequence Even Il u
should be supposed (and the supposition. II
| in my opinion wholly unwarranted) that, bJ
refusing to recognize in any manner the au
/ thority of Congress, we might delay or pre-
| vent the organization of civil government
! here we must continue to live under a form IN
/ of government the most odious and oppres
siye to which mankind have ever been sub
1 iected, and with all its seventies aggravated
| to us by our attitude of sullen hostility t.
| the viii of Congress las tss,s4~ qa3 4
4 AS the propriety of seeking redress in th'
Supreme Court has been suggested IN som'
i quarters, i take the occasion to say, there i
4 no power in the Supreme Court at the III
I stance of the State to prevent the law from
j taking effect II do not see how, the Stat
i Government can make 9 case ,for. jHdicia
I action, which can only be invoked in, eontre
4 versies about property rights, or at ieas
rights and questions, which are rot parei'
political. The power of recognizing the ex
Iistence of a State Government has, by tina
| Court, been held to be 8 political, and not !;
i judicial question and to pettain to Con
4 eresa:: and although CONTROVERSY ma.
|. !, arise in which that Court may. be called o.
| to decide the validity. Of some Of the power
conferred on the military commanders, it j
4 matter Of grave doubt whether II will eve e
j venture to declare the political status Of tn
II existing government here, or any that ma!
hereafter succeed it; and should the Cour
'Iyentnre hereafter to do SO, its ecision wonl'
NOT be respected, and it would have no pow
j er to enforce it, S s.eI. ~ .sof e.tf4
J with these views yiiee vs. Of our situation, AM
4 under the painful conviction that no fay9I
able change can be reasons looked for j
the policy Of the Governments at Washing M
ton, think it is the duty of those. who still
4 retain their political rights, 70 take a
active. part in all elections under the ney let
order OF things, and to giyetoI the sufferip
people of the State the full weight Of thel
Influence in creating and controlling th
...l lGovernment nn5er which they are destilnrff in
Ito live. LIDO not know where the power t
fbcali State Convention will be, placed j a
that matter is still under discussion in Coz
!. gress. When the. call shall be made, il ongh
! to be responded to BY every white voter I
the State 5fri ssa5aspg 5F!f aLs s..saI1
q les,aI Respectfully, yopr obt sery'ts u
: ~ s,Ia nsofl saassWa,IP HARRIS
Ito Messrs. pbinson. Allena b Helm ~
fl rfssiding ytatice Ieoofnafd, Of tae saprsm
, tICodrt, decides that United states legal tel
der notes are in law none and as such b
lliable to taxation 8 : 80. 5 -. g 5
Il ThedistIneuiahing fsatrre cf fthsnsH d
Il Regulating the tsifurspfofaie is Id aheg pr
] vision which hpretenfs the removal Of an ca1
2 jinet aaaeer without theconsent pfithea se'
~ A s. A