Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-10-26
For fAe De, Are Ctizen.l

MR. EDITOR :---1n your Issue of the 18th, I notice call on me, signed, "Many Voters" to become a"No CoN- vExrIox CANDIDATE" to represent the County, should the State call conven- tion. Gentlemen, accept my thanks for the honor thus conferred, and kindly permit me to decline willing com pliance with your request, in favor of the action of the Convention to be held in Brownsville on the 2Sth inst, for the purpose of nominating candidates, to run in opposition to a State Conven- ton, but, to serve, if elected, and Con- vention called; besides am no peli- tician, or aspiraut for pelitical prefer ment get, as yoer call has suggested it, will, if you will grant me ycur in- diligence, submit come views, briefiy bearing on the issues now before us, trusting they may meet your views al- ready matured, as I entertaip no hope of my ability to alter the preconceivcd opinions of any one
 In my opposition to call for Con vention, am in my own estimation, fnlly justified and sustained in the be- lief that, no necessity exists, nor can any conceivable good arise to the peo- pie, from it's action, nor is any good contemplated to us by those in power, who have originated the issue of Coa- vention or No Convection For my self, and with an honest purpose. keep ing constantly in view, the welfare of our unhappy people, and looking with nay short sight into the dark recess of the future, can, I think, define the purpose of the party in power to be first, thu ough the medium of this Con- vention to force the State of Arkansas together with all other States of the South iMte recognition of the United States Constitutional Amendment, as passed by the Rump Congress, thereby prccipitating our already unhappy and distressed people into the most dis honorable concessions yet made, more to gratify the most loatllsoiMe and malignant spirit of hatred and revenge, than in any way, to promote our pros perity; you may consequently thea ask; how caa this be? will answer that, through the necessity that will be upon us, or ELEvATING THE POLITICAL STATUS or THE NEGRO TO AN EQUALITY WITH THE POOR WHITE MAN. To this I am dia,netritally and posi- lively opposed, and never will I con- ccde to so great aa error as virtually to affirm that black is white, or that right is wrong, or in any way to attempt to alter or amend the 'ways of God to man." But, you may say this will not be incumbent on the Convention should the State call Convention and fail to recognize this clause, then will it's action be void and of no effect, be- cause of.its failure to conform to the most prominent feature and incentive that actuates those who exact it of us, leaving tho only result of an additional burden of taxation on the poor man to support such folly.
 Many reason that, it is incumbent on us to conform to this rule of action such reasoning is but absurdity, and those who thus reason, should their views be sustained, will soon regret in bitterness of soul, the consequences oi such inefTable folly, folly that will eventuate in dishonor, because it re- cognizes as a self-evident fact that, Providence has decreed in error, and as such it behooves us to use every means in our power to defeat and trust for ever put at rest so unreason- able an effort.
 Again, gentlemen, with Q view to a refutation of the argument so often ad. duced by those who advocate the call ofa Convention &c., that is, that unI. less we conform to this order that del. egates will be appointed by our Militia " Governor from each county to frame Constitution for us, and in conformi. ty to the wishes of the Radical party, (still more absurd) thereby imposing upon us exactions and penalties even greater than heretofore; meaning, presume, cenfiscation, etc. Be this as it may, their purposes are already ma tured and fixed, and no action of ours, however humiliating it may be, will in any way effect their purpose or miti. gate their intended severity. All that we can do is to lend our assistance to no end or aim that will eventuate in our dishonor, but stubbornly refuse to drink when the poisoned chalice is placed to our lips. But the most po- tent lever in their hands is, that it will in the event of our refusal, entail upon us uonRIp MILITARY GOVERNMENT This argument may alarm the timid, producing apprehensions and distrust be not deceived, nor allow shhe imagin' ary horrors incident thereto to inter- rupt the even tenor of your lives. The only inconvenience incident thereto are now with sis; Gen. Ord is now exer- cising the functions of Military Gov ernor, and you as myself, have occa- sion to rejoice and congratulate our selves that we are thus favored in the rule of one who has proven himself thus far, both just and humane. These then are briefly my reasons for oppos- ing the calling Convention.
 The public mind is inflated with the belief of an existing necessity, on our part to do something to secure rep resentation &c; the inquiry would naturally arise as to what that should