Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-12-13

ALABA1IA RECOSsTRUCTESG. en-
tire American people have looked with
natural interest to the Reconstruction
Convention for Alabama, which has just
closed its session at Montgomery. In
the same room where six years ago the
Confederate Rebellion in behalf Of hu-
man bondage was organized into q pre-
tended national government, were as
sembIed one hundred representatives. Of
the people Of Alabama who love liber-
EY and the Union, euEaEed in ths first
EFFORT to construct q State government
on the basis Of the political equality Of
all men, Among them were sixteen
legislators who were formerly slaves.
The coincident Of place, between the in
auguratiOn Of the C0nfedsEacys whose
cornerstone was Slayery3 and Of the
Reconstruction policy, whose corner
stone is Equality, is one Of the most
significant In history. The Convention
was regarded By the Conservative party
- Alabama with an eifOrt at Contempt,
which utterly failed, for want of any
thing IN the proceedings Of the COnTen-
ton to which the contempt even Of its
enemies could attach 8fter 1t had
adopted a suffrage policy so liberal TO-
ward the rebels as to disarm all erltl-
cism, the only hope Of the Conservatives
was to force the question Of color on the
Convention in some EN- bRrrassing form.
4
riers throughout the State to make no
distinction or separation in the convey
ance of black and white passengers was
referred to the Judiciary Committee.
An ordinance providing separate
schools for white and colored children
was voted down by s. to q, and instead
thereof q section was adopted declaring g
that the Board Of Education should
provide one or more schools in each dis
triet, at which all the children Of the
E said district should attend. This leaves
E to the Board Of Education in each Dis
/ trict to decide whether black and white
I shall be educated in the same or differ
+ ent schools. A Bureau Of Industrial
Z Resources for collecting and publishing
/ statistics calculated to promote the bus
mess of the State and encourage ln1I1l
I grafton has been pEs sd and we 2e
Z {. a7zaiar and c7osq 5TuaEgles hnaIIy voted
f to make an jcrcL9efaI offices in the Stat
j elective. An ordinance to prohibit mar
/ riaQes between white and black wa
1 defeated. The statement that Genera
1 Pope had written letters urging tn
+ Convention TO close its proceedings as
I soon as possible, If true, probably IN
4 dicates only the anxiety of tht Office
for an early submission Of its work t
! the people, so that the State may appl7
Z for admission to Congress during tn
i present session. We have received tn
1 thirtY-tWO first sections Of the prOposei
Constitution, which is now complete
They are framed with care and ability
and contain nothing Of which an,
friend Of Union and liberty viii disap
i prove On December 5, the Convention
by vote Of 81 yeas to 10nays, adopted
ed the Constitution, and by a vote Of 8
yeas to I3 nays, provided for its sub
mission to the people,
/ The vote for and against the Consti
. Il H-@- N VaH7
Officers and Representative in Congress
/ viii be held on the 4th Of February
Il 1868, under the orders of the Command
ing General of the district, all return
to be made to the President Of the Con
/ ventiOu, who will Issue certificates c
/ election to the candidates elected. Tn
latter will enter on the duties of thei
offices as soon as the State shall be ad
mitted into the Union, At the propose
/ election all adult male citizens, with
/ out distinction OF color, viii vote, eE
cept those who, having previously tax
en- an official oath to support the Con
stitutiOn of the UDiled States violate
their oath by joining in the Rebellion
/ Even these may. vote if they have aide
reconstruction proposed by Congres
! and accept the political equality of al
men before the law. Seventeen men
bers of the Convention voted and pro
tested against the Constitution. If
majority of the registered electors
Alabama shall vote, and if a majorit
of those who shall vote for the Const
tuition thus adopted, there can be n
doubt of the loyalty Of the State gO7
ernment and Members Of Congress VIII
will be elected under it. There seem
to be every prospect, therefore, that th
State of Alabama will be represente
in the present Congress, and viii
ready to vote at the next Presidenti'
election. The Alabama Convention
, entitled to the gratitude of the cOuntT
for the earnestness and prOmptness
has displayed in the work of ReeoI
struction, and we hope the Convention
of other Southern States will displs
equal business ability and dispatch.
N. Y. Tribune.