American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-10-05
LETTER FROM IvnRNoR w. L.
9EAkEY.
An Able Eeriev the NeconsiFuctiOn
Laws of CGngre send an EnrDcst and
Eloquent sEsrofesagaiurf their Ratih-
cation by the Pea, of Mtssissippi.

!. You have kind communicated to
Il me the united VIII of yourself and
other citizens of bur vicinity, that |
II should address tispublE through the
press on the subiG of demonstration
d under the Congressional plan. The
3 subject is one ofgteat Importance,
y not only as it RECALLS the present,
but the future alSoknd it has re-
celved the most DELIBERATE and i'm
partial reflection thai l was able to
bestow upon 1t. Whilst l know
There are some of ar citizens who
honestly differ with me, yet | have
sufficient contidencan the correct
ness Of my position Ind the correct
ness of the reasons d which it was
taken, to be quite Wiling to submit
them to the test of lblic scrutiny.
That i am in favG of a just aud
honorable restoration of the Union
az it was formerly, lone will doubt
who know snytbina OF my antece-
people OF the State, through -aftnra-
given them by the President; and
had the question been permitted tO
rest there, our condition would now
be very different; we should have
had state OF harmony we need
never expect to attain. The plan
adopted, however, did not suit the
radical party. Our members were
first excluded from their seats, and
then what are known as the mill
tary reconstruction bills were passed
by body which ought never to have
been recognized as the Congress- of
the United States.
1t is not surprising that q portion
of q people impoverished, depressed,
bearing all the burthens of govern
ment, but deprived of all its bless
ings, and even of equality under it,
should have at FIRST manifested
willingness to aCquiesce in any meas.
ures which seemed to hold ont even
"a delusive hope of relief. When
they shall have had ample time and
opportunity to reflect, l ask them to
pause and consider what may be the
effect of carrying out their hastily
expressed opinions, and then to adopt
that course which their deliberate
iudgmept NAV dictate
In discussino tbis question. il is
necessary in the outset to correct a
falIacv which has hoen urpnd nv
some who. still cling 10 tbe eSnloded
idea of the riobt Of secession mas.
much as they profess to find in it
sort.or a Modification of tbeir former
course, And Lbis false theory NAV
have had a very extended Influence. |
Ii has been said in somn Of fine NIB |
lie prints and elscvhere. that we had |
A riqht TO sacede wa did secnde and !
become n separate and foreign ma
ton, and being conquered. we ore
boun} 20 submit to whatever terms
the conquGr0r may think proper to
impose on rs. The truth of the premi-
ses, to-wit: that We had right to
secede, we did secede. and become a
foreign nation, has never been ad-
mitted save by few very extreme
at the North who have
adopted this theory to Justify their
and unconstitutional acts.
On the contrary, in more than TWEEN
y instances the several departments
If Federal government, Executive,
legislative and Judicial, have recog-
llzed the Southern States as having
always been in the Union. View
onqnered, then, as a part of the
mon, and not az foreign nation; =,
hat question was settled by the war.
But suppose it were true that we !
ad right to secedc, did secede, I
nd become p separate nation. the
onclusiOn attempted to be drawn |
hat we are bound to submit to such L
erms as the conquerors may think
roper to impose on us, is most fatal. a
Y erroneous. Such q theory had an I
Xistencc in Ee dark and barbarous t.
ses of the-woW, when the conquer "
r claimed the right to enslave or a
i'll the eaptiyeS at pleasure, but it r
as been exploded among civilized h
atoms for many centuries; and he II
iust be hard pressed or miserably W
Efficient in Information who urges d
Ich a doctrine at the present dav, s
specially as applicable in limited s
Overnment. The consequence of o.
conquest, after peace has a.
zen restored, is simply this: the o
Oyernment of the cououeror super it
,des and takes the place of the GOV ri
'nmeut of the cOuauered. eycent so al
T SIS the connueIiug power NAV 81
aru7it tba Iars or +ja ooro,,o,aJ h,