American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-11-27
The Southern Convention

The delegates from the genuine DemN
ocarcy of the South, who are already en>
gagged in or will soon attempt the task OF
framing for their respective States con
stitutions based ON Manhood and loyalty,
undertake that responsibility under great
Disadvantages. Most OF them are poor
aud hitherto obscure men who utterly lack
familiarity with | gislative proceedings
aud constitutional history; some are of
tile despsed, destested Black race, aud
have scracaly learned TO read, having
been fiell-hands, to instruct whom was
felony by statute not three years ago. -
They are watched with uuconcealed con
tempt and mailguity bya large majority of
the old Planting ArstUcarcy aud its legal,
mercantile aud clerical satellites, who ex-
pect to overthrow, On the heel OF the next
Presidential election, the government now
to be erected, aud replace them by sub
stititules of their own construction, based
on the assumption that Blacks have no
rights that Whites are bound to respect.
Ga the side OF the Aristocracy is nearly
the entire Press - able, unscrupulous, ami
uveuoned-and nearly all who send tel.
egrams to Norlhren Journals Of course,
the 80 called ''DegrO governments must
expect to have all they do misrepresented
to tIreir prejudice, aud very much evil
charged to them and believed in which
they never thought Of Judging by what
has been. they expect to find themselves
charged with nil manner ofevil deeds aud
purposes, even in the columns OF journ
ais which would treat them fairly it they
could
We entreat the Southren conventions,
therefore, to eschew carefully even the
appearance, of evil, and especially what
ever might seem to SAVIOR OF revenge or
prescription. Make Equal Rights for All
Citizens your cornerstone, and bury IN
oblivion whatever is hateful in the past,
while taking the amplest security against
oppression in the future. Dissapolnt
those who predict new Civil War as the
result of Black Enfranchisement, and pill!
proof upon proof that Universal Justice
is enduring Peace. Show the world that
you comprehend the exigency, aud can
read the lesson involved in the fate of the
late aristOcracy, who, in seeking to extend
and strengthen Slavery, destroyed it. The
assured predominance Of Repub Iican
principles alike at the South aud at the
North, imperatiyely requires that the
Freedmen should prove safer, discreeter,
more competent repositories Of power
than their late masters did.
We believe the Conventions will be
fully justified in exactiug of every voter
a promise or oath that he will not hence
forth seek to dsiranchise the Blacks
Liberty and Equal Rights for All being
the corner stone Of the new political ed>
ifce erected on the downfall of Secession
aud Slavery, it may be we'll to qu;et APP
prchenslon, preclude danger, and "tdke a
bond Of fate" by such requiremeuta--
And this, we are confident, win sotfce
No condscation, no spoliation 10 ven
geance let the changes be 50 many as
are requisite to secure aud maintain
Equal rights and there stop. Let The
changes be lew and persqicuuus, though
far reaching; let the Constitutions he as
briet and simple as may be. and as near
ly like those they superccde as is cousis,
tent with the great end of making each
of them Gibraltar of Human Liberty
Then let the work be consummated at
the carlies. practicable moment, and let
every State be fully represented in Con
gress before the lst of March Our en-.
cmies assert that we wish to keep The
South out Of Congress lot US show them
how utterly they are mistaken Aud, as
each resumes her proper position, recon
structed and regenerated, let the auspi
cious event be dtiy hoUorei in every
State of the Union ~ T. Tribune