The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1867-02-14
THB WEEKLY CLARION
The New plan.

have, in connection with the President,
concocted a new plan of reconstruc-
ton, is assuming somewhat anthem
tic and definite shape. The bill which
the Legislatures of the South are ex-
pected to pass, has been telegraphed
to the leading northern prints, and
which summed up amounts to about
this: 80
No Stste has a right to secede, nor
has the Federal Government the right
to reject State, or deprive it of rep
resentation in Congress; the Federal
war debt to be paid, but the Confeder-
ate never 60 be reco gnized by the gov
eminent or States, all persons born
or naturalized in the United States and
subject to it's jurisdiction, shall be cit
liens, and shall have the rights and
immunities of the same in all the
States, representation must be based
on numbers; but when State eX-
cludes any of it's population on account
of race or color from voting, then
those excluded shall not be counted
in the basis of representation. The
article proposed to be Incorporated as
part of the State Constitution declares
every male citizen in the State a year,
and six months in the county immedi-
ately preceding an election, and who
can read the Declaration of 1ndepen-
dence and the United States Constl-
tuition in the English language, and is
the owner of two hundred and fifty
dollars worth of taxable property,
shall be entitled to vote, and no per
son who has heretofore voted shall be
excluded from voting. ..-
Another feature Of the scheme is to
submit to the Southern Legislatures
the proposition to disfranchise only
the prominent men engaged in the re
bellion from holding any office under
the Federal Government, the disability
to be removed only by vote of two
thirds of each house of Congress
They claim that this will be more &C
ceptable to the South than the third
section of the pending constitutional
amendment, which, in addition, dis
franchises such persons from holding
any State office. If it is found that
that this, coupled with qualified suit
frage, can pass the Southern Legisla-
lures, the plan will be submitted to the
4Oth Congress on the day Of its organ
ization. In addition to the prominent
Southern men who engaged in this
movement, Howell Cobb has been tel
egraphed for and is now on his way to
Washington.
Anxious to see our section pushed
forward on the high road of prosper
ity, and knowing that it cannot be
done until our national differences are
adjusted, we have watched closely
every report touching the efforts OF
those whose time has been spent, du-
ring the past year, in a succession OF
pilgrimages to, Washington, and are
now free to say, after carefully consid-
ering the new scheme as it's chief fea-
lures are reflected through kilograms,
the project will not amount to much.
We would be glad to see our people
adopt any plan for the pacifcation OF
the country, consistent with honor to
themselves and duty to their section.
We want the political horizon bright
ened, but not at the expense of our
own degradation; we want the indus
trial interests of our section inspired
with new life, but cannot submit to hui
initiation in order to secure it. Aside
from the negro question, the PROPOSE
ton to brand our leaders with the
mark of infamy, by excluding. them
from office, unless Congress smiles
upon them with the summer of its pity,
must tumble the new platform to the
ground. Let our people be calm and
considerate, and if the new plan of adj
justment is found sufficient, after care
full scrutiny, for the Southern people to
stand upon, adopt it. Otherwise. to
quote the language Of Prentice, let US
faithfully abide by the Constitution,
and within, tive years the Northern
people themselves will recognize US as
EQUALS with the States of the North,
foriour rescue will be included in their
own preservation; but let us once
quit the Constitution. and go to traf-
ticking with the revolutionists in pow
er, and neither the South nor any other
section of the country Willeyer regain
the shelter of constitutional liberty in
the present generation at least. The
South is now the main hope OF the
Republic This is undo ubtedly strange,
but it is true. The South, dismantled
as she is, stands to-day the breakWater
of the very Constitution whose pro-
lection is denied to her. If she fails,
III s,or1,