The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1867-01-31

dience remarked that before the days Of
secession the South had representation IN
Congress for thfee-fift1s Of their slaves, but
that now they were oil free, and under the
Constitution as IL now exists we are en-
titled to representation 9aa Il they were
all whites Can we ask as honest
men, that we shall 90 back into Con,
grees with larger representation than before
eecession--can We demand representation
tor one portion Of the freeman Of this State
and refuse them the right Of suffrage3 DO
You ask different rule of representation in
the National Congress from that which you
adopt tor yourselves ii your own State. Tho
Congress of the United States seven the
Radical party Of the North, proposes TO give
rselves-aAd say you shall not be allow
ed representation for the negro unless yon
allow him to vote. Il you would be sue
cessfnl you must be logical, and to be logical
you must be Just, and he asserted that ne
was willing to adopt an amendment to the
Constitution on just and logical gronnds--
stated that>we were now in the midst OF
revolntion--that gentlemen seemed TO think
that we were in the Union, but that we
were only surrendered people, awaiting
the. decisions Of our conquerors. Fhe peo-
plefof the North were preparing the condl-
tions, and If we treated them with contempt
we were not acting the part OF WISE
men. True, the President had offered
propositions but he was only the
Executive. Congress has proposed
an amendment to the Constitution OF
the United States. Sixteen of the Northern
States have already ratified it, and the 9TH
ers would follow in their train. True, ne
had objections to portions of the proposed
Constitutional Amendment, but 1t was now
question of diplomacy-we have TO meet
it--,tis not for us to decide. The march OF
radicalism is ever forward. Reverted to the
history of England in 1910, when the King,
Charles L was driven from his throne, tried,
convicted and executed by the Cromwell
Radicals, that for twenty years ruled as
with q rod of iron the fair land of Merry
England, and that rivited the chains OF
down trodden and suffering Ireland. Mr. A.
took the position that Thomas jefferson was
the first Radical this country had ever pro-
duced-that his ideas were cngrafted in the
Declaration of Independence, wherein he
declared /" that all men were created free
construed this to be applicable only to white
people, but those of the North assert that it
has reference to all persons without distinc-
ton of color. ssE1<s s k<5sS s3EEE
Jefferson asserted that taxation without
representation was tyranny" and again he
asserted that the march of the Radical party
is onward-they will sweep away all oppo-
sition-the fat has gone forth-the pro-
gramme has been written-you cannot. re-
sist it.
In reference to the first section of the pro-
posed Constitutional Amendment, Mr.. A. re-
marked that there was nothing in it that
has not been acknowledged by many of the
| best iurists in the land as the principles OF
| the Constitution itself. Referred to the po-
| litical history of Missouri and Illinois where
| the question was agitated, and said that
| Congress had now determined to settle the
| matter finally, and settle it upon the policy
of Henry Clay and other statesmen who adj
vocated similar doctrine to that expressed
| in the proposed amendment 1880
In regard to the 2nd section, Mr.. A. re-
marked, that it settled the question, that
| the States have the sole right to regulate
| suffrage within their own limits, and
as Southern man he would take all the
representation he could get under the
Constitution.
He was opposed to the 3rd section, not
because it was dishonorable-fo that IS
matter of taste-but we had drank the cup
of bitterness to it's very dregs already.
We were called upon to declare our former
slaves free. We did SO.
We were told we must repudiate our own
war debt. We have done it.
We accepted and acquiesed in all the con-
ditions imposed upon us by President john
son-took the amnesty oath-did not deem
it dishonor, but political punishment, and
he would tell the people of. the South that it
would be no dishonor to them to adopt the
3rd section, for it did not. take aMaylthe
right OF siaffrage from any person; 1T took
away only the right to hold Office
As to section 4, he was opposed to 1t, but
was willing to accept in q spirit of diplo-
macy. f ~ Il.
The people who have conquered us had q
right to demand that their war debt should
be paid and that the people subjngated
should assist in the payment Of the same
tits right all nations claim and there was
Justice in the same sss.,y
He would make no more concessions
would stand upon the platform that the
adoption of the amendment should be the
final settlement Of the matter at issue and
would wait until the North were willing to
make it finality.- E &&s8
He would send delegates to Congress to
aid the work of restoration. We should
have no feeling of contempt for the North ;
for the will of that Congress was the viii of
powerful nation-we are weak and they
are strong
He asserted that if the State of Mississip-
pi was not restored upon this basis it would
be restored by the ostracism Of every white
man, and the government given into the
hands of the negroes Northern people
were educating the negro for that very pur-
pose, far more was being done in this State
for the education of the negro. than for the
advancement of the white population, and
the negro educated viii rise superior to the
uneducated white man, even the children of
the present generation, said the cloud was
rising that five years ago, no man imagined
the present status of affairs-that radical