Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1867-12-04


color between persons travelling in public
! conveyance. Which caused great excite
ment. Several black delegates delivered
infamatory speeches, demanding entire So
cial equality, and the right to ride in sleep
ing cars, &c. Two whites favored the
amendment, Messrs. Griffin and Keffer
making violent speeches, aud after heat
ed and protracted debate, the subject was
postponed until Monday next,
SIC. 3.-All persons before registering
must take and subscribe the following
oath; st "a
! l., de solemply swear (or affirm)
that ! will support and maintain the Con-
stitution and laws of the United States,
and the Constitution and laws Of the State
of Alabama; that | am not excluded from
registering by any of the causes mentioned
in section I'd Of this Article; that | will
never countenance or aid in the accession
Of this State from the United States that
| | accep: the civil and political equality OF
all men, and agree moi to attempt to deprive
any person or persons, on accouI: OF race,
! color, or previous condition, of any politi-
cal or civil right, privilege or immunity,
enjoyed by any other class Of men; and,
furthermore, that | will not in any way in
/ jure or countenance in others any attempt
/ TO injure any persons on account of past OF
present support Of the Government of the
United States, or the principle of the polit-
ical and civil equality of all men, or of affil-
iation with any political party.
Another section provides for negro
militia, governors staff, etc
The Springfield (Hass.) Republican, a
"loyal' paper says
The decision of the Alabama Convention
for the extreme policy of disfranchi.ement
and prescription will confirm the general
opinion that the present experiment in re-
construction is failure. The minority
report on the franchise, which was almost
unanimously rejected, provided for the dis
franchisement of the citizens "who shall
have been convicted of treason, perjury,
bribery forgery, or other high crimes or
misdemeanors, which may be by law de-
clared to disqualify him." aud required of
the voter oaly an oath to support and obey
the Constitution Of the United States and
of the State of Alabama, and to defend the
! Union. The majority report disfranchises
not only ex-rcbcls, but all who will not
swear TO approve and sustain negro suf-
! frage This viii exclude from the ballot
and from office the entire white population
of the State, with the exception Of few
northern settlers-for not all these are for
negro sufiragc-and the few radical white
Alabamians. The prescription is more
sweeping than anything heretofore or else
where proposed, for it not only makes past
loyalty condition Of suffrage, but present
support of a measure that has just been
voted down in several leading Republican
States Of the North. And if Alabama is
made Republican State for the present
. by such means, it will be only to be more
inveterately against US the moment power
Is restored to the whites; for it surely will
/ be restored to them; the people will not
support standing armies to keep minority
in power in any State, To say that this
policy will not do and mus, be stopped is
to state the case very mildly. Congress
and the Republican party cannot allow it
to proceed, without certain and deserved
ruin. 1t is in defiance of all the Iecogniz.
cd principles of popular government and
of the profcssed principles of the party, and
its consequences can be nothing but per-
petual discord and ruin in the South. The
division in the Alabama Convention on
the suffrage question is significant Of that
which must occur throughout the whole
country if this thing is allowed TO grow and
ripen. The northern soldiers who have
settled 10 Alabama and the more intelli.
gent of the white natives in the convention
voted against the proscriptive policy; The
bureau officers, northern and southern rad
ical politicians aud negroes voted for it.
The constitution adopted by the Conven.
ton will of course be nominally adopted by
the people; for onl y the negroes will vote,
the whites knowing their inability TO defeat
it, and preferriDg to put the whole respon.
sibility on Congress. And upon Congress
that RESPONSIBILITY will rest. Ifsuch con-
stitution as the Radical Convention is now
sure to make is imposed upon that State,
Congress and the Republican party must
be responsible for the consequences. The
course reconstruction takes in Alabama is
an admonition upon the general subject
Shallow politicians chuckle over the idea
that all is made secure for the presidential
election. If the votes Of the ten Southern
States are given to the Republican candi
date through process which excludes the
white population from voice in that elec
ton. Are they quite sure of this, and vii
an ascendancy maintained by such mean:
last? The mere apprehension of such con
sequences from the Congressional scheme
of reconstruction has reduced majorities ir
the Republican States, what, then, will be
the result when the apprehended conse-
quences are more than realized? And yet
with such dangers impending, men wht
assume to lead the Republican party at
tempt to divert public attention by silly
talk about plots of the President to sub
vert the Constitution and overthrow Con-
gress. ...
The attempt now to Afrcanize the Soutl
has turned the attention of the white mel