The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-01
THE ALABAMA STATE CONVENTION.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE Of TINE HERALD.


MONTGOMERY, ALA Nov. 10Th, 1857.
The Convention has got through another days labor
having held two unusually lengthy and proractcd
sions and transacted unusually limited amount Of
business Twaddle, twaddle, twadde, nothing but
twaddle has been the special order OF to-day the only
incident relieving in any way the wearsome and I'M
varying monotony OF bunkum having been an exciting
and interesting fight upon the minority report which
resulted matter Of course. In tho gnominous defeat
Of Colonel Speed and his small but reputable band Of
moderate men, The gallery thronged in the same
manner that IL yesterday, with odorferous and
many-shadsd crowd Of freedmen.
After the usual preliminary routine business had been
carried out. Judge Whelan succeeded getting the
door, and spoke hour in favor OF tho minority
report. He confined himself chiefly to the lega
aspects Of the question, and showed that the
majority report clearly ct variance with the
Reconstruction acts. under which the Convention had
assembled. The third clause which DISTINGUISHES all
who attempted defeat the constitution BY dscin
ing to VOTE he characterized . partisan dodge and
trick Of the meanest and most reprehensible kind.
Never since the formation Of tho government he said,
had man been threatened with Acknowledgement by
Of his failure to avail himself Of his privilege
freeman to exercise the elective franchise He warned
the Convention that II they adopted any such foolish
provisions in the constitution Congress would be
compelled to it The oath proposed by the ma
jority report alike unconstitutional and unwise,
since II forced the citizen TO that he would
at any future Time whatever exigenoes might arise.
change alter the constitution being framed in
such hot haste
Judge Peck. tho President Of the Convention, fol.
lowed, maintaining that tho majority report was just
wise and necessary Ho admitted that Il went beyond
the requirements Of the Reconstruction II tho letter
Of those acts alone consulted but no thought
adhered 70 their spirit and intent In regard
TO the oath he said that many Of the loyal
would take IL and break IT, He knew, however.
that the greater portion or tho who had engaged in
who had done from conviction and he thought they
would observe any oath which they consented to ake
The disfranchsipg clause. he said did not really dis
franchise any body; " men refused declined 10
they would disfranehiss themselves. Mr. Peck con-
cluded by saying that his motto and he believed also
Equality Of civil ana political rights without dis
tncson Of race or COLOR not only In the present but also
M Grin then moved that the minority report b. 70
jectsd by the Convention The vote-which Was OF
course taken oy ayes and IN
the strength Of the non-proscrptive and moderate
party resulted In the success Of the motion BY 70 to
TO- II noticeable that both the conservative negroes
made speech in favor Of the minority rsport-.votsd
o. Che nsasSss Win which they h.y: bssn srs.ssnsS
By ne cOlOrsd people Of hs cry Poor Lee whom bis
desk, and his name was therefore called
out . second time He then answered in . louder
tone. but with ptaby downcast and depressed air.
II he were ashamed, darkey a. he was, Of displaying
courage. spectator could Scarcely hsp sympatbSing
with him. and wishing that he had been allowed 70 koep
his gray wool remote from tho turmoil and dlsracting
Agtations OF politics. This incident Is but straw but
H points clearly the Inevitable result Of negro suffrage
The coorsd element now that IL is introduced into
political contests. will side as unit with the party that
promises it most
The remaining hour OF the morning session was spent
in the profitable task settling what order MAJOR
y report and the numerous substitutes and the
cradle amendments should be disposed OF. delegate
moved that the amendments be first taken up then the
substitutes and then the report, whsrsupon another
gentleman made an exactly opposite motion. Thsn
several motions were made by several gentlemen that
themselves proposed should come up nrs for discussion.
Finally the Convention got itself in 50 hopelessy
insxtxcsbly sntangsd in gordan knot Of parlia-
msntay substies that an adjournment until hsfpast
% O'clock was carried Ss; ss0 .son s
meantime attempt reduce the chaotic mass Of propo-
sitions on this question to something like order.
report should be taken the framework upon which
each delegate might embroder his own peculiar pro-
scrptivs srotchsI The substitutes WERE therefore, all
sbasdossd and their authors forced content thsm-
selves with simply amending the report Discussion
Is vc !. Z,
Convention to his opinions Of what it, true policy in
regard 70 suffrage ought 70 be. He said Congress had
~
scrptvs the recommendations Of tho report, and
Congress wise and stasssmanIiks and just, and
hand rebels ought to BE- dsfranchssd and the report
disfranchscd some rebels and consequently the report
was right what the gentlemen really thinks the best
Mr. Griffin, the Chairman OF the Franchise COMMITTEES,
then adlressed the Convention in favor Of the majority
report He said that originally he had been 10 favor Of
. sweeping measure Of dsfranchismcnt but he had
found that majority Of the delegates were opposed to
such course and the outside pressure aIluding pfoba
Oily 70 CONGREGATIONAL tnStruconnl Drought 10
him had forced him 10 abandon that position. II had
Sus this was not 20 Were he sun nee 10 choose his
own course OF action, he would mako the consttu
ton say TO every man who had engaged 10 shs rebellion
"You have forfeited your political rights. and they
shall no, DO restored 70 you again until you show forn
fruits mcet for repentance some or tho previous
the Reconstruction acts OF Congress and tina, the Con-
vention bad no right 10 put anything moro stringent In
the new constitution than contained In those acts
He believed that this view was an erroneous
Those acts had imposed upon the Convention no dirsc-
ions no I'M - 70 wns nSy . oa.mS.d
10 frame. The Congress OF the United states
had no. attempted 20 dictate 70 the people Of The state
Of Alabama what they should incorporate 10 their
organic Law. Congress had not assembled delegates as
somsny machines, 10 act - they were told. Al the
same lime. however he thought IL only prudent and
proper TO regard in measure the wishes OF Con-
gess but this in his opinion ought not 10 induce them
might indeed vary the terms Of the instrument they
we're now framing to meet the wishes Of thor friends
in Congress and to mako u more satisfactory 70 them,
whonever thsy could do without running counter 10
the interests Of the had elected them; but he
would not 90 further than that He believed that Con-
grsss desired them to DO things First 70 endorse
lie policy OF abrogsng all loyal distinctions between
American citizens; and secondly, that they SHOULD
organize the state government that loyal people
should not only be in power when the State was ad
mtsd again into The Union, but should also have fair
prospect Of retaining power for years Afterwards
Congress did aos cars whether they one or
. thousand men; whether they elected or
appointed their Judiciary whether thor ofacers
served long or short term. What Con.
grsss Vas especially anxious about wM 10
have the votes Of the State OF Alabama In the next
Presidential canvass 70 be favor OF the candidate
OF equal rgha Congress did not desire that the fell
spirit OF proavsry whose Outrageous var against ths
Union sacrificed the lives Of hundreds Of thousands II
best and bravest cssn2 and saddisd The country
with enormous debt; that that fell spirit unrepsae
and siIi determined 70 ruls the country, should
again have power IN Alabama any Of We other saees
There were two thsiss which they could frame tne
coassituhonL One was general smassts snd sppsribi