American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-08-03

African. We have at hand, this
morning, additional proof of what we
have charged, in circular issued by
the "Union, Republican, Congress
sional, Executive Committee lOcat-
ed at Washington City. This Com
nittee is, in fact, Congress, in so far
as reconstruction is concerned. The
following opening para graph of this
circular will show by what authority
it speaks:
WASHINGTON, ID. c.,
July 90, 1867.
"To Hon.
Sir-The Union Republican Sen
ators and members of the FOrtieth
Congress assembled on the evening
Of July 10Th, in the hall Of Represen-
tatives, to hear the report of the
Union Republican Congressional Elk
ecutive Committee, with reference to
the Southern Reconstruction cam
paign,' etc.
AT the meeting, the following reso-
luton was adopted: r..
" Resolved, That we, the Republl-
can Senators and Representatives
of the Fortieth Congress, having
listened with great interest to the
statements of the Chairman of the
Executive Committee and others Of
said committee, therefore pledge our
best personal efforts in our respective
districts to the work of raising
money for the use of the said commit
tee upon our return to our consti-
tuentS."
1t is the Republican Senators
and Representatives of the Fortieth
Congress-" who passed the recon
struction bills which are now being
executed; and these same gentlemen
promise to 60 to work diligently
when they shall reach their homes,
to raise money to help on the good
work. In their official acts they tell
us that we are left free to vote for or
against reconstruction. In their
personal acts, they tell us that they
do not mean we shall do any such
thing. The money of the North is
to complete that conquest of the
South which was begun, but not
completed, as they aver, by arms.
To urge on this good work of raising
money, the Committee say:
"They cannot control unless money,
the sineWs of any struggle, is used
to aid those who work for that sue
cess. Shall we lose an empire from
want of this material aid ? Shall
we, victorious in the field, be defeat
ed at the ballot box 1t is not pos
siblc. The needs of the hour with
those who desire to see the entire
South, lately cursed with slavery
and blasted by revolution, marching
/" to the music of the Union" in the
solid column of Republican States,
are active work, ample means, and
unfaltering faith. Your committee
have faith and can work efficiently.
Means only are lacking to carry each
one of the unreconstructed States at
the elections provided for by Con.
oress."
After reading this formal procla-
nation of the designs of Congress,
can any one doubt what its object
was, in breaking faith with the South
at its late July session? Does not
every Southern man see that recon-
struction is to be a mere farce, so
far as his people are concerned that
they are really to have no part in it,
and that,it is to be done by the ne
gro and the Yankee? If, perchance,
any Southern State should be strong
enough TO engraft a single Conserva-
tive principle on its new constitu-
ton, inconsistent with negro and
Yankee domination, does any one
believe that such constitution
would be accepted! Has not even
kentucky,which was never in ''rebel-
lion" been virtually turned out OF
the Union, because she presumed to
send Democratic delegation to
Congress The question of recon-
structiOn, then, is narrowed down to
this. Are the people Of the ten
States willing to go over, in mass, to
the Republican party, and assist it
in putting their respective States
under the rule of the negro, guided
and controlled by a few Yankees sent |
among them for the purpose The |
Yankee Congress has avowed its in
tention to do this, whether you will |
or not will you give it the sanction
of colorado assent? or will you hold !
yourselves aloof, and leave it to do
its nefarIous work alone This is
the question. 1t is not whether your
States shall be reconstructed or not,
for that is a foregone conclusion ;
but whether you will come in, and
assist at such reconstruction as we
have pointed out assist at it, when
you see that it is not possible for you
TO save single fragment of your
liberties, and that the only result Of
your assistance will be, to enable |
the Radicals to claim, in the future,
that the whole thing was done by |
your consent! But we have not |
done with this precious epistle.
Here is the conclusion of it: