The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-11-10
~ THE SOUTH.


Organization 81 tho coaveasien-The Charnc.
ser Of the Observation-Disclosures Radicsis-COn-
verss frem Secession, and ssLsyal BIacss''-
General Appearance Of the Cssventioa.
MONTGOMERY, Ala, Nov. 8, 1857.
The Alabama Constitutional Convention met ct
noon to-day at the Capitol, in accordance with the
order of the Military Commander Of the District,
General Pope.
The Convention having been called TO order, .
Mr.. Griffin. who came originally from Chicago and
who now edits radical paper in Mobile. was ap.
pointed temporary president. The roll was then
called. and eighty nine delegates, of whom six
teen were colored, answered to their names. The
Convention ut once proceeded to complete its or
ganization, and elected a. Its president Mr..
=. W. Peck, Of Tuscaloosa. Mr.. Peck, on taking
the chair. made . few remarks. thanking the Con.
vention for the honor it had bestowed upon him,
and impressing upon the delegates the necessity
of maintaining union and harmony in their delibera
tons. He did not, however, allude to the
political condition Of the State. As soon as the
President had resumed HIS seat, motion was
offered and adopted that the delegates register
their names About half of the colored members
being unable to write their names were placed on
the roll by the clerk, and the usual formula in
such cases of afhxing cross and the words " his
mark" gone through. Captain Robert Barbour, until
recently an agent Of the Freedmen's Bureau, was
appointed secretary Of the Convention. Another
candidate having been nominated for the position.
the calling of the roll was demanded. In doing
this. the first hitch in the Convention took place.
Second on the list was the name Of b. Alexander,
a cOlored representative from Green county, who
instead Of expressing his opinion upon the
al he tv
ing Barbour" or Patrick persisted in
shouting out "here.i The clerk anxious to avoid
the necessity of exposing the ignorance Of the
sable delegate, kept repeating his name. but this
only made the fact yet more absurdly apparent,
as the "colored gentleman only reiterated each
time IN q louder and more sonorous tone the ex.
tremely vague and indefinite response "here."
At length the situation became altogether too
comic the few white people in the gallery began
to litter, and the Caucasian members of the Con-
vention, anxious they were to preserve both
their gravity and the good viii Of their political
brother, began to litter also. The President then
explained to the gentleman from Green and
tie other colored delegates that it was necessary
to say Barbour or Patrick, according TO the
opinion they might entertain as to the fitness
or otherwise of the candidates for the position of
secretary He added. in order TO avoid any mis-
take, that by saying Barbour they would indicate
a preference for that gentleman, whereas if they
said Patrick they would be understood to give their
vote for him. After this clear and lucid ANALYSIS
OF the situation matters progrc ssed very smoothly,
and the fact that none of the other colored dele
gates fell into a similar error, ought to BIO recog-
nized as satisfactory refntaton OF the theory still
dominant ia the minds Of the non-republican white
population Of Alabama, that the African race is
unconquerably stupid.
AS yet no person OF color had been appointed
an officer of the Convention, but "a oil the delegates
had been elected by black Votes it was felt proper
that some concessions should be made to the all
powerful race. One of the assistant secretary
ships, and the post of doorkeeper, were therefore
given 10 negroes and there was further q tacit
understanding that the messengers, the pages, and
the fireman, the appointment of whom was vested
in the secretary, should all be (more or less)
colored- Some refractory white delegates, how
ever, attempted to run white candidate for door
keeper. and ballot had to be taken. The vote
was taken by count, and was found to be draw
On the President announcing this state Of affairs,
negro delegate started up, and looking at the
clerk, said:--
'Yous just made a mistake. sab. You counted
in dat dar man dar Shaking his finger, which was
adorned with two bogus iewelry rings, at the inno-
csst cause OF the error; he wa Mt yotin; he war
only just standin' dar."
The vote was then again taken and resulted in
the triumphant success Of the darkey candidate
The President was then vested with authority to
appoint committee Of fifteen to draft constitu-
tion for the consideration Of the Convention.
motion that the delegates should be required
to take the ironclad oath occasioned considerable
discussion, and a good deal more alarm and ex-
element as many of the most violent radical dele
gates were well known to have been equally
violent secessionists before and during the
war, and consequently incapable of passing I'M
scathed through this fiery ordeal An excuse for
dispensing with this test was discovered in the
fact that as General Pope had approved Of the eec-
ton Of all the delegates, and had summoned them
70 the Convention. no one had any right to ques-
ton their claim to seats. The hour Of meeting,
and the general routine OF the Convention was
then arranged, after which it adjourned until to-
morrow.
Having thus given the details Of the preliminary
proceedings OF the Convention. it may be well to
state some particulars of the election which called
it into being, and of the character OF the men OF
whom it is composed. That IL is in no sense
BODY representing the people Of Alabama
bors admit that they have been elected
BY minority Of the population Of the State
In the Southern counties. where the blacks
predominant, the Freedmen's Bureau, of
course, is omnipotent aud In the northern part
OF the State, where the white vote is larger the
election Of radical delegates was secured by food
ing the doubtful counties with temporary colonies
Of " loyal blacks" This was, however, necessary
in very few cases. The whites at the very out
set saw that the election to he decided against
them by fair or foul MEANS and, disguised at the
open assistance given to the radicals by the mill
tary authorities withdrew from the contest and
declined to vote. In many OF the counties not
dozen white men voted. In Montgomery county.
with fifty thousand inhabitants, only hundred
whites cast their ballots ; in Russell county only
two; in Mobile county. containing eighty thou
sand persons, only hundred in Lowndes. ONLY
three in Dallas, only six white men voted, and in
Lee, the vote was wholly and purely black. |
The negroes were everywhere driven 10 the |
polls by the chiefs Of the Union League
councils. The day before election, radical agents
travelled through Montgomery county and sum-
moned the blacks to come 20 the city and vote
telling them that General Swain had ordered them |
70 do so, and would punish them Ii they did not. |
Tn the afternoon of the day before election fbo,,
sands Of negroes marched into Montgomery in |
regularly organized regiments each man bearing |
arms; and at night they camped around the city |
ance was SO great that the military authorities |
oftored them to be disnrmed. Ten per cent Of the
negroes whe voted could not now tell and indeed |
never knew, the name on the ballot which they |
deposited in the box; they acted simply in obedf- |
The instrllc Inns OF tie Llarnn., a