Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-12-17
L0eAE ITEMS.

lD' .;nc Of the Alexandria Literary Associa-
ns'b held on Tuesday night last, was prepared
aOn '',.terday's Gazette. but, in consequence of
Nf - Of matter, was excluded, and its inser-
az deferred until to-day:
'lp 10 subject discussed was: Ought the
, I'M States to accept the Congressional
o9u a n Rsconstruction?Y Z OlAit III
pm r James @. Hill opened in support of the
,plu ~; of the measure. He said that the
had come when we must bury all preju-
H Ii" and only act for the good OF our country;
as il was the duty of the people of the South
tu's scrept the measures proposed. and once
cain an entrance into the Union. He
py w Oot believe the Northern people were in
g raa u 70 be too hard on the South; the Dem
elu ",;. marty of the North would not let them
@ia az mich oppressive. He was convinced
T s,t ne are gradually drifting towards q mon
u I.aSv and it beloved every man to try to
nSSsp the Republic, under which form OF
r,,srnment true liberty can only exist. 1t was
~ ~ fair that the whole people should be made
pOsnfFer because few men were deprived of
y. r;Oht TO hold office They could enjoy
.-srv other privilege but that and, therefore,
L ho neople should not feel that they were doing
.uY in cepting the Reconstruction acts. "
gs eouuselled then the adoption of the acts
- the only means whereby we might once
more attain our former greatness and pros
perlty >.
tho ,doption of the acts. He said when the
oar first ended, the South was willing to come
hack into the Union on any fair terms-Con-
Srpss declared all the slaves in the South to be
+cp. and the South agreed to it; although they
i,St 600 900 of slaves But Congress and
The people of the North, not satisfied with
that. passed act after act on DEMONSTRATION,
and called upon the South to ranty them; acts
which 10 his opinion ought not to be adopted.
He could not see what good would result from
the adoption of the measures proposed. The
State of Georgia accepted the acts, but her
Senators are refused admission into the Senate
because they are not exactly OF the complex
ion that was expected; and the State OF Geor-
ola was in no better condition O-day after hav-
ne ratified the acts, than the State OF Virginia
which had not. He could not therefore agree
with Dr. Hill in advising the adoption OF the
measures.
Mr.. A. j. Wedderburn advocated the adop
ton of the measures. He was for breaking the
chain that now eucompaSSed us, and by ali fair
means, seek 10 get into the Union. Ii we
were 10, we could elect our own men to office,
and the carpet baggers would have to find more
congcnial places The colored people, he
thought, would vote for those they had known
all their lives in preference to strangers, IT treat
ed with kindress The condition of Virginia
called for immediate relief, aud we must have
it or perish. No person was willing to invest
capital or engage In any enterprise which would
result in the permanent good of the State In
It's present disorganized condition, Let us
then, he said, adopt these measures, and with
the help OF our brethren at the North build
up union which should last to all ages
Mr. Chapman Neale followed in opposition
to the adoption of the acts. He said that
Congress in passing the fourteenth amend
ment to the Constitution. had exercised an
arbitrary and despotic power. 1t had resorted
to measures in times OF peace, when the whole
Southern country was desolated and torn to
pieces, which other nations had only used IN
times of great national DANGER when the Gov
eminent was threatened to be over turned.-I
He believed the people of the South would be
acting dishonorably in adopting that amend
ment; to disiranchise men who, 10 the time OF our
peril had stood by US; who had given up posi-
tons of honor under the Old government when
called upon by the State to come to her defence;
would be acting the part of an migrate, and for
one he would never countenance 1t. He ad-
mitted that the South was wrecked, and that
We must have relief, but he would not accept
relief on dishonorable terms he could not ad
vance himself by degrading his brother, es
peCially when that brother in times or adverSl-
ty had noby stood by him. He contrasted the
course pursued by the Northern people with
that of the Romans, who, when they conquer
ed a people, did not degrade them, but incorpor
81 III into fhaIr them
citizens and brothers, and thus 1t was that the
Roman Empire became the greatest IN the
world. If, he said, the North will not receive
US back as brothers, as descendants OF the same
stock, but only by the acceptance OF infamous
propositions, let Us stay out, and II we perish
let us all perish together like brave men, hav-
ing the consciousness that We have been true
tOOur brethren. true to our honor, and true 10
our manhood. -L t-
Mr.. William T. Carne said that he was in a
dilemma. He was convinced that 1t would not
be right to accept the l4th amendment, and
thus dstranchise his tellow-citizens, but yet at
the same time he was in favor OF seeking an |
early entrance intot the Union. La the present |
condition of the South he thought it would be |
best to grant the right of suffrage to the color
ed men. He believed they were as competent
to exercise that right as any other men would
who had not received an education; by giving |
them this right we would be acting literally |
and 10 good faith, and it must secure their con-
hience. He reviewed at length the causes OF
the war, and showed that the measures pro- |
posed had been the legitimate consequences OF
1t. He agreed with DR.. Hill in believing that |
the Northern people were not inclined to Op- |
press the people of the South. He thought |
there was yet too much good feeling and kind |
ness of heart existing. He said, therefore,
upon the whole, while some parts might be
Objectionable, yet it would be better to swallow
them than to lose the benefits of the intlre.
Mr.. Carne having closed the discussion, the |
society voted upon the question. and decided |
unanimously that the South ought not to &C |
eept the Reconstruction measures OF Congress. |
Dr. W. II. Roberts and Mr.. A. Z. Cazenove
each, before the debate commenced, acclaimed
apiece in appropriate style.
The question for the next debate is, Ought
aSystem of Free Schools to be supported by
tax on property? Messrs. a. Henning and Z.
Y, Hoffman in the affirmative, and William