New-York tribune., 1868-01-01
THE SOUTHERN STATES.
ALABAMA.


than ordinary interest, both parties mashaling their
forces and preparing for vigorous contest upon the
question Of ratification. The Republicans are making
nominations for county Offices to be voted for at the
time of the election for ratification, and they expcc
TO poll o much heavier vote than cast upon tho
question of Convention or no Convention. The Con-
servatiyes, as the Rebels and Coppcrheads call them
selves are holding meetings all over the State, de-
nouncing the Constitution and all WHO support
IT, and threatening 10 the cOlOred people III they
dare TO come out and vote for IT, If the provision of
the law, which requires a majority OF all The regis
tered voters TO vote upon the question of rathcaton
is not repealed they hope by threats Intimidation,
bribery, and violence TO deter so many Union men
from voting will be necessary to de1eat te adop
ton of the Constitution. Whatever the obJcct OF
this provision of the bill may have been It's operation
in Alabama has proved unfortunate lor the Union
cause. ~ Il. A.,
Conservatives hoped to defeat the Convention 0y
staying from the polls themselves anu lutimluatiS
others from voting. Lying statements OF the post
ponenent of tue election and forged pIOcIalnalloS
TO that effect, carefully prepared Dei0lehaH were
mt ont on the first = the election III remote
counties where theT IS no p9ssl9lliy yGSa,,s Gl coI
For safety it was ordered that the elections shoud
be held at the county towns where the She!lf Wouiu
he responsible for the preservation OF puChc peIcc,
in the hope that thus free vote might be cast; Dnt
the counties large and the voters poor ana Wllh-
ont means of conveyance and i'll Il large percentage
of cases i'll every county voters had 10 walk many
In other places the fact that the opponents of Con-
veutOn did not vote was taken adyai age oi 10 marx
for persecution every white man who dld. III one
city where the Union element is wellknown to num-
Der more than 600 white voters, deputatlOh stOou
al day long ut the window and noted the name OF
every white man who voted. II he Notcd at al, lie
necessarily voted for n Convention, and was thus
identified with the Republican party. Every man
thus identified marked for persecution. III ne
were In trade, his business was injured II nechahc
or labOling under the employment OF others, his
discharge immediately followed.
In the North where men are free in fact rs wcll as
IN name, 1t Is hard 10 conceive now terribly the
power of the Rebels can 10 exercised in the South
over the poor, whether white or black, who differ
from them In the case mentioned, of COO known
friends Of Convention, less than leo actually voted.
They up for the purpose, but finding what the
game was they knew that the bread of their families
would lie lost II they persisted and they went away
as they came. OF those who did vote. the greater
number were discharged from employment within
week.
The moral effect Of all this is very damaging. In
the first place. it enables the Rebels TO count as on
their side all whose votes not cast against them.
Every man who could not walk ten or twenty miles
To vote every man sick land in this fever and ague
country the sick at the time when the election WAS
held formed no small part of the popuatOnl every
man ntimdated every man deceived every man
absent, counted OppOScti- TO TccOnSuuctl"h,
and as an enemy of the Convention and the hepuD-
Hcau party.
Beside the advantage thus given to the Rebel
cause it gained another, and 10 mean one IN the
moral eject which intimidation produced upon ITS
victims. When man walks up TO The p"iis anu
votes for the of party. he is Strengthened
in his convictions and attachments by The very act
of voting, and is the more ready to DO so again. b1t
when he is driven away from the tTst vote, he feels
half ashamed of himself for yielding lis own
conscience accuses him of COwaTdlce, ahd he fceiS
ashamed 10 meet his associates, lie docs not KNOW
whether to apologize 60 them for his seeming
deseIiiOn, or to justify it, The party ties
are loOsened, and he is already halfway 95! IL y
not 10 bo "oI'iy rod st 'rO % H. 49,, va
the game land him fairly among the enemies oI me
party with which he wOud have been associated IL
he had been entirely at liberty to act upon hls con-
victions These are of the advantages, and not
by any means small ones. secured 10 the Iebci III
tcr.st by the clause of the Reconstruction Act above
referred TO. The Rebel leaders understand the mat
ter thoroughly. and are preparing To play the SAME
game again, and more completely than before. 50
If Congress should repeal this provision OF the biil
then they will make desperate effort 10 defeat the
Constitution by direct vote. 1t seems beyond thtlr
power 10 do this in any event There rs clear ma
Orty of 10000 voters III favor OF the adoption 0i the
Constitution in Alabama but IFS opponents hopo' by
their peculiar tactics, 10 defeat II, nevertheless
They have no hesitation in announcing their pian
They openly threaten the lives Of all VINO dare 10
speak at Republican meetings. and, as every other
man. at least, goes armed with revolver, and bad
whisky Is everywhere plenty these threats
not idle vaporines. Every man who speaks at
Republican meeting IN Alabama does 80 at the iinIiii-
nent risk Of his life. One Skeleton regiment oi
United States soldiers is stationed in Alabama to
keep the peace, and these soldiers are all al three OF
four stations. In almost every county men are
threatened and asking for protection, which tho mil
iiary commanders are utterly unable TO Afford. lie
condition of the State is far worse Tor loyal men tn
Il
Committee in Congress should renew IT. lHNcntlRa-
tons. and take testimony of officials and prominent
mon upon the matter as guido TO proper legislation
Tie pretence Of free speech in Alabama. except nm
der the very bayOnetS OF the military Is mOckCry.
And if the Republicans should claim the protection
of the military in holding their meetings, the cry
would go ont at that the Satfaps" were carry
ing the adoption Of tho Constitution at the poit OF
the bayOnet SO the loyal men work by ncaIs Ol the
Union League. and yOu are not 10 suppose Us ldlo
because You do not hear Of great gatherings and
monster demonstrations such as You are accustomed
to IN your political campaigns. Nemcan 10 win TINS
fight and make Alabama u loyal State and We shaiI
succeed.
The amount of living and abuse heaped upon every
body aud everything connected with the Republican
party in this State, is nos to be measured or de-
scribed. We have become so Gallons 10 H. that lOr u
Republican 10 be charged with any oiense whatever
eXetes only q smile among the members oi thc party,
and slander has ceased to be venpnOus III Alabama.
No man who respects himself deems II necessary 10
notice the foul lies with which to Kcel papers arc
flied. They do not argue the Constitution or rs
provisions. They DO not attack the measures or the
principles Of the party, on the hustings or III the
papers Their sole staple Is wholesale sldnueI, per
sOual instrumentation, abuse, ana curses.
The Associated Press belongs 70 the Rebel interest
all over the South, and echoes the day pubeali3ns
any importance 10 tho dispatches which are ddliy
read in Northern papers a. f0inug from tie cOutn,
and when some oyeI-anXOuS friend sends 10 his
correspondent here q Northern paper with some
sander enanating here marked around WIN INK,
the paper is Laid on the table with Quiet smile
Our friends need not fear that our work VIII DC
neglected because VIC do not sop 10 uOtcc thcsc
sanderaTs. Burke said long ago, that Whnle INC
grassh)ppers were making the air Iing WIN Their
yocieTous noises, the great beasts of burden were
chewing their cuds i'll silence. The best way 10 taAe
care OF your wounded is TO win the fight, ana have
the field TO yourselves, and that is what mean to
do and what we will do The Rebel cause dies hard;
but it is dying. The fight over the Constitution Is US
hardest struggle, and when IT fails III tis IL WI" oe'
and. as the children say, die all over"
Tie Rebels held meeting here on Saturday night,
the 2st inst at which about $50 persons attended all
armed of course Gen. ClantOn was the prominent
speaker and Walter Crenshaw, an excessively anx-
iOus applicant TO Congress for the removal OF s dis
abilities presided. Clantons speech was prolonged