Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-01-30
A VOICE FROM THE SOUTH.
An Address to the People Of Georgia and
the United states.


Fellow Citizens Of Georgia and Of the
United States
Bv Convention held at Macon on
the 9th and 9th of December 1867,
representing the Conservative people
of Georgia, the undersigned were ap
pointed a Committee to prepare an
Address to you, setting forth their
sentiments, their condition, their fear
full apprehensions of future ruin, and
the final overthrow of Constitutional
government. In discharging this i'm
portant duty, we bring to the task an
earnest and patriotic desire, not only
10 promote the welfare Of our own
State, but also that of our whole coun-
try.
When the late unhappy war tormin-
ated and the Confederate arms were
surrendered, a single condition only
was required, which was that we should
return to the pursuits of peace, and
obey the Constitution and laws of the
United States, under the pledge, by
the victors, that, so long as we contin-
ucd to do so, we should be protected
in the unmolested enjoyment Of the
rights and privileges which that Con
stitution and those laws guarantee to
each State and TO every citizen We
have kept our promise in letter and
spirit; and, from that day to this, no
resistance has been offered TO the Fed
eral authorities. The laws of the
United States are quietly obeyed,
without the necessity Of military pow
er to enforce them. Their Courts are
open and their processes respected.
Crime can be punished by the regular
and established modes of judicial pro
cedure. With magnanimity and hope
fulness, our people united in an honest
effort to build up their ruined fortunes
and re-establish their lost prosperity.
The war left our homes saddened with
bereavement, and, in thousands OF
instances, in ashes. 1t brought uni
versa sorrow and poverty Ourfelds
were desolated, our labor disorganized,
our industry paralyzed, all our enter
prises destroyed or crippled, and our
capital sunk. Towns and cities were
plundered and burned, and their inhab-
itants driven, in destitution, from their
homes. But these were the fruits of
war-not Legitimate, to be sure-such,
however, as usually attends its march
of fire and, therefore, we submitted
to them with patience and fortitude,
cheered by the hope, that the quarrel
and carnage having ended, the return
Of peace and prosperity would begin,
and that, at least, political fraternity
would be restored. Under this inspi-
ration we endeavored to forget the
bitterness which the struggle had en-
gendered, to cultivate spirit of con-
ciliation and harmony, and to evince,
in every possible way, our desire to
have Georgia restored to her constitu-
tional relation to the Union. Terrible
has been our disappointment. Having
been baiiled in the attempt at seoes-
sion, upon the idea that such attempt
was rebellion, we supposed that It's
suppression left Georgia a State in the
Union, still possessing the inherent
right Of selfgovernment and the con
stitutional right Of representation in
Congress. Instead of this, however
the President of the United States
required that we should organize q
new State government, ratify the Con.
stitutional Amendment, abolishing sla
very and incorporating the same pro
vision into our fundamental law; that
we should repudiato our State wal
debt and abrogate the Ordinance oi
Secession and all the laws in further.
anoe of the Confederate cause. Ami
mated by determination to make any
sacrifice but that of honor, suppressne
even the spirit Of complaint, for the
sake of peace, we did all that he re.
quired-even surrendering our most
valuable property, that of our slaves
and consented to become almost
paupers. Supposing that such deport
ment might challenge the magnanimi
ty of the victors toward a fallen foe
we then thought surely the dawn ol
peace was in sight, and that our right
to the protection and benefits off com.
mon Constitution would be recognized
We elected our Senators and Repre-.
sentatives, thus demonstrating, not
only our expectation, but also our
earnest desire, again to participate in
the councils and promised blessings Of
the Union restored. But, as before
disappointment was our fate. OuI
members were spurned from the Halls
of Congress and our people denounced
as traitors and rebels We have been
persistently charged with hostility to
the Constitution and Union, and treat
ed as outlaws from both. Whilst we
do not thus allude to the department
and temper Of our people in a spirit Of
boasting, yet we challenge contradic-
tion Of our statements, and fearlessly
array them before a candid world, as
evidence of the injustice, unkindness
and ialsehood of .he charges against
as, urged as n pretext for our oppres
sion.
Prescription from tho Union, we
could endure the charge of hostility
TO IL we're tolerable; from our pros
tration we might rise our poverty
we might surmount if we could be left
undisturbed and permitted to enjoy
our inherent right Of sef-government
Our n5blo State abounds with the
elements and resources Of material
wealth her people are enterprising
and full of the consciousness Of unsul-
lied honor and unsubdued manhood.
Give play to their capacities, unfetter
their elastic energies, remove unneces