The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-03-14
ALABAMA.
Peution of the White People 20 Cos

krcss. u far
The following petition, signed by a
large number of the white people Of
Alabama, was presented to the Senate
and House of Representatives in Janu,
ary last:
To the Honorable the Senate and House o.
Representatives. Of the United States ia
Congress assembled
The Ukite people Of 1labama send this their
anticipation.
We beseech your honorable bodies to
withdraw yourselves from the influence
of passions and contests of the hour,
and contemplate for brief period our
miserable condition, and the yet more
wretcbed state which is already pre-
pared for US. Surely it is only such in.
tiuences that have prevented you from
bestowiRg upon us single ray of benef-
cent regard.
According to the last census taken
by the Federal Government the whito
people of Alabama largely outnumber
the negro or eolored population; and
we think we arrogate nothing which
your honorable bodies will not concede
to us, when we say that nearly all of
tho education, intelligence and civili-
zation of the State are found in our
race. But poverty prevails throughout
the land. We are beset by secret oath
bound political societies; our character
and conduct are systematically misrep-
resented and magnified to you and in
the newspapers of the North; the intel
ligent and impartial administration of
Just laws is obstructed; industry and
enterprise are paralyzed by the fears of
the white men and the expectations of
the black, that Alabama will soon be
delivered over to the rule of the latter;
and many of our best people are, for
these reasons, leSying the homes they
love for other and strange lands.
Before the late unhappy war, the
white people of the Sotfth contributed
their whole just proportion of the great
and good men whose acts and charac.
ters constituted the chief renown of the
Repsblic. Those of us who cndeavCrcd
to withdraw the South from its partner
ship therein, did not do so in order to
make war upon the Northern States or
their institutions, but for the purpose
(vain hOpeD of peacefully establishing
another, not unfriendly, independent
confederacy, in which, under almost
identical constitutions, we might be
more free from discord. And however
criminal in yodr opinion we may in
this have been, yet neither our sins nor
our sufferings have reduced us to-un-
civilized barbarians.
On the other hand, it is well known
to all who have any knowledge on this
subject, that while the negroes of the
South may be moro intelligent and of
better morals than those of the same
race in any other part of the world
where they exist in equal density yet
they are in the main iggorant generally,
wholly unacquainted with the princi-
pies of free governments, improvident,
disinClined to work, credulous, yet sus-
picious, untruthful, incapable of self
restraint, and easily impeiled by want,
or incitcd by false or spocious Counsols
into. folly or crime. Exceptions, of
course, there are, and chiefly among
those who have been reared as servants
in our domestic circles and in our cities.
But the general population of our col
ored population is such as we have de-
scribsd. Whose fault is it that they are
so-whether ours, under whose control
they have certainly become better than
their brethren in their native Africa
or the fault of anybody, it is needless
now to inquire. We have to deal with
the incontestable fact thatiu the main,
they are unletter, d and capricious bar
barians, turned suddenly Dose from the
condition of slaves, and eager to avail
themselves of freedom to indulge and
crafty their desires and passions.
Are these the people in whom should
be vested the high governmental func-
tions of enacting and enforcing laws,
and establishing institutions to prevent
crime, protect property, preserve peace
and order in society, and to promote in
dustry, enterprise and civilization here,
and the power aud honor Of the United
Statesi Without property, without in
dustry, without any regard for reputa-
tion, without control over their own
caprices and strong passions, and with
out fear of punishment under laws, by
courts, and through juries which are
created by aud composed of themselves,
and those whom they elect-how can it
be otherwise than that they will, to the
great injury of themselves, as we'll as
of us and our children, bring blight,
crime, ruin and barbarism on this fair
land
Does any one say that your laws do
not make them rulers over Hsi What
difference does it make, except to in
crease jealousy and intensity antag
onism, that white men are also allowed
to vote with the black, when il is so
contrived that the black shall have the
predominance and dominionl We. en-
treat you to pause and observe how
your reconstruction acts are being exc
cuted here.
OF the negro population, whose num-
bers are many thousand less, the regis
tered voters are over sixteen thousand
more than those of the white race;
and white men who hate us, and 9TH
ers from sordid motives cooperating
with them, have, by their own procure
ment, or the procurement of. others, and
not the intelligent choice of the ne
gro voters, been elected AS their dele
gates for the purpose, and have framed,
aud now presented for ratification to
those registered voters, a constitution
of government, all of whose best clauses
are contained in eur present constitu-
tion, and in every other instrument of
the kind. But these are made delusive
and useless by the diaboiical ingenuity
of other provisions, made to disfran-
chise us even beyond the enactments
of Congress, and to ensure over
us aud our children, and all who shall
come among us, the asceDdancy of the
negro race. And these same designing
and malignant enemies stand prepared,
so soon as that constitution shall be
ratified, TO organize, arm, and invest
with power, under the forms of law. a
militia, to be composed chiefly of those
same negro voters, in order to perpet-
uate their lordship over us By the aid
Of bullets and bayonets. We cannot
believe that the Inajorities of your hon
orable bodIes intended by your enact
ments to effect such reconstruction az
this.
Will ycu, nearly three years after the
war has ended-when the passions il