Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-06
THE RECONErRUCrED STATES

Much OF the history OF recon
struction may be CLEANED from the
reports of the commanders of the
military departments into which
the South has been divided. Gen.
Meade says of Alabama:
81 deem it only necessary to say here
that from all the evidence could pro-
cure, and caused the most thorough in
vestigation to be made. the constitution
was finally rejected by the people under
the law requiring majority of the regis
tered voters to cast their ballots for or
against it, and the rejection was based on
the merits Of the constitution itself,
which was obnoxious to large body OF
the friends of reconstruction, proved so
by the fact that out Of 1900 white
voters for the convention there were only
5000 for the constitution"
Here is the General in command
of the district compelled to confess
that the reconstruction Of Alabama
was fraud upon law and justice.
The constitution was so odiOus that
only five thousand white men in
the State could be found who would
vote for it, yet Congress forced this
constitution upon the people and
the State was reconstructed under
it.
Reconstructed Georgia seems to
have puzzled Gen Meade. When
the time came for the Legislature
to meet, the question was submit
ted to him whether ne should not
inquire into the eligibility of the
members of that body. BE thought
as district commander it was his
duty to see that no one ineligible
under the fourteenth amendment
should take Office, but that he was
not called on to decide on the quail
fications Of the members of a par
liamentary body, and he says he
was sustained in this view by Il
telegram sent him for his intorma-
ton from the War Department,
which had been sent to the Governor
! Of Louisiana and the commander Of
the fifth military district, which is
as follows
WASHINGTON, june 80, l8G8.-TO
Governor Yarmouth, New Orleans: We
think that persons disqualified under the
fourteenth article Of the amendment TO
the constitution Of the United States are
not eligible to your Legislature. This IS
to be determined by the respective
houses, but no oath can be imposed eX-
cept the oath prescribed by the State
constitution. JAMES WILSON,
Chairman Judiciary Committee.
J. f. FARNswoRTH,
ii. f. PAINE,
Reconstruction Committee.
Gen. Meade appears to have ac-
cepted this opinion as law; buth
to find out who were qualified, and
who were not, puzzled the General
wonderfully. The Provisional Gov
ernor, who is the present Governor
of that State. reported several not
thus qualified, while the Legislature
reported all qualified and the
General, decided to accept the
Legislatures opinion as to the
qualifications of its own members.
1t appears that on the two houses
Of the Legislature informing Gen.
Meade, through the Provisional
Governor, that neither house had
found any member ineligible under
the fourteenth amendment, 1.-The
Provisional Governor expressed the
opinion, founded on evidence pre-
sented to him, that several members
in both houses were ineligible, and
he called on Gen. Meade to require
them to vacate their seats. Gen.
Meade says:
'On rejecting upon tkis subject |
| could not see how was to take the in
dividual judgment of the Provisional
Governor in the face of solemn act of a
parliamentary body, especially as from
the testimony presented l did not in
several cas- agree with the judgment Of
the Provisional Governor"
This indispOsition on the part OF
Gen. Meade TO accept the word of
| Gov. Bullock as conclusive, seems
to have given offense to the Gov
ernor. for the General says in his
report
al allude "a extenso to this subject
because his Exeellency, the Governor OF
Georgia, in 4 public speech, recently