American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1868-04-04
nv JOHN +. BOSWORTH.

to abandon reconstruction; and the
defeat of the constitution furnishes
not only a pretext for abandoning it,
but what is better an fiUnrSt; legal,
and constitutional reason tljr it. In my
Judgment, we can prevent reconStruc-
tion under the present laws, only by
defeating the const tuition ,and also,
by clrcting the officers or Il minority
of them If any man shall SAY that
the Radicals will hot pprpctrate the
great outrage of admitting the State
under Il constitution which the peO-
pie have ailirmativcly rejected, he is
grossly ignorant of the dnimnS as
well as of the nect slitieS of the par
ty. That they have no respect for our
rights, interests or wishes or for the
Constitution OF our common cOuntry}
is ahundantly maitest from every
step they have taken to consnnl''ate
our ruin and the Africanization Of the
South. The question to be debated,
is no; in my judgment, whether they
would reconstruct the State II the
Constitution were voted down, they
having elected all the Officers, but
whether they wonld not reconstruct
even il the Constitution were voted
down, and the officers Srre all Dem.
uclatic. Fol their necessities arc
such, that they nishs 10 this, innau.
gurating the defeated candidates, AS
well as The defeated Constitution. II
they choose to do 50, we cannot pre-
vent if. But Sucu action would be
so manifest an Outrage Upon all Am
rlicaiE ifft'as Unconstitutional liberty,
and wotfld he such a powerful wrap.
on in the hands of their political o.
oncutS at the North, that they would
I 30 S,l,ly refrain from il and If they
did hot it would but hasten the day.
whrch mHSt come ere long. when the
Nnrrhcrn people themselves, tor heir
own prutccii'n, will rise up aud re.
verse what the Radicals have done.
50 then it seems clear, that in the
event of our success in defeating he
| Constitution, that it would he better
if We elected Democratic and Con.
Scrvatrvc OFFICERS.
viii new ctrrSirtcr the Question
in reference 70 liz 1'f7n4tnty, Thar
the Constitution may be ratified. In
that event it becomes Of the greatest
Importance, that as many as possible
of the State and county officers
should be conservative, for how de-
plorHblc Will he onr condition, ii
,.l 81 I,IIf
be filled hy the Incompetent and cor
ru;t mcr liKrlv to he elected by :he
Radicals? Even Il bad government
may he tolcrahle, if we can have
f:rt hlrt and honest administrators
Of Ifw. ifhc trs+ ftrm Of govern
mcnt and the WiS"St ~ seem ct laws
would be iItolelablr, il the officers
appointed to administer justice Hl'i
execute the laws, were grossly igno
rant ol corrupt. In many cuunllcS,
only that class oi officers can be
selected from the Radical party, rs
most, if not all the virtue and in.
tclligrmcr of the community are ar
rayrd against them. Aud here, let
tue add. that owing to the Superior
Intelligence and Virtue of the MASSES
belonging to the Democratic party, |
that ,andidatcS taken from that par
tV, would iir liinSf instances he So far
superior tu their antagonists, that
they would pol! 4 much larger vote
than coaid be east asS,irst the ratiti
cation OF the Constitution. In thr
Il p
hat all Judges are - be appointed |
by the Governor with thh advice oi
the Srpate. How important, there.
fore, to have an honest and faithful |
Governor, and ut least Il majority of I
the Scnatr composed Of good aud /
faithful men! In many counties
have no doubt We cjli elect most, ii
not all the officers from the best class
Of the community. Shall We be de
voted to the rule of he ignorant and
vicious in those counties, when VT
can so easily avoid il But aoHin.
if the whole political machinery ol
HE State is t0 he voluntarily Surrrn.
Ilricd 20 he EadicalS, how are We
ever to l'tvrrSH iir present order at
IhingS, anc regain Our liberties \
At every step we take in that dirC%
iirn, We are met aud oppnSrd by all
The influence and power of the gov
'Inmcut. Our opponents now weak
ia all things except in numb, r.. viii
hc strengthened in moral and politi.
raj influence aud I'M oItancr, hy he.
Lg the recipients of The tarOrS of
he government, aud The rem cscnla.
t YES of its authority. Il, sides iris,
he ambitious and Inscriptions oI
our side will gradually 90 over 10
our enemies, aud thus swell their
numb, Is, and increase their numbers,
md increase their intiucnce and
rOWer. How then are We to diSl"dgc
hem 1t seems to me, that if We
suffer our enemies to he thus
Hrrngthcned 10y authofity, it viii b.
ever to iiSlu,lge them,
md that we aud uur children are to
remain serts and slaves for all time
IS come
These views seem to me to he con.
.IuSivA upon the question under con
pIopCSt now to an
,wcr the objections which have cen
Irgrd, and especially hanSwrr that
,hirctinn which | understand has