Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-03-04
Petition of the White People of Alabama

hepreSeft0ureS OT the United States IN
Congress assembled The uhne people Of
alabama send this their humble peti-
lion.
We beseech your honorable bodies TO with
draw yourselves from the influence of the
passions and contest Of the h"ur,and contem>
plate for brief period our miserable condi-
ton, and the vet more &reI hed state which
is already prepared for u.s. Surely it is only
such influences that have prevented you from
bestowing upon US single ray 0. beneticcnt
regard,
According to the last census taken BY the
federal COVE rnment, The white people of Ala
bana largely outnumbcr the negro or culnred
population. And we think We arrngate moth
ing which your honorable bodies will not con-
cede 10 us, when We say that nearly all the
education, intelligence, and civilization Of the
State are found III our race. But poverty
prevails throughout Ihe laud We are besel
by secret oath b"und political spcietigs Our
character and c,nduct are systematically
mi-Iepresenled and maIigned tu you aud in
the newspapers Of the North: The intelligent
and Imps rIal administration of Just laws is
"bSlructed =, Industry and enterprise are
paraly zed 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, leaving the homes they love,
for other and strange lands
Before the late unhappy war The people of
The Sruth contributed their whole just pro>
portion Of the grea, and guod men whose acts
and character constituted the chief lenown
of the republic. Those Of us who endeavnr-
ed To Withdraw the South from It's partner
ship therein, did not do so in order 10
| make war upon the Northern States or then
institutions, but Tor the purpose (vain hope y
Of peacefully establishing another, not un-
| friendly, independent confederacy, in which,
! under almost indenfical constitutions, we
might b. more free from discard, and huweV-
/ er criminal, IN your opinion, we may in tins
| have been, yet neither our sins nor our suf-
! terlngs have reduced US TO unciviiZcd bar
I barians.
On The other hand, IT is well known to all
! vito have knowledge on the subject, thai
while the negroes Of the S"u,h may be more
intelligent and of better morals than thnse ol
! ihe same race in any part ui the world here
/ they exist In equal density, yet they are IN
the main Ignorant generally, wholly urac
! qualnred with The principles of free govern
ments, lmprovdent, dIsinclined to work.
cred ulous, yet sus ciou~, untruhful sincapa-
ole 81 SelG-restraint, ard easily impeed BY
want, or melted by special c"unselS into folly
and crime. Exceptions, oI course, there are,
! and chiefly among thuse who have been rear
ed as servants in our domestic circle and III
our cities. But the general character of our
cuored population in such as we have DE-
! scribed. Whose IA III is il that they are s"-
whether ours, under whose centred they have
vrtainly becume better than their brethren
in their native Airica-Or the fault OF any
/ hp6V-it IL needless nDp a IpnnJrp
We have Ia deal with the incon'estab'e
tact that in he man they are unletrered and
capriciUus barbarans, turned suddenly loose
/ from the condition Of slaves, and eager tn
avail themselves Of freedom to indulge and
/ crafty their desires aud passions.
/ Are these the people IN whom should be
vested the high governmental functions Of
/ emactlng and enforcing laws, ard establishing
Institutions 20 prevent crime, protect pr per
y. preserve peace and order in society, and
( to promote industry, enterDrze and civil'zl-
! non here, and The power and h>nnr OF the
! United Siales With ont power, without
! InduItry, without any regard for reputation,
! without control over their Own caprlces anu
/ strong passions, and without fear Of pupsh>
mcnt under laws, by courts, and through
juries which are created by and composed Of
/ themselves, and those whom they elect, how
! can they be otherwise, than that they will.
/ 10 the great Injnry cf then selves, as well a.
! of Us and our children, bring blight, crime.
/ ruin and barbarism on this lair Iant
! Does any oIe say that your laws do no.
! make them rulers over us Whar difference
! does II make, except TO increase Jealousy and
/ intensity unragonSm-that white men
/ also allowed to vote with The black ~ hen II
/ l. So arranged that the blacks shall have thu
/
! yOu Ia paIse and observe how Nour recon-
.'ructinn acts are being executed here.
! Of the negro popula'ion, whose numbers
! are many thousands less the registered votes
are over sixteen thousand more than those al
The white race. And white men who have
us, and others from sordId motive cc>opera>
! ting with then, have by their own procure
Inrut or the procurement Oi others. and nOI
! by the intelligent choice Of the negro voters,
/ been elected their delegates for the purr
puse, and have framed and now presented for
ratification TO those reg lstereG vulerS, a con
stitutIOn Of government, all of whose best
clauses are con aimed in our present cOnstl-
tuition and IN every other instrument Of Th-
! nind But these are made drlusve and use
less by the diab1lcaI ingenuity of other pr
visions, made Ia dI>iranchlse us even beyond
the enactmcnts Of Congress, and. 10 insure
Z over us and our children and all who come
among Us, the ascendancy of the negro race.
! And these same designing ard malIgnari
enemies are prepared, So soon as that crii-
situtinn sha II be ratified 10 organlzs, arm,
ard invest with power under the formS oi
! law, a militia, to be composed chiefly of those
same negro voters, in order t. perpeInate
their IordshlP over Us by the AID If bullets
and bayonet>. We cannot believe thai tie
maj rites Of yuui honorable bodies intended
by your cnacl meuts, TO effect such o recon-
! sirucijon this.
VIII you, nearly three years after the war
has ended, when the passions 1t kIndicd she'd
have died cut IN the magnanlmliy which
great success ought to inspire, suffer whole
Slate, full of your kindred civilized, Whit
inhabitants, not only those who had opposed
the government but women and children and
Ipval men who bad adhered To 1t, To be ti.u
delivered over q iLe hoTrId rule Of barbarian
uegroes D. not compel the honorable Of
ficrrS and brave men Of the armies OF the
Republic, to hold Us down while such letters
are frged IN our view aud yours, and put
ignnmnlouSly upun us. We are colnpa' 'noIs
"f Washington and Henry and jefferson aud
Madison and Marshall and he PincEneys aud
/ art, and L. To- lar