The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-08-12
TOTHE PEOPLE OFTHE STATE
OF MISSISSIPPI.

; the President of the United States, on tn'
! 10th day of July, 1859. issued his Proelama'
ton. appointing the Both day of Novemoe
next, as the time for voting on the ratiiiea
ton of the Constitution, adopted by the Con
stitutional Convention, which assembled IN
this city on the 18th day of May, 1868. A
the same time officers of the State Govern
ment members of the Legislature, ant
members Of Congress will be chosen.
, The President, in his proclamation, hai
ordered that the following highly objection
able features of the constitution, shall be 70
ted on separately, viz: that part OF section
No. B. of Article Z, which reads as follows :;
ssThat L am not 'disfranehised in any o
} the provisions of the acts known as the re
construction act of the Thirty ninth AIT
} F0rtieth Congress, and that admit the po
litical and civil equality of all men, so yell
me God;n provided, that if Congress shoule
at any time remove the disabilities Oh any
persons DISTINGUISHED in said reconstruction
acts of the said Thirty-1inth aud Fortieti
Congress, and the Legislature Of this state
shall concur therein, then so much OF tins
oath only refers to the reconstruction
acts shall not be required of such persons
so pardoned, and entities him TO be regis
tered.
Also. the whole of section No. 5, of article
No Z, which is as follows:
No person shall be eligible to any Office OF
profit or trust, civil or military, in this state
who was a member OF the Legislature that
| voted for the call of the convention that
passed the ordinance of secession, or as a
delegate to. any convention, or voted Tor or
! signed any ordinance of secession, or who
gave voluntary aid, countenance or encOur-
agement to persons engaged in armed nos
tility to the United States. or who accepted
or attempted to exercise the functions OF any
| office, civil or military. under any authority
| or pretended governments power or coustl-
tuition within the United States, hostile, or
| inimieal thereto. except all persons who aid
ed reconstruction by voting for this Con-
vention. or have continuously advocated the
assemblage of this Convention. and shall
continue in good faith to advocate the same !;
! but the Legislature may remove such dIsa-
| bilities, provided nothin z in this section,
except voting for, or signing the ordinance
of secession, shall be So construed as TO eX-
clude from Office the private soldiers of the
late sO-called Confederate States army.
| Also, Section s. of Article 0. which is as
! follows:
/ The credit of the State shall not be pledged
or loaned in aid of any person, association
or corporation, nor shall the State hereafter
become stakeholder in any corporation or
| association.
Also, that part of section 26, articl II,
which prescribes the oath of office to be Ia
ken by all State officers, and which is in the
words following:
That | have never. as a member of any
convention, voted for or signed any ordi-
nance of secession; that l have never been
a member of the State Legislature that
ted for a call for any Convention that pass
ed any such ordinance.
The President also directs that that por-
ton OF the ordinances contained i'll the Con-
stitution froln sections to 10, of article No.
ID, inclusive, shall not be considered as con-
shutting any part of the Constitution.
1t will thus be perceived. that many of
those Objectionable features of the Constitu-
ton of 1868, against which the people of the
State so Justly complained, and which led to
the rejection of that instrument, at the bal
lOt-boX, have been extracted from the body
| of the Constitution and are to be voted upon
separately az the November election. In
reference to the clause prohibiting the faith
of the State from being pledged, and which
is to be voted on separately, the undersign-
ed express no opinion.
The adoption of the Constitution, Invested
of the DISTINGUISHING clauses above copied,
may now be regarded as a fixed fact.-the
Radical Republicans, who framed the instru-
ment, having pledged themselves to vote
against these OdiouS proviSions,-the Con-
servative Republicans having given a SINH
lar pledge-and the people of the State, gen.
orally. having Slgnified Willingness, under
the circumstances, to take the Constitution
thus amended, as the fundamental law of the
State. Although it is true, that there are
some other provisions of the constitution
which are Objectionable, and which we
would have been pleased to have seen de-
signated for Il separate vote; yet. recurring
to our deplorable condition as people. and
considering the Whole situation" we deem
it fortunate that we shall have for our or
ganic law, even this Radical Constitution,
shOTn of it prominent enormities.
There WILL then, be no contest between
parties, in voting on the Constitution. There
will, however, be an issue as to the men
who shall be elected to administer the re-
constructed State government and represent
us in Congress; and on that question we de-
sire to give expression to our views, and to
submit our conclusions to the consideration
of the people.
There are two organized parties i'm the
State. The Radical Republicans, sometimes
called the Eggleston party-those who en-
deaVored by ignoble means to force upon us
the Constitution of 1868, as whole, after it
had been fairly voted down by large ma
jority of the people, of both races-have
perfected their political organization for the
Coming election. They will shortly present
a ticket. which, we doubt not, will be main |
ly composed of that class of adventures
who have constantly endorsed and strug-
gled for all the expressions and unjust prin |
ciples and practices of that OdiouS party
Perhaps. in their desperation, and in order
to deceive and delude our people, they may
bid high enough to secure some ambitious
aspirants amongst our 'home folks willing |
enough and credulOus enough to lend them |
selves to their nefarious schemes
of wrong and plumber; At all
events we entertain>no doubt but the ticket
of the Radical Republicans, when announ-
-ced, will be. in every respect. type and re-
Election of the Eggleston party.
On the 23rd of June last. the Conserva- |
tive Republicans assembled in Convention
in this city, organized themselves into po- |
litical party, under the name of National |
Union Republicans" and promulgated a |
Platform of principles. That platform an |
nounces universal suffrage and universal |
amnesty. and speedy removal of all the |
political disabilities imposed upon our Deo-
pie, and an early reconstruction of the |
Union on the Congressional plan. as the |
prominent principles governing them. Their |
platform denounces the principles of the |
ultra Republicans, or Radicals, and advo- |
Gates the restoration of Peace and frater-
nal relations between the North AMI the |
South. The National Union Republican |
Party" has issued an official call for State |
Convention, to assemble in this city, on the |
sth day of September, 1869, at which time |
they propose to nominate and present their |
State and Congressional ticket. In |
that call, they invite all persons. ire
speetive of political antecedents, race or |
color, and who oppose the men. measures |
and principles of the Radical party, to unite |
with them.
1t is well understood now, after free dis /
cussion and consultation, that the real citi-
zens of Mississippi old inhabitants |
and owners OF the sol,-will not place any |
ticket before the people at the coming cleo |
ton; nor will they make any effort to effect |
the organization of any third party. On |
this subject there seems to be great unan- |
unity of opinion amongst men Of all polit-
ical Observation-Disclosures there are few |
persons, at different points in the State, who |
still think that third party should have
been organized.
Inasmuch then os go star1 ho~a txvo Pc
publican Parties in the field, and no party /
peculiarly our own, the people of Missis- |
sippi are forced either to take no part what |
ever in the approaching election, or to give |