The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-07-01


| Democrat, an address to the people OF
Mississippi, which has the following sin
gular conclusion: Ii g
Ny advice to the people Of Mississippi is,
| to comply to the letter with all the laws OF
/ Congress; cooperate with the National
Government in the Reorganization Of our
State government; assist in executing FAIR
| " and fmpartiafly an laws and military or
ders protect the negro in all bis rights ac-
cept the Constitution of Mississippi. and
vote against all the proseriptlve clauses
General Grant may propose. But be sure
that you selece. as your representatives la
Congress, men of sound constitutional
views, and that you specially vote against
all candidates for the Legislature OF Missis-
sippi who are not pledged TO reject the Fiji
teenth amendment.
The meaning of this suggestion is that
the people of Mississippi should take every
step necessary TO re-establish civil rule,
and to restore their relations with the
Union, except the last, viz: the ratifca-
ton of the Fifteenth Amendment,
which they are advised not to take. Now,
we respectfully ask, why 60 through the
mockery of moving at all, if we do not
60 the whole figure and accomplish the
end you have in view?
Only look at this proposition, promising
that you already have the Fourteenth
Amendment, which requires that you shall
take negro suffrage or deprive yourselves
of more than half the representation you
are entitled to in Congress. You are ad-
monished to comply with the laws of Con-
gress (Which, by the way, include the
10Th amendment)- ito vote for the State
Constitution making voters of all citizens,
white and black. But to take care to elect
Legislature pledged to reject the amend
ment to the National Constitution which
gives negro suffrage to the Northern
States which have voted to impose it up
on youI If there is any sense, or reason,
or logic, or justice, in this advice we can't
see it.
In another part of his Address, DR..
New strangely enough assumes that 1t Is
''by no means certain that Gen. Grant
will require the adoption OF the 10Th
amendment" Surely it cannot have es-
capped the writer that Congress, and not the
President, will dispose of the application
of the State for admission. And besides
he ought to know that the law has already
been passed making the acceptance of
that Amendment an essential condition of
admission; and that it would not have
become a law if Gen. Grant had not APP
proved it. Besides, he ought to remem-
Der that distinguishing feature of Gen.
Grants inaugural address was his recon-
mendation of the incorporation of this
very amendment in the Constitution, for
said he, speaking to the Northern States,
"unless you do, the people of the South
will always have ground of complaint
that you have forced universal suffrage
on them while you refuse to adopt it
yourselves" This was well said, and
rightly said, and we thank him for it.
The Doctors observation of passing
events is as faulty as his logic, and his
recollection of Gen. Grants position
He says that ''but few Northern States
will ratify the amendment" It so hap
pens that twenty-five States, mostly Nor
thern, hare already ratified It; and that
but twenty-eight are required to fix it in
the Constitution. So that if the people
of Mississippi under his advice, after hav-
ing gone the whole figure of reconstruc-
ton, including the adoption of Consti-
tuition containing negro suffrage, still
stand hes;tating, on the brink, unwilling
to take the last remaining step necessary
to the restoration of the State to the
Union and to relief from military domina-
ton, in order to save from universal suf-
frage the very Northern States that have
forced it on them, the thing will be ac-
complished And what will they have
gained for all this sublime Indifference to
the necessities of their own condition,
and concern for the interest of others who
have not been equally mindful of theirs,
but contempt for their verdancy; pro-
longed denial of representation in the leg
islation of the government; and the con-
tinuation of military rule on the ruins of
their civil and political rights.