The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-07-22
Letter From Hon. w. L. Sharkty.
Ofthe Republican Party Analysed
s.-fhe Ultra Radicals Judged by
Their Works.
THE PEOPLE ADVISED TO SUPPORT THE
CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS.


cam and each contending that it is the true
Republican party, and it seems now certain
that no other party will be organized, and
no other candidates placed before the people
except such as may be nominated by these
two parties.
Many of the people probably do not llAr-
monte in sentiment with either OF them.
and yet all will be called upon, and it is no
doubt duty to make choice between theIn
rather than to remain passive. This be-
comes necessary from the force of circun-
stances which are beyond control. Misiis-
sippi is now under a government not of her
own formation, not of her own choice, but
a military despotism, forced upon her, and
admitted on all hands to be the most tyrtn-
zeal and Odious of all governments. 1t is
barely endurable when administered i'm
partially for the public welfare alone, which,
unfortunately, is seldom the case with such
governments. The State has been deprived
of all her relations with, and all benefits
that might be derived from the National
Government; she is now to all intents and
purposes, dependent province without a
local Legislature, without an Executive.
with Judiciary, but subject to the law of
force alone.
How all this has been brought about it is
now useless to enquire, since such al enquiry
could lead to no beneficial results; the peo-
pie must now deal with the state of things
as they find it, so as to relieve themselves
from oppression as well as they can. Their
participation in public affairs becomes the
more necessary, as it is perfectly certain that
one or the other of these parties will control
the destinies of the State; the practical
question is, which party Will best govern
the State, and best protect its citizens in the
enjoyment of life, liberty and property.
There is certainly wide difference between
the two parties, and whilst many might incline
not to cooperate with either, yet to remain
neutral would be very certain to add to the
chances ofthe success of the most objectiona-
bleparty. In order to make proper selection
between them, the safest guide will be found
in their antecedents, rather than in their
present professions, for works at last furnish
the best tests for judging parties as well as
men.
These two parties are generally known,
one as the Radical or Extreme Republican
party, and the other as the Conservative Re-
publican party.
The former is the one which was in power
in the State in 1865; it formed a Constitution
which was submitted to the people, and was
rejected by large majority of votes. That
Constitution is matter of record, and as it
was formed in the flush of great party
triumph, with every prospect of permanent
party ascendency, it will furnish the best
test of the true sentiments, motives and
purposes of the party; it will show us very
clearly how and by whom it was intended
the State shoIld be governed. Had high
patriotic motives, looking only to the estab-
lishment of good government, predOmin-
ated with the party. that was the time and
the occasion to show them. Had spirit OF
liberality prevailed, that was the time and
I'll lie occasion to show it. Unfortunately,
however, IN its important provisions, as well
as in many of its details, it looks more like
a constitution for a party than for the State
at large. l shall confine my remarks on it
mainly to its provisions under the head Of
''Franchise."
This article starts out by manifesting great
liberality towards newcomers and transient
visitors, in greatly abridging the length OF
residence heretofore required to give the
right to vote and to hold office. 1t requires
however, an oath of a most extraordinary
character as qualification to the right to
vote or to hold office, in the concluding part
of which the party swears that he admits
the political and civil equality of all men.
Why such an oath should be required can
only be matter of conjecture; it certainly
was not necessary to protect the ballot; it
cannot have even a remote tendency in that
way. 1t must have been obvious that some
men would decline to take such an oath, as
they would consider it degrading to do SO !;
perhaps therefore it was intended to narrow
the circle ofeligibility to office and the right
to vote.
But the 9Th section of the same article,
more fully discloses the proscriptive char
acter of the cOnvention-its purposes and
its objects, and a total absence of that lib
erality, of that justice, which should ever
guide deliberate body of the kind; in short
it discloses a desire to control and govern
the people by select few,to the exclusion of
the many. 1t declares ineligible to office all
members of the Legislature, who voted for
convention which passed an ordinance of Sc
cession, or as a delegate, voted fer or signed
an ordinance of secession, or who gave vol
untary aid, countenance, counsel, or en-
couragement, to persons engaged in the re-
bellion, or who accepted or attempted to ex-
ercise the functions of any Office, civil or
military, under the Confederate States,
with saving however, to mere privates in
H. l., - I
probably extend to one third of the citizens
of the State. All who were engaged in the
military service, from the lieutenant up to
the general, including all those attached to
the army as SURGEONS, commissaries, quar-
termasters, &C.; and in civil life, from the
cornoner, orjustice of the peace up, and all
private citizens who aided, countenanced
counselled or encouraged relations or friends
who might be engaged in the rebellion
Even the father who had given shelter and
food to his son-the relation who had minis
tered to the wants of sick kinsmen, are rem
dered ineligible to office-in short, almost
every prominent citizen in the State-those
persons in whom the people had been in the
habit of confiding, and to whom they had
looked as guides, are made ineligible to Office
excluded perhaps, for the exercise of that
christian virtue, charity. The proserip-
tive provisions of the reconstruction
plan, including the fourteenth amend
ment are certainly very comprehen-
sive, but this goes tar beyond them. And
the idea forces itself upon the mind, that
this was scheme devised to retain power
and place, by making it impossible that
either competition or opposition, should
come from the permanent citizens of the
State, which is the more manifest, as the
same section makes very singular exeep-
ton in favor of ''all persons who aided re-
construction by voting for this convention,
and shall continuously and IN good faith Gdco-