The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-02-13
Mississippi.

The case Of Mississippi has attracted
great deal of interest. There has been
disposition to bring her in violently under
the constitution which she had rejected-an
instrument almost as bad as the UNDER
WOOD constitution which WELLS and WHIT
TLEsEV desire to force upon this State,
ostracising, rs it does, ninety per cent. of
the white population. The Committee of
Reconstruction were asked to report 8 bill
admitting the State under that constitution
relieved OF the features that lcere SO pro-
scriptiue as to be hostile to the reconstruc
ton laws. This they refused to do. But
this result was caused by the votes of the
Democratic members of the committee, who
voted on principle, holding that Con-
gress has no right to fix up a constitution
for Mississippi. The last rumor, however,
Was that there was to be reconsideration
of the action of the committee, and that
they would probably report in favor Of the
admission of the State upon the conssltu-
ton modified as stated above.
The Hon. ALBERT G. Brown, Of MIS-
sissippi, has made the most noticeable com
munication to the Committee OF Recon
struction on the subject. In his paper he
represented that there was no organized
opposition to the incoming administration
and that if the people were treated with
fairness and tolerable liberality by Gene
w. IN
there will be none. Representing the i'm,
portance of the restoration of law, order,
and systematized industry in the State,
and the great desire of the people for it,
he says:
with all our hearts we respond 10 the no.
bic sentiment of the President elect, Let Us
have peace 1t Is the cherished hope OF our
bosoms and the sncerest wish OF our hearts
that we may have no more strife. viii Con
gress encourage this hope and gratl1y thls
wish, and if so, howf 1answer III the name
ola great people, who mean 10 be loyal TO the
Constitution and obey the laws, by SIMPLY
standing firm on the reconstruction acts as
they were passed and sent To us by Congress.
We ask you 10 take no step backward, and we
beg you 10 take no step forward. II has cost
n few Of us great deal of patient and persist
ent toll TO bring our people up 10 the point OF
meeting Congress on It's own platform but
we have done il, and with wonderful uuanl-
nifty they stand there TO day. l am here 10
tell you SO. | was commissioned by my CO.
laborers 10 come and tell you that we are rea~
dy 10 meet you ON your own ground and shake
hands. What answer shall carry back? If
II be that you We're firm, and refused 10 exact
more than the bond required there Will be JOY
throughout our State But II II be that you
have yielded 10 persuasion, aud advanced Il
step further, there will be sadness and sorrow
IN all our borders"
The Mississippians in Washington repre-
senting the white people of their State,
endeavoripg to effect its restoration to the
Union, generally concurred in these views
offered by Mr. BaowS. They had all given
up all idea that the reconstruction laws of
Congress were to be avoided. 1t was con-
sldered by them settled that negro suffrage
was upon the South, and they were using
ell their power of argument and remon-
! STRANGE against the disfranchisement Of tho
white race. There WAS fair ground Of
hope that they had succeeded. The an.
nouncement that the committee intends 70
reconsider its action encourages the belief
that they have.