The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-01-26
The Significance of the Missouri
Senatorial Election.

An event in the political revolution ID
progress is the election of Gen. Frank
Blair to the United States Senate from
Missouri. He was nominated by caucus
of Democrats in which several Liberal
Republicans participated; and without
their aid it was demonstrated by the lead
ing organ of the Republican party in Mis-
souri,, his election could not have been
assured. In 1868, Gen. Blair published
letter containing among other declara-
tons in regard to the political situation,
the following:
There is but one way to restore the Gov
eminent and the Constitution. and that is
for the President to declare these (the re
construction) acts null and void, compel
the army to undo its usurpations at the
South, disperse the carpet-bag State Gov
ernments, allow the white people to organ
lie their own Government and elect Senat-
ors and Representatives.
We must restore the Constitution before
we can restore the finances, and to do this
we must have President who will execute
the win of the people by trampling into
dust the usurpatiOns of Congress, known as
the reconstruction acts.
Pending the late election of Senator,
resolutions were offered in the Missouri
Legislature, of which Gen. Blair is q
member, to force him to retract these sem
timents or to re-afirm them. And this
latter he did in speech of remarkable
earnestness, as follows
~,
question, stating that he was in favor of the
Thirteenth Amendment and believed the
South generally assented, but the recon
struction acts he declared unconstitutional,
and referred to the decision of the Supreme
Court in the case of Cummings against the
State of Missouri, aud also in the case of
Mulligan and Bowles, tried by the military
commander in Indiana during the war
Referring to his letter to Col. Broadhead, he
used the following language: s.Now,sir. my
letter which has been referred to contends
that the military should be made TO undo
their usurpations at the South. say so
still. and you have only Withdrawn them
from the South. and their work will be un-
DONE Applause.l s.ThoSe carrion crow
carpet-baggers, who are gorged upon plum
der and drunk with the blood of the van
quished people of the South viii dispose OF
themselves in an instant il not sustained by
the bayonets of the Federal Government.
There Is not an item in that letter which
take back. stand by ie. / believe in
the construction given TO the Constitution
of the United States by the Supreme Court
that this reconstruction was unconstitu-
tional. Ny hope in going 20 Congress. If
should attain that high position, Is that
may aid in Withdrawing troops from the
Southern States. which are held there Co
saddle upon the backs Of that people parcel
of carpet bagrers and scaaawags, followed
by an Ignorant mass of negroes, and IL the
people Of the South, who have shown dis
position to abide in good faith BY the ar
bitrament of arms renew their allegiance TO
the Government, they should be allowed to
resume self-government among themselves,
as we have done in Missouri.
Now, let '9oyalty" keep cool. The
author of these sentiments was no
Southern rebel" He fought in the ar
mics oftheU Union, with distinction. And
If there is truth in the statement of the
Missouri Democrat, 1.-THE organ of the
Missouri Republicans, he could not have
been elected to the Senate without the
votes Of the. Republicans known as Lib
erals, who held the balance Of power.
But after all, none but the really guilty
should feel alarmed. The proposition Of
Gen. Blair, rightly construed, 10 that the