The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-04-20

question There has appeared In the
Columbus Press wtnt pufports to be >
report Of apsecEles made A9y myself and
other members CT this Houss on resolu-
lions Introduced by Nj Lyneh. Or Adams,
that does me such injustice as to de-
mand at my hands . no1ce before this body.
Ny attention was called TO the paper, and
the report on Tuesday last the day LEFT
Columbus Tor this place. addressed tie
editor of the paper 3 note Demanding an
explanation or his offensive editorial, and
inqniring If he was res ponsible for the pub
lished report OF the discussion. The pub
! fishers Of the paper replied that the editor
i who wrote the editorial, and who had the
| report OF the discussion published, was abb
sent In Ohio. / was Informed snat he left
about the time he issued his paper. and
4 would be absent about two months. / re-
/ quired that my note should be forwarded
4 20 him, and Ii may be that when he receives
| Il he VIII be gallant enough 70 shorten his
visit and return to Columbus WewilI at
i tend TO this matter when he returns.
] That man could have been base enough
to have deliberately written for me a speech
and for i've other gentlemen from memory.
| purporting to give correct report of what
| was said and to have put before the public
4 such version Is past comprehension. The
/ writer Of the report of my speech knew he
/ had penned q lie when he finished the ac-
count. He knew that he had put into my
mouth language and sentiments | did not
utter and had suppressed the most import
/ ant things I did say on that occasion. did
not mention the :. the reconstruction acts, y
/ or Frank Blair. | was not interrupted with
the question did you take.up arms to fight
for your country during the war;" / did
not say that j was Union man and was
driven from Georgia. nor did I say l
$ would take command of body of TROOPS
and fight so long as had BREATH / did
say that the 10Th Amendment was adopted
| by fraud and violence; that it was fact
that would live as long as history gave a
faithful account of the past. / instanced
as proof of the fraud, that several of the
! Legislatures of the States who were not
elected with reference TO this issue had rati-
| fed the Amendment i'll the face of large
popular majorities against it. I instanced
as proof of the violence, that army>Officers.
with almost unlimited power ONer the lives
and property of the people of the Southern
States. backed by whatever Of military force
was thought to be necessary. had carried
the election at the point of the bayonet. I
did not say they were null and void; for
though passed irregularly and by unfair,
unjust and violent means, yet having COM
piled with the forms of the Constitu-
ton, they became part of the organic
| law of the land, and cannot be set aside by
any other means than those which must be
adopted to effect a change in any other
portion of the Constitution. did say to
might not be misunderstood upon this SUBJ
/ ject by them, that it was not the rights
| which had been conferred upon them by
these amendments which rendered them so
offensive. But it was the exercise by the
government of uSurped power, to force the
States into conformity with the wishes of
party majority in Congress. That it was
these powers of usurpation and eentraliza-
ton against which the Democratic party
was battling to-day. That the dangers were
% rrra To hn n Eht1h ms
to the freedom OF the white, and if they
wished to preserve to their children and
their children's children the civil liberty
and free institutions they should unite their
strength with ours In driving from power
party which claimed the right in the federal
government to make State one day and
unmake it the next, and TO control through
the army and navy of the country the bal
| lot from Maine to Texas.
That IL an army was to be stationed at
every ballot-box in the country. it would
not be question long whether their people
or ours either should vote. That voting,
with all else we priced dearly as secured by
/ good governments. would be trodden down
| by the iron heel of military power. That
we made no war on the rights of the black
man, but would award to him and defend
for him. all the rights he has under the laws
of the land.
In reply to the taunt that l did not go
into the army during our late war. l did
say that / was opposed to the policy of
secession that did not think the election
of Lincoln a sufficient cause for war; that
thought the American people had the right
TO elect any one they saw proper TO the
chief magistracy of the nation; that it was
/ not necessary In that debate to detail the
circumstances in justification OF my course
in not joining the army. 1t was sufficient
| TO state that they were satisfactory to my
own Judgment and conscience and would
satisfy any unprejudiced and honest heart
on the face of the earth. In reply 70 the
taunt that Longst-eet's memory would be
| fresh and green when mine was forgotten,
| did not say that whether my memory lived
/ long or died soon. would be remembered
within the limited sphere of my acquain-
lance as one who tried under all circufn-
stances TO do his duty. but that the name of
Longstreet would be associated in the mem
| cries of the people of the South, with the
| recOllections that clustered around the name
of Arnold.
I feel bound, as an honorable man, upon
rejection, to withdraw the illusions made
to Gen. Longstreet' on that occasion.
avail myself Of the earliest opportunity to
4 do the same in the presence of the body be-
| fore whom the attack was made. do this
| for the reason that I do not think was
| justified in avail ing myself Of my privilege
/ on this floor, to speak as did on that occa-
sion of any person who is not a member.
am prompted to this by an honorable sem
timent and not from request, intimatiOn or
suggestion of Longstreet or any Of his
1 fri
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redress them. That they were sufficient to
Justly defoausion an4 ~ snni I,;c III We w ss could
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members 81 5ns houas, y 49, N a.
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