The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-10-12
INFLUENCE ON
THE WAVE.

of the Carpet-Baggers.
The ''Mournful Facts" as ruling
class, have had their day in this State
Their influence has been most PERM
cious and wicked one. Coming into the
State mere penniless adventures, and
bent upon coming their fortunes out of
the fruits of the labor of her impOverish-
ed people, they almost invariably located
in the counties having black majorities,
with the avowed intention of helping
themselves to Office by voting the ne
groes. Office seeking was their avoca-
ton; and when others were at work pur-
suing their several callings, they were
industriously plying theirs, appealing to
the passions and stirring up the prejudices
Of the late slaves, filling their minds with
false ideas, and arraying them as a race
against the whites, who candor compels
us to say, having a vast deal besides
politics TO engage their attention, too long
neglected to adopt counteracting meas
ures.
The adventures, from the beginning,
preached the gospel of hate against the
whites, and imbued the minds OF the
negro with the idea that to practice this
creed was to serve their country and to
secure their souls salvation. To subserve
their ends of organizing the blacks into
a compact body against the whites, they
imported with themselves, the diabolical
political mechanism known as the Union
or Loyal League, which held its sessions
in secret and bound its members with
horrid and blasphemous oaths to obey the
DEGREES of the order, whatever they
might be.
Obtaining control of the Conventions
which were ordered to be assembled to ere
construct" the Southern States govern
ments, and backed by Federal bayonets,
with the hands of one-half of the intelli-
gence of the South manacled by the
restrictive laws of the Radical Congress,
these agents of discord, and instruments
of oppression and plumber had full oppor-
tunity for the display of their wicked
designs.
The history of the Black-and-Tan Con-
vention in this State in 1868, is record
of crime under the protectios of law and
of the egis of government, without par
alIel in modern times except in the pro-
ceedings of other similar bodies assem-
bled for like purpose in the other South
States To make assurance doubly sure
of their infamous rule, they adopted a
Constitution which would have operated
to disfranchise nearly, if not quite, one
half of the white population of the pres
ent generation.
BY determined and united effort the
whites succeeded in enlisting large num-
Der of blacks to defeat this proscriptive
Constitution at the polls. 1t was accom-
plished against tremendous odds. The
election was held by the military authori-
ties, under laws and regulations that were
designed to secure the ratification of the
Convention, no matter what it might be.
Nevertheless It was rejected, and the
population who were the objects of this
malicious and proscriptive measure had
the good luck to escape it.
But the adventures were not thus to
be baffled in their game. They were not
content to abide the decision which had
been rendered against their iniquitous
scheme through the ballot-box by the
very class of voters whom they themselves
had selected to sit in judgment upon it.
They were mean enough to appeal from
this decision thus rendered to a prejudiced
and partisan Congress, whom they petit
toned to force the DISTINGUISHING Consti-
tuition on the State in contempt of the
will of the voters fairly and honestly
misunderstanding to the testimony of
the Military Commander himself in the
election. ARd they ,oere base enough to
sustain their petition By peJiured oattsl
Partizan as the Congress and President
were, to whom they appealed, the petit
ton was more than they could stand. |
The Constitution was referred back to |
the people with an opportunity to vote
on the DISTINGUISHING clauses separately. |
But with this act of grace, narrow
bigoted and INSCRIPTIONS
who had conceived the
idea of electing himself to the U. S.
was appointed TO govern the
State and to conduct the election, which
he effectually did in the interest of the
same gang of alien adventures and
lnaves who had been baffied in the
previous election. BY promises of Office
lie enlarged the Ring with considerable
callawag element.
The election was SO carried as the
,naves had predetermined and the new
government was set a going. How i.
las abused its powers, is a matter of Bit
er experience to-the people of the State
Their taxes, already higher than they
7ere able to bear, were increased five
old. The appropriations were quadru- {
led in every department of the State s
overnment, and an innumerable brood of I
fiees created to the great detriment ,
t the taxpayers, was to afford lucrative I
Employment to the Northern scum that 7
ad foated Southwark on the ''recon- {
ruction" wave. h
How the so-called Legislature was d
anaged by this INSCRIPTIONS crew, has a
cen described from time to time in THE Y
LARIoN. But the half has not been n
II WI III - L.