New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-12-11
From mississippi.
NTCkSRyRG , Nov. 90, !,

N"mbcr q, from Jackson, and Signed by III.
{. Carter" an attempt is made TO correct
ccrtain alleged errors in my communication
Of the li,h ultimo. IL is true that when a
person Signs lis name to document or n COM
munica.ion, he becomes solely responsible
therefore: but. in writing for the press, if n
person cannot write proper communication
aiRselC, i seems TO NE that modesty nj least
might prevent him from getting another to
hc cannot reply, then he would be justified
N Getting some one TO write a reply for him !;
5Hl do not think III. &. Cartor" was al
!ulel 10 in The rcmotest manner in nv COM
mun:cation of the 18th ul,imo. Certainly
hat individual was the most distant from nv
thoughts.
Tine whole letter is nothing but a reha sh
"t the Views Of our Attorney General, and
al M;>>issippians can see at glance that
the Attorney General is the real author of it ,
appcndinC his signature.
stated in my communication Of the llth
ultimo that the constitution which was sub
mittcd TO the people Tor ratification in June,
ISIS, was defeated on account Of objection
able clauses in that settlement, and the SYM
pathics "c the then Military Governor-Gen.
Giilcm-mhi>h were antagonistic to the re-
construction acts. II is true | was not here
al the election in lSGS, neither was Mr.. Car
ter; but it does not always require person
"a Lie "A pi Srntp -
gong on therein, and more especially in those
times when every intelligent man in the
country woald dcvour the news, as it were,
IN relation Ia the progress Of reconstruction
"i the Southern States. remember well the
heat ofindisnation that ran through me when
read Tie result OF the election in this State
III loCS, and especially so when il was re-
ported that it was the fault, principally, of
Gen. Gillem, the Military Governor, who
was cndeavoring to please President john
son. i thought the convention of the State
was wrong in inserting in such sweeping dis
franchising clauses in the constitution, but
felt that that matter could be soon rcmeded
if the State was once admitted into the Union
with Republican government.
am surprised to see Mr.. Carter make the
statement that Gen. Amcs was Military
Governor Of this State in 1865. Why, every
body knows that he was here at that time as
a subordinate officer under Gen. Gillem, and
it was not until after Gen. Grant became
President, in 1869, that Ames was made
Military Governor. 1t seems to me that an
ot is hn ION, IN
which Mr.. Carriers name is signed, to reflect
somewhat upon Gen. Ames in saying that
he, Gen. A. in common with Generals
Ord, Mcdowell, and Gillcm, were unknown
as Republicans, and apparently anxious only
to be approved by their superiors at Wash
ington." Whatever may be said about the
other Generals, everybody knew that Gen.
Ames has always been a Republican OF the
strictest degree. But while in the army he
did not take a prominent part in the political
affairs Of the nation, as very few soldiers do.
But his principles were perhaps known by
President Johnson, which may account for
his being kept in subordinate position.
But so soon as Grant became President
knowing Gen. Ames as he di1-he at once
appointed him Military Governor, and all of
US applauded him for it as being one of the
hest appointments he had ever made.
said Congress struck out the objection
able clause in our constitution, which was
defeated i'll 1865" but Mr.. c. denies this.
OF course no one but a chronic fault-fnder
understood me 10 mean that it was actually
done by the Congress of the United States
assembled in Washington. After ii had
been defeated a committee Of fifteen was APP
pointed 10 proceed TO Washington 10 urge
upon Congress to admit the State into the
Union and that committee took with them
certain documents to prove that there was
great fraud perpetrated at the election and
intimidation imposed upon the colored people
in preventing them from voting as they
wished. But Hons. John A. Bingham, OF
Ohio, George :. Boutwell,, of Massachusetts,
and others who were prominent members OF
the Reconstruction Committee, advised the
committee from Mississippi to pass a reso-
luton striking out these Objectionable clauses,
Gen. Grant, as President, also advised the
same, stating that they were too sweeping, }
but the committee, l believe, refused to do
so. In the resubmission act of Congress,
therefore, these Objectionable clauses were
10 be voted upon separately, and in this man.
her they were stricken out from the consttu.
ton. Congress opposed the Objectionable
clauses and Congress, in an indirect man.
ner, told the people that if they wished the
State TO be admitted into the Uuion, they
must vote down these Objectionable clauses
and il was done almost unanimously.
At the Republican Convention of this State
in 1850, Gen. Ames was called upon TO al.
dress it, and in his remarks be told the Repub.
Leans that they had his ''sympathics, and
thai they should have his Support" And
when il was intimatcd 10 him in threaten
ing manner by certain prominent men here
that If hc did not give the weight of his inilu
ence 10 Gen. Dent, Grants brother-in-law :
who was then the Democratic candidate fol
Governor of this State, lac would be removed
he replied, Before ! would sacrifice IN,
principles TO please any man, would resign
my commission in the army and go home !!
will now reafiirm what stated in IN,
communication of the 18th ultimo in relation
10 the constitutiOnality of the present elec