New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-11-20

" io u III gDNSEuOES iuaL
gave different result to the election of 1869
! from that which followed the election Of 1868.
) 1t was change of Presidents
: Under President Johnson, Generals Ord
Mcdowell, Gil!eIn, and Anles were all alike
unknown as Republicans, and apparently
> anxious only to be approved By their supe-
: riors at Washington. 1t was not till Gen.
Grant became President that the Republicans
, of Mississippi received any signal encourage
ment or sympathy from any of the military
commanders or governors.
The constitution had no objectionable
clauses; that is to say, its defeat and rejec-
ton in the election of 1868 had been resolved
on by the Democracy before the constitution
or any part Of it had been formed, and con-
sequently, of course, before any of its clauses,
Objectionable or otherwise, could possibly
have been known to any human being. The
constitution was not framed until the 18th of
May, 1868: but the following resolutions
adopted by the Democratic State Conven-
tons held on the 18th of January and the
10Th of February, 1865, correctly show the
grounds upon which its rejection was agreed
upon, undertaken and accomplished. They
speak for themselves and need no cxplana-
ton.
Res0issd, That the military bills of Con-
gress for the reconstruction of the so-called
rebel States arc unconstitutional and opprcs-
sivo in all their particulars, and should be
resisted by the unanimous voice of the peo-
pie at the ballot box.
Resolred, That the nefsr!ous design Of the
Republican party in Congress to place the
white men Of the Southern States under the
governmental control of their late slaves
and degrade the Caucasian race rs the in
feriors Of the African negro, is 4 crime
against the civilization Of the age, which
needs only to be mentioned to be scOrncd by
all intelligent minds; and we therefore call
upon the people of Mississippi to vindicate
| alike the superiority Of their race over the
negro, and their political power to maintain
constitutional liberty.
! ReSolrea, That by the constitution and
laws of the State Of Mississippi, white males
| Of the age Of twenty-one years and upwards
are citizens of the United States, are alone
qualified electors and ofticehOlders, and that
no Others have right to vote within the limits
of said State, or TO hold office therein and
that therefore the acts Of Congress prescrib-
ing rules, whereby negroes are claimed to be
authorized to vote or hold offices in said
State, utterly nall and void, and OF no effect
whatever.
Resolred, That the pretended constitutional
convention now in session at the capital of
Mississippi and which assumes to frame n
constitution and form Of civil government for
the people OF said State, is assembled with
out constitutional authority, not elected by
| the qualified electors of the State, nor by
virtue Of the laws of the land; that the acts
of Congress, under which military elections
were held, for the purpose of polling negro
votes, to elect the members Of said cOnyen-
ton were not within the delegated power. of
Congress, and confer no authority on said
convention; that the constituents Of said
convention are chiefly negroes, destitute
alike of the moral and intellectual qualfica
tons required of electors in all civilized COM
munities, combined with small minority Of
white Adventures from other States that
the majority OF that convention faithfully re-
fleet the pccaliaritics Ct their constituents
that their projected acts demonstrate them
to be the enemies Of the people Of Ilissis-
| sipp, who have constituted tho State from
! its territorial infancy to the present time
that under the fraudulent prctense OF franz
ing constitution and civil government for
the State, they arc wickcdly cOnspring to
disfranchise and degrade the people, TO rob
them alike Of their liberty and property.
to destroy their social and political status,
and finally place them under The ynkc.of a
negro government.
1t is true that, in pursuance Of their pre-
concerted purpose to defeat reconstruction
for the reasons stated in these resolutions,
there were captious objections, and in fact
| to all the "clauses" of the constitution.
But it is generally admitted that the social
ed objectionable clauses" were not only
unobjectionable, but if they had been adopt
cd by the people and ratified by Congress,
would have materially reduced the number of
disfranchised and disqualified citizens Of the
State; because, while they did not, and
could not, in effect, impose any disabilities in
addition TO those already imposed by the Itth
amendment, and by the reconstruction laws,
they would, if they bad been accepted as
part OF the organic law, have removed
even those disabilities from all 1.-The private
soldiers in the Confederate army" and from
all others of every rank who had aided and
stood continue to aid In reconstruction. See
section ., article Of the Constitution as
originally framed.
These clause" were " stricken out" it
is true, but not by Congress. The resubn.,-
sion Act Of April, 1869 authorized the rresi-
dent to resubmit to the registered voters o!
the State either the entire Constitution, or
separate provisions of the same to a separate
vote" Accordingly, the Constitution was
resubmitted in such a manner that the peo-
pie had the opportunity, By means Of
separate vote on separate provisions, TO
"strike OUT" and they did strike cut those
clauses which had been designated by certain
partisans, for mere partisan purposes. as
" Objectionable" bat, which as l have