The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-08-28
What has Caused Division in Ihe
AnIi.Eadicirl Party.

The divisions which have from time to
time been shown to exist in the ranks of
those who are opposed to Radical mis-
rule, with its attendant evils, in cur
State, are to be lamented the more be
cause they have originated in fundamen-
tai and apparently irreconcilable differ
ences. These differences became mani
fest when the Reconstruction Acts were
rendered as the plan OF Congress for the
permanent settlement of the issues re-
sulting from the war. On the one side,
it was proposed to take Andrew Johnson,
the Accidental President, who had be-
trayed the South and joined her enemies
in the war, and rejected the johnson
Sherman treaty of capitulation in his
purpose "to make treason odious," as
leader and guide; and on the other, it
was proposed to accept the Reconstruc-
ton plan rendered by Congress, which
reflected the will of the conqueror, and
to divest them of the evils which would
necessarily follow opposition, by falling
in with the current, and becoming the
friend, counsellor and guide of the black
voters.
Artful appeals to the natural prejudice
of race and pledges chiefly by fossils
whom johnson had elevated to position
in the South, as a recompense for their
supposed hostility to her cause in the
war, that Reconstruction on the basis Of
negro suffrage could never become an
accomplished fact-swept the masses into
the movement of which he was the cen
trail figure. The voices of those who adj
vised against this course and urged that
the rejection of the terms first presented
in the Reconstruction Acts would lead TO
harsher measures were drowned in a wild
clamor that they had joined the Radical
party, and it was considered by fanatical
zealots little less than crime for an ex-
master to teach his former slaves the
nature of the grave responsibilities with
which they had been clothed and which
constituted them voters with the power
by virtue of numbers to shape legislation
under the lead of wicked men if they
should by any mistake of the ex-masters,
fall into such hands.
In their blind fury, and by the advice
of the johnson party, very many intelli-
gent and wellmeaning Southern men re-
fused to attend the polls at the election
of delegates to the Constitutional Con
vention. As a consequence, it was com
posed chiefly Of the worst class of adven-
turers and their deluded dupes of the
negro race.
The next year, from apprehension of
permanent disfranchisement under the
Adventures constitution, these differ
ences among the Conservatives, which
had developed themselves so Indignantly
in the previous election, were for the time
waived in order to make sure the reiec-
ton of that instrument. But events
quickly demonstrated that the union of
lately discordant elements for this pur-
pose, was a mere armistice, not a perma-
nent peace 1t is not to be believed that
the Objectionable name at the head of the
Conservative ticket in 1869, was the
chief cause of the Democratic detection
which played into the hands Of Ames, the
military dictator, and his carpet-bag
tIainbands The same ticket bore the
honored names of Robert Lowry and T.
s. Gathright it embraced the we'll
known pledge that the pick and flower
of the Mississippi bar would constitute
the Judiciary of the State; and in the
several counties the best, and most hon
ored Mississippians were selected to repre-
sent them in the Legislature. Still the
Radical ticket was triumphant by fortS
thousand majority. In numerous in
stances, the same men who the year be
fore entered rapturously into the idea of |
cooperation with the negro voters to de-
feat Acknowledgement, elevated them
selves to a lofty eminence, folded their |
arms with serene Indifference and looked |
sulIenly on while the good old Common
wealth was being swept into the vortex
Of Radical misrule.
Tell us not that this Democratic de-
lection meant opposition to the Dent
Lowry Cartwright ticket, and to the great
plan of sound and capable judiciary
and an intelligent Mississippian Legisla-
ature. The trouble was that the move
nent embraced acceptance of the Recon
,ruction policy and the Fifteenth
leaving the States the regu-
alton of suffrage provided, however,
hat no class of persons should be pro-
libited from voting on account Of race.
Here was the real grievance, and the
ource whence the detection came which
oined to bayonet influence and corrupt
Of the ballot-box, landed
'ver the State to the tender mercies of
he adventures and their scallawag al
les. The men who opposed resistance
o the policy of Congress in 1867, largely
enforced, were not able to stem the tor
ent of opposition which they were sum-
n0ned to encounter.
Again, in 1871, there was a truce in
uced by the overwhelming calamity of
RADICAL misrule, and a sense of the ne
esity of throwing it off; and the discord-
mt elements were again brought into CO t
peration. But in 1872, when the Pres