The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-08-14


too late, is the momentous question of the
hour.
And we don't know yet, but we don't be-
lieVe The CLARION Is Cnifier after the
fashion of the Louisiana Indicators. But,
we have reference u a certain action in
the history of The CLARION. which is gen.
orally rememb ered, and has generally been
forgiven: its advocacy OF adoption of Con-
stitutional Amendments; and an assurance
that it win not 'depart" from the position
then taken. THE CLARION makes a merit
of having taken and held that position
when it required moral hrmness TO occupy
it, and of sticking to 1t now that Recon-
sCruction has been indurated into Constitu-
tionaI law. The CLARION helped to plant
and water the tree, but, strange to say,
since 1t has come into bearing, is every day
rejecting the fruit. We disclaim stills and
high riding, but did oppose and advise the
people to reject reconstruction under the
Amendments. The result of reconstruction
was then i'll the future. We could not
know, we could only speculate of the effect.
We have it before us III the ruin of a great
section, and the degradation of a noble
people. 1t has developed to be the monster
crime of centuries, the blacklist spot upon
American civilization. We could not know
that our opposition was to be futile, for we
are not a prophet. In theory it was sub
mitted to our free choice whether we would
accept it. We are proud that we did not
Get down in the dust beforehand TO ''advO-
cate from the beginning" the adoption OF
the abomiuable measures that are parents OF
all our woes, the ruin of our country and
the disgrace OF our race. We accept the in
evitable as we accept couhagrations, storms
aud floods, plaques and contagious; no
man, etc, etc.-Meridian Mercury.
The CLARION has never nursed en-
mites, and has always been willing to
compose honest differences with those
with whom it is in political utilization
by dismissing issues no longer living and
pertinent. But it scorns forgiveness,
if it be intended to imply that on the
occasion referred to we did not advocate
what was best for the good of the people
under the circumstances in which they
were placed. We did not plant, nor
help to plant, the Reconstruction tree;
but we did advise, with all the energy
we were capable of summoning, against
the stupendous folly, not to say criminal
conspiracy against the happiness of
whole people, of attempting to strike it
IIOLH It's lOuHudGIUu dIIcE IL IInO D6cu
planted by the will Of the nation, that
had acquired the perfect power to do so.
Our woes would not necessarily have
sprung from those Acts. They are due
to the insane endeavor to prevent them
from being carried into execution. They
are due to the opposition of majority of
the present prescribed class under the in
fuence of misguided or designing leaders,
to the bestowment of political privilege
upon the negro; their repulsion Of his
confidence by such impotent and I'M
awaiting opposition, and the abandon
ment of his guidance when too late to the
who came into the State
with the avowed purpose of taking advan-
tage of this folly and organizing the new
voters on a race basis, knowing that
they were numerically in the ascendant,
and able, if controlled, to dictate the
legislation of the State. They have
carried their point, as an inevitable con-
The line of conduct which
we espoused, not only from a sense of
duty to our own race, but from what we
believed was just to the blacks who had
acquired their freedom and were entitled
to voice in making the laws to which |
they were amenable, would have averted |
this evil. The negro went to the Car
pet-bagger because the whites who as
sumed to lead, not only refused to be his
guides in his new responsibilities, but
actually opposed comforting suffrage upon
him, and even, many of them, refused to
'ecogniZe him as a voter, though the
nation had decreed it. We simply said,
pause, fellow-countrymen, you can not
lefeat Reconstruction by following the
,ounsels of that base migrate and traitor,
Andy johnson, and the fossils he had
warmed into temporary existence; but
'ou can, and will if you persist in that
course, drive the new voters into the
amp of your enemies, to be used as in
truments for your plumber and oppres-
ion hereafter. And if from this cause
here are confagrations, storms and
loods, plaques and contagious" let the
eaders who betrayed you into the error
y promises of Supreme Court DEGREES
nd popular uprisings in the North that
ever occurred, pray for g forgiveness"
indicated in our own course, we have
zone to ask.
1t is sufficient answer to the Democrats
ppoSiug the nomination and election OF
ieneral AnlcS to ask them how it is, that.
General Ames was good enough citizen
t Mississippi for the Uses of the Democracy