The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-09-04
Speech Of Hon. ]. L. Alcorn.
Announcing Himself as a Candidate
for Governor, in the City Of
jackson, Aug. 90, 1873.

both property and life, Withdraw the Stat
from the Union he protested but when tn
state was Withdrawn he came with tn
people, prepared TO share the res possibility
1t was suspected by those who were &C
duaintel with his convictions that his de
cIaration Of allegiance to the Conlederacy
was insiae.Te. When it was not uncom-
mon for men who had participated ia the
rebellion u olead loyalty TO the Union. he
(Goy. A. had freely confessed himself a
rebel
had come that the people were prepared TO
accept the terms Of reconstruction and re-
turn with their allegiance TO tue MON, the
white people Of the State, his Old friends
and com anions. proposed TO make Louis
Dent, A nonresident Of the State, the stand
ard bearer OF the returning masses To the
Union, again he protested, holding 1t more
manly that one OF our own citizens should
bear back TO the nation the allegiance of a
conquered people now ready to renew their
Oaths 20 that Government against which
they had fought for long years Of time
with a courage characteristic OF brave
people. The whites refused 10 follow him !;
be appealed to the negroes who Were now
eufrlnchised, to follow his, an old slave
holders, fortunes, while he bore back TO the
bosom OF The Union new Constitution for
Mississippi and the sworn allegiance of all
the people 10 the Government at Washing
ton The cOlored people had followed him
on that occasion, with an enthusiasm, with
"A devO. ion, that he had never seen sur
passed; thousands of whites, too, becoming
sensible of the humiliation. selt-impOsed OF
following Dent, abandoned the adyenturer
and came forward to swell the majority by
which be was elected Governor of the State.
Four years had now passSd bY-four years
OF civil government To the coiored people OF
Mississippi had worked marked change.
That Jhr change was one in the progress Of
civilization who could deny: The cOlored
people were no here in great mum bers TO
pass upon the stewardship Of their rulers
. t,tftr To cont
didates for the coming term.
The State had been canvasSed by the
piran-s, ana in that canvass he (Goy. a. ).
although not before the people, mad been
severely aud unjustly criticised 1t had
been asserted TO the colored people that he
had turned his back upon them; that he, in
Congress, had voted against the
CIVIL RIGHTS BILL.
The charge was false. He favored a Civil
Rights dill while in COngress-he had argued
It's paSsage-he had performed his part. 1t
II true that he voted against Mr.. Summers
proposition to place the Civil Rights Bill as
an amendment to the = Disability Bill" but |
his vote Wa, not hostile to the interest OF |
Civil Rights. lie knew then, as well as |
now. that To place the Civil Rights Bill as /
an amendment TO the . Disability Bill'' was |
but to postpone and defeat the Civil Rights |
Bill. The Disability Bill could not be pass
ed on account of a constitutional provision,
except by a vote of twO-thirds of each house
of Congress. The Civil Rights Bill could,
like ordinary bills, be passed by "A ma
iOrity vote. Why then place the Civil
Rights Bill under the conditions OF a two
thirds vote when "a majority vote was sufii-
Cient2 Why this unless it was the purpose |
to defeat the bill? Who did not know that
the Civil Rights Bill could not in any event
pass the House of Representatives by "A
majority of tWo-thirds Those who voted
for this, knew well what the effects of their
votes would be; their votes We're hypocriti
cal-intended TO deceive you. The Civil
Rights Bill could have been passed at any
moment by majority of each house, and /,
friend ot~rhe colored people tells you that
am to be ceusnred and General Ames
praised, because voted against and he for
this glaring insult to the intelligence OF the
colored people of the nation.
After the Civil Rights Bill had been by
this hypocrtlcaI play postponed and finally
defeated, bill was introduced by Senator
Carpenter, OF Wisconsin, and passed through
the senase. The Disability Bill was, near
the same hour, likewise introduced and
passed. hut they were passed, as at first they
should have been. separately. He did not
vote for either of these bills, for the reason
that he was not in his seat. They were un-
c&pectedly called up and passed without
debate, aud with but little opposition, when
he was absent; but when, soon after, he re-
turned to his seat, he then declared his re-
gret that lie had been absent, and in his
place stated that If he had been present that :
he should have voted for each of the bills
the Civil Rights and the Disability Bill.
], said the speaker, have favored your
Civil Rights from the day you were enfran- !
chised, and have worked that you should
enjoy them. | succeeded
GEN. AMEs AS GOVERNOR
of Mississippi. In his capacity as military /
Governor be was, in the minor details Of the {
government a law unto himself: he mani :
tested hatred to the whites OF the State.
but his love for the colored man had not
lti, 20 for Is |
When | became Governor the colored man :
was not permitted to ride in the first class :
railroad ears. Why did he not enforce your {
Civil Rights? he had the power to do So {
and vet he did not. Soon after | became +
Governor you were riding in the ears like :
other people and this too without the aid of I
either legislation or the bayonet You en- |
tered on this privilege with the consent and
appreciation of the White peoD'e of the ,
State. | had appealed TO them in vour he
half. | had appealed to Presidents of the J
different railroads; the Justice and good
sense of the appeal was recognized and :
from that day to this, this branch of vour | ,
Civil Rights has been respected.
Again, cOlored men, you are told that l !
am seeking to break up the Republican !
party, and TO turn you over to the Demo- :
Gratis. This Is false. | seek to maintain it IL
in the control of the government for the ri
good of the people. In the effort to create !
a diStrust in your minds against me,
THE THIEVES t
who are seeking to rob ycu speak of a pri
vate letter which they tell you | have
written To old man Mygatt, at Vicksburp
in which / Indicate desire for the dismem-
berment OF the Republican party They
say they cannot publish the letter because
it is private, and yet they tell YOU what
they declare To be its contents; they tell
yon that which is false. Now, Won Know
me, and many of you know Mr.. Mvgatt:
does any one of YOU think | would write
N Y ! l
the country should see? l knew Mygatt
would show my letter, the letter which /
wrote him. wrote it, marked it private
with the knowledge that he would be the
more eager to show it; he has shown il
and now let him publish it. l desire he
shall do so. that you may all read what |
have written. And should any other letters
of mine be in the possession OF this
THIEVES GANG
let them publish snch as the public is inter
ested in seeing. l have no secrets with
them-two wears your Governor, and many
of them my appoinIeeS, let them say wheth-
er have at any time connived at or COM
pounded with wrong, and let them give the
proofs.
When entered on my duty as Governor the
white people of the State were estranged
from me. L was compelled to put my
Government in motion, and had necessarily
to appoint many men to Office who | felt
were unfit: | appointed many good men
and many bad ones, but before appointing
to office l made the Legislature vote me a
secret service fund OF fifty thousand dol
lars, and nj the same time give me power to
remove ineumbents from office. kept
spies on their track, and, with the power TO
remove, saved the State from plumber.
The question is asked,
WHY 1 OPPOSE GEN. AMKs,
1t being that Ames could not have been
elected TO the Senate but for me. | shall
give YOU the answer. Ames had denied
that lie Aasira ] To 90 II the Sanata rnlo-I---a