The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-07-17

The Newton Ledger reads US lee
ture-saying:

It's course. A great many PERSONS Ic&diu ~
as the organ of the Democratic party anu
hare a right to expect sound. wholesome
Democratic truths from il, but they do not
get tn en-. The CLARION is one OF the weak
est Democratic papers in Mississippi, ana
one that often runs astTay IN search OF raise
gods. Our contemporary will never forget.
nor will he permit Others to forget, with
what persistent determination the white
people OF Mississ ppi rejected the advice
rendered them by himself anu Gov. Brown
in 1867. The seif-loye of these gentlemen
received blow which has neither been for
gotten nor forgiven.
We are taken to task because We have
not denounced the Beauregard move
ment in unmeasured terms" Our CEN
sor is illiberal We are arraigned, not
for what we have done, but for what we
haven't done. We are abused for not
abusing other people-for recognizing
the right of every community to govern
itself according to its own will. In other
words, for maintaining the doctrine of
local self-government, free from other
peoples interference. 1t was this inter
meddling spirit Of Northern fanatics who
asserted the right to superintend the af-
fairs of the South, that carried the ship
of state outside the channel marked out
by the builders until the noble vessel was
wrecked on tie shoals and quicksands
whittier their madness had driven it.
And now, here is the Newton Ledger,
claiming to be a Democrat of the strict
construction school, reproving us for adj
herring to the creed of the fathers, that
the people of every community have a
right to manage their own affairs, I'M
trammeled by the dictation of outside
parties.
THE CLARION my De ga weak"
paper We don't profess to have gifts
beyond those with which nature has en-
dowed US. 1t may be ga strange"
paper; and it may have "disgusted
thousands with its Conservative views"
but its conductors are recompensed by
the reflection that they have the approval
of their own conscience and by the
knowledge that if their counsel had been
followed when the question of the polit-
ical and civil rights of the negro was first
presented, the strife and bitterness and
humiliation and expressions of military
law and taxation and debt which have
attended the rule of the Carpet-Baggers
would have been avoided. The negro
never would have placed himself under
the government of the Adventures if a
majority of the Southern whites had not
attempted to defeat the plan of Congress
sional Reconstruction and refused to be-
come his guide and teacher in the enjoy
ment of the new privileges which the
plan was designed to confer This atti-
tude of guide for the negro in his new
and untried responsibilities we urged the
white people Of our State to assume
Our advice was rejected. What has fol
lowed, has become history The Ledger
says We will "never forgive" the major
ity for discarding our counsels 1t is
very much mistaken. We are too busy
with the present to brood over the past.
If those who overruled our advice and
plunged the State into worse evils than
those we were trying to avert, can " for
give" themselves, we will be satisfied.
So far as the q Dent" programme is
concerned, we are willing to take our
share of the responsibility. Its necessity
never would have been experienced but
for the unwise undertaking to defeat
the Congressional plan of reconstruction.
1t plunged the State into the slough, to
raise her from which desperate remedies
were required. The " Dent programme
had the approval Of many Of the wisest
heads and truest hearts in Mississippi. |
1t embraced the plan of Conservative |
anti-Radical Legislature and the appoint
ment of an honest and capable Judiciary.
With these two departments under sound |
and capable control, the interests of the
State would have been well guarded |
The experience of other States had dem |
Onstrated that no State would be admit |
ted into the Union applying under
Democratic Governor. A compromise
was necessary, and this plan embraced
pledge that Ames should be set aside.
and that we should have an honest cleo
ton, which was well known would bring
the fruits above described. The Admin
istratiOn was false to its pledges. Ames
was encouraged in his arbitrary course.
The ballot-box was corrupted; and de-
lection in the Conservative ranks came
to the aid of usurpation and treachery
on the part of the Administratil IN and its
tools in turning over all the departments
of the State Government into the hands
Of the Adventures and their scallawag
allies. If the men who were engaged in
this work can find any cause for self-con-
graduation in the fruits which have fol-
lowed it, we are not disposed to inter
fere with their enjoyment We are will
ing to stand on our record, and to vindi-
,ate it whenever we think it worth while
% leave the things of the living present
% burrow in the grave of the dead past.
AS for the g Greeley" movement, THE
CLARION was such small drop in the
Tast current of which it was made up.
hat we don't think it worth while to dis
uss our connection with it further than
o say that the movement was wise in its
patriotic in design and
hat, though not Immediately success