The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1878-01-08


ITS abandonment step backward in the
progress of free government. Mississippi
owes it to herself to restore this feature in
her government, and the action of the
Legislature on the subject is looked to
with deep concern by the people. H..
The So.Calied 1ississippiR epudf.
aied Debt.
The following has been quoted as an
extract from letter Of Hon. l.. O. c..
Lamar to Gen. Gordon, of Georgia, urg-
ing him to accept the position of Special
Commissioner of the Southern States to
the Paris Exposition. In Col. Lamar's
letter the following passage occurs:
A very intelligent traveller, one who has
held very conspicuous positions abroad, has
urged that 1 go in the capacity of Special
commissioner, but happen to know that
am not the man. Whilst in Europe, was
consulted every day by MeSsrs. Mason,
Slldeli and our financial agents in London
and Paris. The greatest obstaclein the way
OF the financial recognition of our Confed-
eracy was the fact that our President was
from Mississippi, TO which the Odium of re-
pudiation was attached. / remember the
chief man on Change told Mr.. Mason: sir,
you cannot float your loan unless your Con-
federacy disavows the reputation of Mis-
sissippi.' Now, If were to go there, my
time would be more occupied in explaining
this matter of population than in pushing
the enterprise" ~.
This extract having been the subject of
numerous comments, the Vicksburg
Herald offered the following remark,
which was reproduced, with editorial dis
play, by Judge Watson in his Holly
Springs South: a ial
We should think that every Mississippian's
cheek ought to burn about that repudiation busi-
ness, but not because Senator Lamar tells
the truth. He says that for him to be con-
tinually having to ex plain it, would hamper
his usefulness as Commissioner. This is
certainly the truth, and, as bitter as it may
be to us, our Senator is not to blame that it
is the truth. na
When two of the most influential and
respected newspapers of Mississippi de-
liberately put forth the opinion that the
State has done an act which should bring
the blush of shame to her own people,
we might well despair of the time ever
coming when she will no longer be mis-
understood and villified abroad. At this
moment we have before us most stupid
and malicious TRADE against our State,
in the Richmond Despatch, whose authors
ignorance is equaled only by his me 1dac-
ity. The article is tumble Of many
things wholly irrelevant to, and
disconnected from, the real question of
the action of Mississippi in reference to
the Union Bank Bonds. A pretended
review of life Of the late S. s. Prem
tiss, furnishes the pretext for the assault,
and what is represented to be the action
of Mississippi is held up as scare crow
by the Virginian Journalist to deter the
Legislature of his own State from car
rying into execution what seems a popu-
lar idea of cutting down large portion
Of the public debt of that State under
the pretence of adjusting" it. 80
The writer, speaking Of Mississippi,
says that cher reputation was as bad as
Republication can be-. We never heard
"of any that was less Objectionable"
Then the writer has read the history of
other Nations and of other States of the
American Union (his own State Of Vir-
ginia included) to little purpose. We
affirm, and are prepared to maintain, that
there never was more righteous decis-
ion in any case than that of Mississippi in
regard to what is styled in the slang
phrase of the day, "the repudiated debt"
1t is proper to state here that there is
this striking difference between the
case of Mississippi and that of Virginia,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee and 9TH
ers, which are in default on their bonds,
and that is that not farthing of the
money obtained for the so-called srepu-
dated bonds" was ever received by Mis-
sissippi, or applied to any public work
or enterprise whatever, for the benefit oil
her people. But in truth she never ere
pudiated" in the sense in which the term
is used. What she has done, and right
eously done, was to refuse to be bound
by obligations she never incurred, and
to pay debts which she never contracted
and which were fraud upon her people.
In proof, we will submit the following
undeniable facts for the consideration ol
persons who desire to reach fair and
| Just conclusion. W -asss.s.t
The, Constitution of Mississippi con
tanned the following clause. It's design