The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1878-01-18
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE AND PENAL
TRANSPORTATION.

To the Editors of the Clarion:
have read the Governors Message care
fully, and while I do not propose to review
it at length. cannot refrain from exercis:
ing the right of free citizen of the State,
and enter my protest against his recon-
meudation for penal transportation bill,
by which a m an may be indicted in a county
other than that of his residence, or In which
the offence was committed. and transported
to distant part of the State for trial.
The history of that clause in our Consti-
tuition quoted by the Governor is too well
known TO escape the attention of the Legis-
laturc, who no doubt will take necessary
steps to obliterate it from the statute book.
1t is a monument of Ra dical hate and
persecution, intended TO silence opposition
to their nefarions schemes of VI ngeanee and
plumber, by indicting and transporting to
distant county for trial, those who should
incur the i'll will of the sdchems of that
party. And yet Radical villainy and cupid
ity never yet had the courage to vitalze
that clause of the Constitution by passing
transpor tation bill.
In the days of secret service funds, and
State detectives, and picked cavalry regi-
ments, Alcorn recommended penal trans
portation bill, but it raised such a storm of
Indignation all over the land that it never
became law.
In Gods name what have our people done
to require this high-handed IN easure at this
time? Upon what does the Governor make
his recommendation Suppose the bill is
passed, how will it operate? A man in
~ 1,<,
dale and dragged thither to .Lauderdale
county among strangers, perhaps without
money and without counsel, to be tried, and
this upon the suggestion. suppose, that so
much prejudice exists in Warren county
that an impartial grand or petit jury cannot
be impanne led.
Does our Governor know that one of the
grievances of our fathers against the Crown
of England was, "for transporting us beyond
seas to be tried for pretended offences"
And what is the difference in principle in
transporting a man beyond the sea, and
transporting him beyond his county to be
tried for alleged offences?
trust that there cannot be found mem
Der of our Legislature who shall have the
temerity to introduce bill that will vital
ize this article in our Constitution, born as
it was of Radical hate and rapacity, but on
the contrary, it is to be hoped that it will
be REPEALED if Constitutional Convention
should be called, but il not, then let an
amendmet be submitted to the people and
let them blot it out, ExPUNGE it, as a
stain upon our written law.
regard the present as the most import
ant era in our history, that has occurred
since the surrender. We have fraudulent
Chief Executive IF the Nation, in whom no
party reposes confidence; discomfort and
distrust abound everywhere, in every sphere
and walk in life; the Observation-Disclosures of
the Federal Government for years, is ripen-
ing into bitter fruits of wrong and oppres-
sion upon the lower classes of society, and a
fearful war between capital and labor is now
upon the country. Banking institutions,
railroad and manufacturing corporations,
old commercial establishments, are daily
going under; distress and want stalk abroad
in the land, and change, change, is written
upon everything. Ia the midst Of this rev.
olution, we of the South hold the vantage
ground. We have no dense populations to
raise the cry Of bread.
We own few railroads and banks to fail
We have our annual cotton crop that brings
us gold whether there be contraction or inf1a-
ton of the currency, whether we have hard
money or paper and it remains for us only
to put our house in order and to do that in
stead of vitalizing our Radical Constitution
or patching it up. We should have Con
vention at once and wipe it out, make a
new one and Code of good laws, and sit
down safely under our vine and fig tree and
'.hold the fort" a-
1t is high time that we stop pandering to
the vitiated ideas and views of Northern
politicians, and stop this hue and cry about
enforcing the criminal laws" Our people
are law abiding and all this cant about Civ
ing the the State the. right to change the
venue in criminal cases is bosh. / wonder
if there is any Kemper county, in it? ia
CLIO.