The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-01-09

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 pOsitians abroad, las
urged that | 20 In the capacity OF Special
4 Commissioner. but happen TO know that |
| am not the man. Whilst in Europe, / was
! consulted every day by Messrs. Mason.
Siidelt and our financial agents in LouGon
| and Paris. Tire greatest obstaelein he way
/ Of the financial recognition oil our Conled-
1 eraey Was the fact that cur 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.' Nov, II | were 10 go there, my
| time would be more occupied IN explaining
| this matter of reputation 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:
| We should think that every Mississippidn's
1
| ness, bur not because Senator Lamar tells
| the truth. He says that for him to be con-
| tinuaily having to explain it, would hamper
| his usefulness as Com missioner. 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.
| 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 nc 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 ldac-
ity. The article is a tumble of many
things wholly irrelevant 20, 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 a 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 "adiusting" it.
The writer, speaking of Mississippi,
says that cher reputation was as bad as
Reputation 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 lhs 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, sthe repudiated debt.
1t is proper 10 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 fartlIing of the
money obtained for the 50 called '.repu-
dated bonds" was ever received by Mis-
sissippi, or applied to any public work
or enterprise whatever, for the benefit of
her people, But in truth she never Gre
pudiated" in the sense : 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
facts for the consideration of
persons who desire to reach a fair and
Just conclusion. l.
The Constitution of Mississippi con-
tanned the following clause. Its design
vas to protect the people from fraudu-
ent claims dishonesty created in the
name of the State, and to notify all the
world of the conditions. and the only con-
litions, upon which her faith should be
pledged:
mo law shall ever be passed to raise
Dan of money upon the credit of the State, (
II to pledge the faith of the State for the | .
payment or redemption of any loan Or
ebt, unless such law be proposed in the Q
enate or House of Representatives, and be u
greed to by majority of the members of
ach House, and entered on their journals, il
With the yeas and nays taken thereon. and
re referred to the next succeeding Legis-
allure, and ublished for three months pre- \
ious to the mex: regular election in three
eWspapers OF this State, and unless a ma L
0rity of each branch of the Legislature so {.
lected after such publication. shall agree E.
D and pass such law; and In such case the |
cas- and nays shall be taken and entered O
N the journals of each house," Con. Miss. i:
lrt- 7,section 8.
There is no mistaking these require u
rents. They are so plain that a fool .
ould not err therein. In 1887, bill $
nartering the Union Bank was passed to '
lcilitate the Bank in obtaining money. q
contained clause pledging the faith q
the State for specified sum, and in q
thereof it contained spe- q
fic guarantees for the protection of the P
tate against loss, and for public benefit 4
the people. This act was duly pub d
she'd as commanded in the above quoted La
ause of the Constitution and if the d.
legislature when it assembled in 1888 OF
ID put it into execution as passed upon 81
! the people and 40 required by the sp
preme law, there could have been no or
,ubt as to the obligation Of the State to vi
axe good any loan which might have By
en- obtained il virtue Of it in her II
me. But on the contrary the said act jol