The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-02-11
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

of Representatives, Explaining
Why He Voted Against the Mo-
ton to Lay the BilIto Call a State
Convention, on the Table.
/ Mr.. SPEAKER-As several members have
explained their votes on the motion to lay
on the table the bill to call Constitutional
Convention and the amendments To H.
also desire to explain my vote l do not
know how / am To do this except To say 1
am in favor of a Constitutional Convention
Unlike some of the gentlemen who have
explained their votes by saying they are
opposed to a Convention, but gave no rea=
son for their opposition except-that some
of Them TO whom the thanks of the adNo-
Gates of the bill are due-have said that
/ their reason was that they did not wish TO
cut off debate on the bill, l desire briefly
and frankly to give my reasons why IA
/ yor the call of a Constitutional Convention:
| am in favor of it because l believe a
/ majority of the good people OF
/ the State, the intelligent people OF
the State demand it. l am IN
/ favor of it because the present Constitution
/ is not a Constitution made By the people OF
the State 1t was framed by men, who with
+ a few honorable exceptions, were not even
citizens of the State, elected, or rather APP
pointed. Tor their election WAS Il 4ACAN AstiNN1
/ bv military commander, who then held
at his disposal the lives, liberty and proper
/ " of the good people of this State, who were
almost all DISTINGUISHED, and who had no
voice in the selection of the delegates or
even in the adoption of the Constitution,
which though once defeated because OF some
specially oppressive provisions, was alter
wards forced upon the people a choice
of evils These delegates cannot be
said even to have been the choice of the
colored people by whose votes it was pre-
tended they were elected. for the colored
people, then but newly enfranchised, were
taught by these aliens to our State, that the
white people of the State were their worst
enemies and without any of that knowl-
edge, which they in a great measure
have since acquired-by which they
could intelligently exercise that dearest
privilege of freemen-the elective fran
chise-were led to the polls to register the
votes already prepared for them, These
! then were the men who made the Constitu
ton under which we live these men, who
/ like the delegates from the county l now
represent-were not then citizens of our
State-and like him, have for the most
/ part sunk into the obscurity from which
/ they emerged only to frame this Constitu-
/ ton, which, in the opinion of some, Is so
/ good, so acceptable to the people OF this
/ State that debate must be cut off in this
/ House upon a bill to call a Convention of
4 the people to take into consideration and
! frame and adopt a new one. Lest any gem
/ tlemen may think my charges too strong as
/ to the men who, in the main, composed the
so-called Constitutional Convention which
/ framed our present Constitution, l desire
/ to read a minority report made by the late
/ VIM. NJ Compton, who was one of q com
mttee to determine the compensation of the
members and officers. He was one Of the
ablest of the number that composed that
Convention, and who helped to frame the
present Constitution. Hear him
WHEREAS, The Military bill passed by the
Congress of the United States, on the ID day
of March, 1867, together with the supplements
thereto known rs the reconstruction measures,
are unconstitutional and unjus., and oppres-
sive TO the people of Mississippi and
WHEREAS In pursuance thereto an officer
of the United States Army has ordered the as.
sembling of Convention for the purpose OF
making revolutionary changes in the Consti-
tuition of the State; and
WHEREAS Although the Constitution of the
United States AMI laws made in pursuance
thereof, are the supreme law of the land, yet
the powers not delegated to the United States
by the Constitution nor prohibited by it 10
the States, are reserved to the States respect /.
lively or to The people; and among the rights !
thus reserved TO the States is the right 70 pre-
scribe the qualifications for the elective fran
chise therein with which right Congress has |
no power to interfere; and
WHEREAS, In prescribing the qualification |
of voters in the election of delegates to the |
said Convention, large end influential class /
of citizens of this State, who have heretofore /
exercised the right of suffrage under the Con-
stitution of the United States and Of the State
OF Mississippi, have been dissranchised; and /
on the other hand, a still larger class of per-
sons, who not and never have been reeog- /
niZed citizens of this State, or of the United /
States, have been permitted to vote; and be- \
lleylng that a maj 0rlty of the persons on this /
H0or are either not citizens of this State, or !
that they have been elected by illegal votes
therefore, be it
ResQlred That this assembly is unconstitu- |
tionally convened, and is not competent to
make amendments to the Constitution of the /
state of Mississippi, in any respect whatever |
and therefore the officers and members of this !
body are not entitled to compensation for any /
services which they may proper to per-
form IN such capacity, to the people of the .
State of Mississippi, or to the people of the
United States.
But, Mr.. Speaker, my chief reason for ia
voring Constitutional Convention is that
those provisions of the present Constitution
III relation to the elective franchise or the
qualification of voters may be SC changed
or amended that the intelligent people Of
the state may continue for all time to come
if possible, to control as they now do the
destInles, and the government ofthe people
and State. Other gentlemen who favor a
Convention may be, and some of them |
know are, influenced by other and very diff
ferent motives, but | will not hesitate to
avow openly and boldly the chief motive
which influences me, and will add that |
have never, either here at home, in pri-
Yate or public, concealed for moment the
reason-the great necessity as | conceive
why Convention should be called and
what should be its course on that all impor-
tant questionable elective franchise
1t Is said, Mr.. Speaker by gentlemen who
oppose Convention, that where it is defec-
tive it can be amended. This, think, was
disposed OF in the report of the committee
IN favor OF the Convention; but, even if
possible or practicable in other respects il !
cannot be now in this all-important matter I
for the Constitution itself pIO vides that no ;
shall be adopted in any manner !
affecting the 18th section of the bill of
rights before the year 1885. We have
then, five years more in which Ignorance
as well as poverty is to be at a premium. and 9
| fear the dearest of premiums in this State |
Mr.. Speaker | am a Democrat because :
the Democratic party represent the inteIIi {
gence of the State, and is the party of order
and of progress l am in favor Of uernatu-
ating the power Of that party, because unon {
1t, believe, depend the prosperity of ali the
people, and | do not believe this can he :
much longer done under the present Con. /
,ttution. :
would like, Mr.. Speaker, to saw more
but as the point of order has been raised
that this desultory debate is out of order 7 y
submit and close. l