The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-03-21
CONVENTION OF 1917.
MSSISSIPPrS FIRST CONSTITUTIONAL
ASSEMBLY.
Clarion Ledger.

! cred hy the Constitutional Convent ot
Ia meet in August next, it may br m,
tcrcstiug to look at the historic body
which framed our first Constitution
, and by W. ieh the Mississippi Terrific
: ~ attained unto the dignity of State
hood. A little history may be help.
ful To prophecy. The Convention as
scmbled at Nashin"tom, Adams cuHn-
~, then She territorial capital, and
7, held its sessions in the Methodist
church a building erected chiefly
through The efforts of the famous ilin-
Grant and eccentric Rev. Lorenzp Dow.
1t met at the morning of July 7tiI,
1917. finished lis work on the 18th OF
August, and on the l0th uf December
Mississippi was admitted into The
Union ot States. The Convention
! consisted of !0rty-scvcn members, re-
presenting fourteen counties. The
following is the list ot delegates:
Adams Couniy.-I)lvil Holmes.
Josiah Simpson, Jas. {. wilkins, Jno
Tal Tor, Joseph Sessions, John Steele,
Christopher Rankin, Edward Turner.
Jefferson Con- tv.-Cowles Meade,
II. J Balch, Joseph L. Davis, Geo.
w. King, Cato Wesi, DR.. John Shaw
Marion CouutY.-John Ford, DJu-
gal Mclaughlin.
Hancock Cnuntr.-Noc Jourlai,
Amos Burnett.
WayneC ounty.--Jas. Patton, Clinclt
Gray.
Greene County. -Jaughlin Mckay.
John McIiar.
Jackson County.-Juhn Mcleod,
Thomas Bilbo.
Lawrence Couuly.-IIarmon Run
nels.
Claiborne County.-Walicr L.cakc,
rlloS. Barnes, David Bennett, Joshua
&. CLARK.
Warren Cnunty.-IIcl ry ID. Downs.
Andrew Glass.
Franklin C0uniy.-Jamcs Knox.
Wilkinson County.-GcO. IoindeX-
ter, Daniel Williams, Abraham NJ.
Scott, Jno. jour, Gerard G.. Brandon,
Joseph Johnson.
Annie ConnIy.-IIeury Hanna,
Thomas liatchclur, john Burton, Thos.
Terrence, Angus " ilkinson, VIM. Lat
tim0rc.
Pike Coun;y.-Davd Dickson, W.
|. Minton, Jas G.. MrNab2.
Ills EXc~cllcnry, David Holmes,
then Governor of the Territory, was
elected President of the Convention,
and Louis Winston Secretary.
DIR, Monet, in his 'lIi>tory of the
Valley Of the Mississippi" says: AT
this time the whole white population
of the new State was restricted to
fourteen large counties sparsely in
habitcd, and situated in It's Southern
extremity, Immediately north of the
old Spanish line ot ttcmarkatiop, and
south Of The old Choctaw linr, rs-
tablisllel 10y The treaty ui Mount Drx-
Ter in 1903. The county of Monroe,
then lying chiefly IN The cast side uI
the TUmbl@by river, wa, not repre-
scuted ia The Convention of Mis>is>ip-
pi, bul remained attached 10 the Stale
OF Alabama until the inter at 1920,
W hen the boundary line, established
10y actual survey, assigned il Ia Mis-.
sissippi.
The Convention contained many
able lawyers, clIlet mon whnnI, and
the leading figure OF the body, was
Hon. George p'UinlcXter. Col. t.!lai-
b"rue says:
The must prominent features IN
inc Constitution rmanqtcd from Geo.
Il powerful debaler, who J
cari led with him Il majority +
II the members" "A, Attoru y-Gcn-
raj OF Tie Territory, member of The ,
Territorial Assembly, Delegate 10
Congress, Governor and lilrd States
senator. he has conspicuous place in
lac history Of Mississippi. Peerless
It home, he was the peer of Clay,
calhoun and Webster in the Upper
Of our National Congress.
David Holmes, President OF the
Convention, the last Tern itorial aud
irst State Governor, was a man of
iImnOss, tact and ability and oil Gin
official and personal integ-
lily"
Christopher Rankin, a native of n
Georgia, and lawyer of ability, was1
OF the most Influential members
Jol. Claiborne say OF him: ''Ilc +.
anne ont of that body with su much a
equation that when the first Lrgis-
met his friends placed him in
Ominatiun tor the Senate Of the Uni :
ed States" :
John Taylor, the first Chief Justice
l Mi~slssippls lODk a iGdtllnH ldll
4 the proceedings OF the Convention.
lie had one peculiarity-he loaned all
is money from a large practice above
he needs of a quiet bachelor TO per- =
Dnal friends ''alwaYs without inter-
ST."
Edward Turner. aiterward Chan
cllor and Judge of the Supreme
stood with the foremost in that
ugust body. lie was admierd for his e
larked abilities and greatly beloved .
,r his conipanionahle qualities aud
.isunguislIcd hospitality.
From jefferson county, COwles Mead
as possibly most conspicuous. As II
ecrclary of the Mississippi Terrific :
=, and acting Governor, he disiin- :.
himself IN the capture OF 81
Burr. lie hal brilliant ei0eu-
onary gifts, lacked ANALYTICAL ard
,gical power. ellis speeches ia the L,
aud in the Convention ct
,l7, always produced a sensation,
seldom carried conviction, and :
Iost frequently lac voted ia the mi N
50 says the historian OF Mis-
lie afterwards became =
lndidate for Congress.
OF other causes. POindcxtcr, al the .
me a candidate for Governor, tells en-
e. - a. - Go