The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-01-29
NEGRO QUESTION YEARS AGO.
JUDGE CLAYToN'S FAMOUS
CHARGE TO A GRAND JURY.
It Was Thirty Years Ago, When
Carpet-Baggers Were Causing
Trouble in the South.

ton. 1T related to the then burning
| issue of the day-the negro question
and the line of thought displayed in 1t
was striking one. He urged the people
| OF the south to accept things as they
were accustom themselves to the new
| conditions which fate had thrust upon
| them and take up the task of developing
| their country General Clayton was one
| OF the most prominent figures in Alabama
| In his day He was elected judge after
| the war in Alabama. and later was
| prominent candidate for governor. He
| was president of the Alabama state uni
| versity at Tuscaloosa for humber Of
"ears. and died while holding that office.
General Clayton was a father of two
| members of the present congress-Hon.
| Henry ID. Clayton. of Alabama. and Hon.
| Bertram Clayton. of BROOKLYN.
General Clayton was : first man
| commissioned colonel in tine confederate
service. and was quite prominent in the
south. His charge 10 the Pike county
grand jury was received with great in
terest. The grand jury was SO struck
| with IL that IL ordered II printed. This
| charge is interesting as showing the true
| attitude of the majority of the southern
| ers toward the negroes in those days.
| In this connection it is not improper to
state that much Of the race friction In
/
about through the efforts Of carpet bag
gers" whose teachings tended to strain
| the relations between races naturally
| friendly. General Claytons charge was
| as follows:
There IS a class Of our population
| clothed with certain civil rights and priv
! leEcs which they DID not possess until
| recentlv and in dealing with which YOU
may experience some embarrassment. |,
| OF course. allude to the negroes Among
| the terms upon whivn the confederate
states terminated their heroic struggle
| for a separate and independent nationality
was one which guaranteed freedom to
| this race Although We deplore that re-
| suit. as alike Injurious to the country
| and fatal TO the negroes. the law has been
placed upon our statute books IN solemn
form bv us through our delegates. The
laws for their government as slaves
! have been repealed aud others substi-
| tuted adapted to their new condition. We
are I'm honor bound to observe these
| laws For myself ! do not hesitate to
! say in private ana in public. officially
and unoilicially. that, after doing all /
could TO avert it, when | took off my
sword in surrender I determined to OBJ
serve the terms Of that surrender with
the same earnestnoss ana fidelity with
which | first shouldered my musket True
manhood requires no deception. but that
as we say with our lips we shall feel
with our hearts. and do with our hands
There is nothing in the history of the
ydSt OF N"'CH W me-" 'e "9''''''' -
WHIST we chef.Sh us glorious memories
ana thaI oi our my ItSted e''"' we pa u.s.
mere ana 'i''v :" pi"P Il ~ ~ - -
still work for the living. and set ourselves
| about the task of Te-cSta4,ls h.ug society
and rebuilding our ruined nom = Others
uh"i''i'I 10 S"","i' ~ -.
tnlHHS may 9.'N ''." i'''"
iuu anu are """'" :" '".9 So'' ~ -
LOT petler or Tor worse. anu must AZ
laSl cover our relhuhs.
nat men Is our dd'y 70 replh'
a. our w. '"''' = "'' '"7 pa % i'''l
g,i ~, w. H. go +" n,u M ~
49,, -. ~ =, .,,a,',....''..
rn,,, H.. Iii -. -. - -,
~" uo.a WI as - 'l,H'iS .' ','I
,I az - H., ,,",''7ii - -
- =,
81 nor ero,'cb tb,+ ho.os of o,,r
r,tb.,s ami 6r,,hn,s md ~ ~, v,t,ftan-
! ,,,.. - -. IN - ,,,,,,.i
- '. M - - 49, -,
r., - 80. er,..5I.9 - @,onob
,bat th, ,,ot,t,a 80 tho ,,,.,l,,,r- ana ar.
-, IA, 800, a. -, - ~ No..
80 - .,,,i9 NJ, ~. - -,
~
an W'"t was III 'iie Wv u i"'''"H ii''
'"'N' IN our o"S"H7 le' uS "''i '''''
.N, 80, t'9 q 81; ,.f,,.,, =,
- -
~, ,.s
H'r' - - -" W. - ".1, -" No.
se'h i'ee""'i' ",'" "V'''ii'''' - 40 i'D
~ Il" - ''l"u" -. ''@t'"' - pa . ~
ms want OF h"p-'s o. S1tl It.i""C'' HIlp-
.esS pN ms want % - en- "i'i u'''".S
heipiesS oS "'S N""' = I'm ~ ''S,'n -
uhu''S'"Iu ana "Plf .'i"'o MS '''"''''H'
rom thc very nature OF MS SuiFou"u
'hEs. SO lar as pf"iu's'"E ms N1hdIe anu
auaplhE MN 'o inns heW r''''oh 70 So
cle'S are "ohce'"'u. an "Eeic'eS in"in
ABROAD must prove I"aueq"'''' iney
may restrain IN lndlNduaI instances. put
We are the only people IN the world VINO
| understand his character. and hence. the
| only DcQDIo in the world capable of man.
/ ori,e, bt,n
/ Or - -, -, Iii, 80, ,,.t,,.. -. ~. .,,
| 10 4cHieuN '"V WIS H''"'iH VV' VI nv
| aDoAtlon or slavery II seems Two thlhES
! are necessary: First. recognition of the
! freedom Of the race as a fact. the en-
| actment of inst and humane laws. and
ia. y,itin,, a,f,rca,neut tbpu,
| sc - . ,,..,.i,,. -, I'll, s+
! '''"""' ~ N'''''@ ~ w" p'iA
/ IuirneSS ana business IN our contracts,
and in every way in which We may be
| "R,. tho orst a.. ,.onvinca no ,,.or1, 90
an. - ,at,t ~, ~, "a - - - -
| 'u' N"'" '"'''i' an" - -" - 'Nt SNs'cHi
/ OF csIoh1Ee py TtihoN4h% the preteNl OF
! It's necessity. and by the second, We secure
| the services of the negroes, teach them
their nlares and how to keen them and