The age-herald., 1901-01-05
The Original Man.


 character being under remark, citizen yesterday said
 "I saw | lus.er from student of Co., lumbia College. New York. the other day to a gentleman of Birmingham, calling for data from which to discuss the southern side of the late reconstruction times. This letter declared that sentiment in the famous college was rlpening to full ap- preciation of the meaning of the sectional contest antedatng reconstruction Car lyle says there is nothing animate in all time but the original man'-the man who leads. An original man may remain un- discovered for half his life, or for all his life or for thousand years but withal he alone of men is not defunct. Now, In the beginning. five men were chosen to prepare the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin, an old man; John Adams two others and Thomas Jefferson, young man. At the meeting of this memorable Committee of Five, in the ford.oon, in the old house that yet stands on Chestnut street, the young man. the only original man of the five, speaking in this of the theme and the opportunity, was put for Wdlu ny lhc OtiSiS, pioNioSheA1hJNf eS write the document. There are various fa- miiar aphorisms brought down 10 us as Jefferson wrote them, the afternoon of that July day. in a room of the old house. all alone. In campaigns of candidates preced- ing reconstruction the winning side blaz- oned on it's banners, all men are created equal; not fact of creation at all, but nevertheless impressive arrangement of words for the occasion. Nowadays We have another, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; this not a principle of government either but mere ly possible policy Of government, as one observant of the races of men and the con- ditions of society must admit.
 Reconstruction of the South.
 But reconstruction and it's revelations of diabolism, it's imitation of the multi piled villan:es of all conquests hinged for pretence of justification upon the National life,' alleged to have been recognized and established in these words written in that silent room by Thomas Jefferson: We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America. and on: the Nation then born? How so? Jefferson contended that these words, United States; meant States united 10 corporate for the specific purpose then before the Congress, namely, their separate political independence in lieu of separate colonial dependence upon King George and, incl dentally, their confederation as against the balance of the world. Here was the casus be!fi, apple of dicord Jefferson "and Adams, the two great patriots in con tention transmitted to posterity and not yet settled.
 Those young men who are looking into the facts of 're-construction, lived through in Alabama. will see as they proceed that there is no necessary connection between the war of 1S6l-'e5 and this foul blot on the American name Our o!diers consented to lay down their arms on specific condition that they come home to States under civil , law. After they had lived in peace at home for two years civil law was set aside and the most arrogant military rule set up over them. No Southern State proposed or contemplated. in 1867. more direct and pronounced disfranchisenieht of the groes, then universally iliterate, than the reformed constitutions of several States now actually impose upon the race, very  large proportion or even a majority of whom read and write.
 When Washington got back to Mount Vernon from the convention of 17G he wrote to Patrick Henry begging him to support the constitution on the ground that proving fautly 1t was to be amended. Hen ry replied the constitution could never be amended! Reconstruction had no purpose whatever except to achieve the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments, not otherwise ohtainable. It is marvellous. the accuracy with which Henry predicted the false hopes of General Washington in this particular. Henry foresaw reconstruction exactly as it came, long after his death, a necessary process for amending the constitution. Ex- cept by reconstruction there has been no amendment. the twelfth allowed, not d condition precedent to the formation of the Union originally. from first to last and none is expected.