Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1902-04-12

audience uniting In shouts Oh applause.
and artillery salutes in
Jackson and elsewhere throughout
he State expressed the popular ap.
DroYal of this drama in the history OK
our State.
On the day that the ordinance was
passed, January 8, the convention met |
at 10 a. M, went into secret session at |
1890 a. M, and continued therein un- |
til 4:S0. Action upon the ordinance
one hour, SO that the vote
was taken at $3.50 p. m.
1t may be interesting here to note
that the popular war song, "The Bon
ME Blue Flag, That Bears a Single
Star" was the product Of this episode.
Harry Mccarthy, a comic actor, was
then holding forth in the old theater
III Spengler's corner. He wrote this
sons Immediately after the scene at
the Capitol; the next day my fingers
put it in type, and that night 1t was
sung for the first time by its author.
The ordinance, after being hand
somely engrossed on parchment, was
signed on the 18th of January-the
Governor and the members Of the
Legislature being invited to be pres
ent. The counties were called in al
phabetical order. DR.. J. ]. Thornton
of Rankin positively refused to sign,
but he was among the first to enroll
his name to fight for it. The Southern
Confederacy had no more gallant de-
fender than Col J. j. Thornton.
In connection with the ordinance,
the convention adopted IAN address
setting forth the declaration Of the
immediate causes which induced and
justified the secession of Mississippi
from the Federal Union.
The convention placed the State on
a war footing and elected the follow
ing delegates to the Montgomery con-
vention. to assist in framing consti-
tuition for the new Confederacy: W..
p. Harris, A. NJ. Clayton, W. S. Barry,
James 7. Harrison, ]. A. P. Camp
bell
Jefferson Davis received SS Of the
80 votes cast for major-general and
the following were elected brigadier-
generals: Earl VanDorn, Charles
Clark James L. Alcorn and c. H, Mott.
After being in session seventeen
days the convention adjourned sub
iect to the call of the president. Re
assembled March 25, and by vote of
IS to 7 ratified "The Constitution of
the Confederate States"
Several substitutes for the ordi'
nance to ratify were offered and
promptly voted down. There was also
much discussion and many able
speeches for and against the proposi
tion to refer the question Of ratifca
ton or rejection to the people
Your speaker was admitted to al
the secret sessions Of the convention
and I have in my possession the mos
important speeches, which are still un
published,
The sole survivors of the conven
ton of 1861 are: Judge S. H. Terral
Judge Thomas H. Woods Of Meridian
Hon. ]. A. Orr of Columbus, DR., 7. d
Isom of Oxford, Col M, d, L. Stephen
of Water Valley and James NJ. Nelson
of Pike, now residing in Texas.
risr39iAs This 8ld Gagit9l @ }}fie5a haae rough expe
easions the Confederate flag wa
hauled down and the Stars and Stripe
aoated from its dome. Many of it
most valuable books were mutilated o
carried off and the tramp Of Fedora
soldiers resounded through thes
chambers and passages.
In June, 1862, the public archlYe
were removed to Columbus and tn
LEGISLATURE met there in February
1866, and at Macon in August, 1864
| witnessed the assembling of tn
Legislature on May 20, 1865, as calIe
by Gov Clarke. 1t was in session onl
few hours, the members having n
ceiyed friendly hint from the Office
in charge of the garrison here tha
instructions for their arrest were e.
pected from Washington. They az
iourned sine die, and in short orde
and took the dirt roads homewar'
: The walking was good, under the ci
cumstances. A few days thereafter
t saw squad Of soldiers enter Go
: Clarkes Office, heard the officer
charge demand possession, and heal
S the Governor express his opinion
4 the whole business. In a few weel
+ thereafter he was hurried off to Il
: Fort Pulaski and confined in a cas-
}, mate.
:, Judge William L. Sharkey was a
J. pointed by President Johnson Pr
}. yisiona1 Governor of Mississippi !
/, called delegate convention in Augu
|, TO so change the Constitution al
d statutes as to adapt it to the ne
r order of things. Hon. J. Shall Yerg
of Washington county was chos
IF president and your speaker secretal
II The delegates included many OF t
e wisest and most conservative men
d the State. But the Constitution,
e. amended. was not recognized at was
Is ington, and the Senators and Rep
0. sentatives elected that fall were 1
le seated. The Legislature that follow
al declined to ratify the Fourteen
Amendment That was "the milk
IS the cocoanut."
er This convention, the election and
Id election of Gov. Humphreys, his
n moyal from office "as an impedim'
to to reconstruction" the expulsion
's- his family from the executive mansi
ne by an armed file of soldiers, the m
pi tary rule and misrule that follow
w and the Black and Tan Convent
d. and Constitution of 1868 are qu
lg fully discussed in a paper prepared
IL and published by the State Histori
Do Society.
M One of the first communications
Is, dressed TO the Black and Tan
vi vi from the superintendent of the ia
e1 ea son Gas Company, who required a
gu posit before he would turn on the
.oa They notified him very promptly I
"a they didn't want his gas; that {
w could make their own, and they m
70 n it through four weary months, at
ne expense to the taxpayers of nearly
-, vi million dollars. If you will exam
~ - their proceedings you will hnd
oA. oA word Compensation" Of very frequ
oh occurrence.
or. These episodes, with the reconst
Ied tion regime, continued through Sc
NV long years; the impeachment OF
lad Adelbert Ames. Lieut.-Gov. A.
mo mo Davis and State Superintendent
pn, Education r. w. Cardoza; the rev
tes tlon of 1875 directed by James
Sv W., George and Ethelbert Barksdale-
tod made hot times in old Mississippi
be fully descriha any one chapter
dio M which would require more time
FOL. you have to spare and more ABB
!. than possess.
The Constitutional Convention
- 1s,v was the last most notable