The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-21

istic examples of wanhonness, with the conditions that distinguished them. The difficulty of making pleadings in cases where wantonness was charged was en- farged upon by MT. Speake and he sub- mitted a number of valuable suggestions as to the results of his experience. The paper was appreciatively and cordially received.
 MT. DeGraffenreid's Paper.
 Hon. Edward De Graffenried of Greens boro was on the program for a paper upon a subject to be chosen by himself. The interest was, "The Effect of Slavery upon the Constitution of the United States and the State Of Alabama
 Mr. De Graffenried began his particular ly able paper with the statement that every civilized man knew that slavery was wrong and no man wished to resur- rect 1t. He sketched the history of slavery briefly and vividly. The exist ehce of slavery in the South. he said, was an inheritance. No particular section was responsible for it's existence nor was any section responsible for its abolition.
 The abolition of slavery he submitted was due to the growing spirit of liberty which was first manifested throughout the world in the last half of the Eigh- teenth Century. Evidences of this, he pointed out, in the struggle of the Ameri-. can colonies against England and the French Revolution the oloodisst drama in history.
 This growing spirit called for action and the growth of freedom of thought was it's inevitable consequence as we'll as pre- cedent. This growth of liberty appealed particularly to the North where the ne- groes from the South had never fiourished and had never proved a profitable invest ment.
 The South. he said. by inheritance. by conditions in which 1t had proved profit able. had become ,habituated to the in- stitution. whose evils had become mag nifed by distance and mnimiEed by prox- imitY.
 MT. DeGraffenreid reviewed the great legal and legislative struggle that had ensued from the time Ohio adopted a constitution which forbade the introduc- ton of slavery within the borders of that State. This struggle was between the slave and the anti-siave States. the lat ter endeavoring to restrain slavery with in the States in which 1t originally ex- isted.
 The nght, in its introduction in Mis- sourt. and the history of the Missouri Compromise, was described and the fa- nous Dred-Scott decision was gone into and explained.
 He paid an eloquent tribute to the giants who developed in the days of the great struggle between the free and the slave States, men who, in ability. cour- age and patriotism. had stood with the highest products of Anglo-Saxon civili- zation of all times.
 The amendments to the Federal Con- stitution which invested the negro with all the rights of the citizen and which disposed of the doctrine of States rights were ably and clearly explained by Mir. DeGraffenreid The evils of negro domi- nation were vividIy described and the re- covery of the reins of government by the intelligence of Alabama in 1874.
 The reign of the intelligence of the State was established through fraud. said MT. de Graffenreid and maintained through fraud. This fraud. Mir. de Granenreid said. was sapping the character and the honor of the people of this State. This condition. he said, was remedied by the new Constitution, which established by law what had been accomplished by fraud. He paid an eloquent tribute to the excellence of the suffrage clause of the new Constitution, clause which es- tablished a universal educated suffrage.
 The paper of Mir. de Grahtenreid was heartily applauded. He was most cor dially congratulated for the excellence of his paper.
 In connection with the paper. Judge J. J. Mayfield of Tuscaloosa said that he had been informed by Dr. B. l.. Wyman of Tuscaloosa, whom he called "an ency- clopedia of Alabama facts" that the Ala bama Legislature had in 1s26 passed a resolution declaring against the importa- ton of any more slaves. This action of the Legislature. said Judge Mayfield. put Alabama on record as first among the States to oppose slavery.
 Association Affairs.
 Gen W. C. Oates rose to present sev- eral names for membership In doing 30, he took occasion to discuss the way in which members were elected. All that was necessary. he said. was to propose mans name and if he was. q lawyer he was elected, withut an investigation General Oates was of the opinion that this practice should be stopped. and while the method was legal, he was of the opin- ion that the laws of the Association should be amended.
 He presented the following names for memberships J. Thomas Hefiin, Lafay. cite; Samuel F. Cox, Carrollton; Isaac R. Hinton, Carrollton; R. H. Evans, Greensboro.
 Thomas NJ. owen suggested that the re- port of the Central Council should go over