The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-02-19
BEARD WANTS Fifteenth
AMENDMENT ANNUILED

/ is a practical one or not. There are
/ plenty of people in the Democratic
party in Florida who don't belong
| there These people are a consider
able part of the Democratic party all
over the country. but more particu-
| larry in the South. Old line Wings.
! Populists, Socialists, Greenbackers,
! for shelter within the ranks of the
/ Democratic party on account Of the
size of the negro vote in the Southern
states and the danger of negro polit-
cal domination. Eliminate the negro
absolutely from politics, and the white
people will be permitted the privilege
i-Of dividing on governmental Ques-
tons. and when this happy consul
nation 9 brought about, If il ever
shall be, an era of purer politics, freer
government and healthier conditions
in the public service will be at hand.
Whether Mr.. Beard succeeds in get
ting his proposition through the legis-
lature, the ballot box and the United
States Supreme Court or not, he will
succeed in annexing to himself an as
set which all politicians are reaching
after
Publicity is the thing. without
which all else is nothing in these days
Of continuous procession of things
that jar and startle the public atten-
ton. 1t is needed as much by poll
tician as it is by a travelling evangel-
list or breakfast food, and Mr.. Beard
will get much publicity out Of his
negro Acknowledgement resolution. He
is prepared right now to talk on the
subject and I have therefore heard
two of these speeches, which he can
deliver right off the reel. Here's one
of them, taken down stenOgraphically,
just as Mr. Beard spoke it in my Of
fee the other day.
Said Mr. Beard:
IN the first place. ali during the
war, by congressional resolutions, by
executive proclamations and by jul
diciaI decisions, the Ordinances of Sc
cession were declared to be null and
void and the Southern states still in
the Union In February, 1866, con-
gress passed a resolution proposing
an amendment known as the
Thirteenth Amendment, which abol
ished slavery. That was a few months
before the surrender. On the 18th OF
April, in the last speech Mr.. Lincoln
made, he said that that amendment
should be submitted to all the states
Ind tot fhaf hol
and to become a part of the constitu-
ton it should be ratified by three
fOurths of all the states, including the
states that had seeded, otherwise It
would always be questioned and que5-
tionable. II was determined by con-
gress to submit this amendment to all
the states, and it was necessary to
get at least four of the southern
states in order to have the necessary
three-fourths.
After Mr.. LincOln's death President
Johnson issued his proclamation of
amnesty and his proclamation appoint
ing provisional governors in all of the
Southern states except Arkansas. Ten
nessee and Louisiana, provisional gov
ernors for which had been appointed
by Lincoln, and also excepting the
state of Virginia, which had what
was known as the 'reOrganized' gov
eminent.
This left seven states in which to
appoint> provisional governors. In the
proclamation appointing provisional
governors the last one appointed was
for Florida, July 13, 1865. The pro-
visional governors were directed to
have the qualifications that would
have been necessary under the cOnsti-
tuition and laws of 1861. and the voters
were to have the qualifications of the
voters under the constitution and laws
of 81. prior to secession, which con-
fined the electorate to white voters.
But there were four classes of per-
sons in amnesty proclamations pre-
scribed, who had participated in the
war. However, President Johnson
used his pardoning power very liber-
ally and granted pardons to a great
many who were prescribed. These
constitutional conventions were 10
frame a state constitution based upon
the constitution of 81. minus slavery.
were to repeal the Ordinances of Sc
cession; were to repudiate all debts
contracted in aid of the Confederacy:
and the legislatures which met under
these constitutions were to Tatify the
18th amendment. These were the
conditions precedent to restoration to
former federal relations and the adj