The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-26
TEN YEARS OF ALABAMA
No. 29-Maj. Gen. John Pope, Commanding
1865-1874

1 Invitations were sent to adjacent coun-
 ties to send representative men.
 Clanton came from Montgomery. lie pledged the executive committee, appoint
 ed at the Selma meeting of August 2, two years before, to support the action of | Dallas now. Morgan. Brooks, Dawson,
 Alex White, Pettus spoke in fervid tones. Maj. W. H. F. Randall of the army of invasion, now of the custom house at Mobile spoke He said 'I long to see the black man elevated to the level of the
 white man, etc. but here we nave the vulgar spectacle of attempt to sink the whites to the level of the blacks. The applause rang out tremendously. Clanton said: When I was last among you, men of Dallas. in public meeting, had ever been, a constitutional union whg. I tell you now. I am constitu- l tional union democrat"
 | Those who went back to their homes carried with them, deep burned into their | souls, the torrent of high resolution that they had heard fall from the lips of tue | great men on the rostrum. Neghbors | paraleled situation. To vote against the miserable constitution would be to play | into the hands of the enemy.
 l Montgomery. Ala, January 8, 1SS. "The State Executive Committee of the Conservative Party are requested to meet | | of January, J. H. CLA.NTON, Chairman" The enabling act, that Is the reconstrue- | ton acts of March and July, 1867, provid- ed That if according to said returns l the constitution shall be ratified hy ma | jority of the votes of registered (sic) elect ors qualified as herein specified, cast at l said election, at least one-half of all the registered voters voting upon the question | of such ratification" etc. then the new constitution would stand as ratified. | The committee decided the whites must | not vote. The registered whites if re- strained from the polls, their number sup | plemented by many thousands of regis | tered negroes who had lost interest, or | ho from anyone of many possible causes would fail to vote, must be reasonably sure to defeat the constitution sacrifice | the election of officers, state and county,
 and relegate the body polite to the keep l ing of Major General Meade.
 Many eminent men of the state attended the executive committee meeting on Jan uary A. They were heard, and the result of protracted delibera tion was, the resolu- ton as described, that whites must not vote. Besides this, however it was agreed that the committee would prepare and
 send forward to Washington a statement.
 An Address to the People was also pre-
 pared and published. The latter paper was specially addressed to the registered
 negroes. It said in part: Tt is hoped and believed there is no inconsiderable number of the colored men In this state who have intelligence enough to see that such a system of government as that proposed by the constitution cannot fail to delay their welfare"
 This was the historic Exchange hotel conference"
 The conference published an eloquent appeal to the whole people to set apart January 30 as day of supplication to the
 Ruler of the world to look with pitying eye upon the great trouble of Alabama.
 The churches must be open all day and
 the population must repair thither to pray.
 The public was profoundly stirred as never before. The tribune demanded of his fellow Roman, Do you swear to obey the law" 'I swear to save the republic
 was the answer. Chancellor Joseph R.
 John said: When I got my consent to become democrat I got ready to do the work of a democrat" He and Clanton and B. s. Bibb and Watts and Judge and thousands more, had never been democrats until now.
 There had been two days and nights of
 conference in the old classic hotel
 Morgan, Forsyth. White, Charles Lang
 don, William M Brooks took the stump
 to tell the news and point the way. All
 candidates in Jefferson county at once
 withdrew John A. Winston was among
 the orators. The county committee of
 Wilcox called him to come to them He
 wrote a letter indorsing the action of the
 state committee, saying: There is no
 hope save in the courage and endurance
 of the men with gray eyes and straight
 hair" thl+l lit llisl
 JOHN wITHERsPooN DUBosE.