The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-02

In the month of June, 1868, the following decisive public events occurred involving Alabama. First in order, the convention of the 4th designated by name the white mans party, the democratic and conser vative party of Alabama" the deed done by 3S of the 62 counties in the convention called by the executive committee of the conservative union party organized at Selma August ?. 1866, with Clanton in the lead. This convention sent full dele gation to the quadrennial national demo- cratic convention at New York city, where the formal restoration of the state to the national party was effected, although , at that time the state had no senators and representatives in Congress, no electoral college and no civil government. Next in order, on the 12th of the month, Con gress passed the act declaring the carpet bagger constitution that General Meade, returning officer had reported rejected in the election of February by 15,000 ma jority, to have been adopted "by large majority" and thus set the instrument up over the state and installed in all state and county offices, of every class and quality, the persons who were defeated at that election, according to General Meades election.
 Governor Patton had continued to sit in the executive chamber at the capitol every day to draw his legal salary every month, since the election of February, as if no election had been held to oust him. lie had orders from General Meade to remain where General Pope had assigned him. He held office after the fashion of the royal
 
 sheriffs. all the civil machinery permitted by the military before the election of Feb Iuary remained. Lieutenant Governor Ap- plegate-"Jack Appletoddy'-of Ohio seemed to be content with his labor in the organization of "the Senate, in John Ifardys little dusty newspaper office, in March. He made no intermediate att tempts to exercise the prerogativss of his duty and honors.
 :. A certain confusion of authorities still unsettles the exact date when the rejected constitution, and the defeated state of ficers began their acknowledged service General Meade issued an order June 8 announcing the removal of Patton and the appointment of Smith as provisional . governor, and Applegate lieutenant gover- nor, both to date from July 13." But two days before the date of the generals s order, Smith took the bit between his teeth and issued a proclamation, under
 
 1S6S," in which he explained that the mill itary had nothing to do with the matter of calling the legislature. The act of Congress, June 12, had put that duty specifically upon the governor. His proc lamation closed thus: Now, therefore, l, William H. Smith, governor-elect of Alabama, by the power and authority in me vested by said act of Congress, uo hereby convene the legislature of this state at the capitol at the hour of 12 noon, Monday, July B. 1868. This was signed Governor -elect."
 The people at headquarters of military district No. were nightly tic<led. Four days before the 18th, that is on July 9. Meade issued from Atlanta general orders No 1O0 In this he announced that the proclamation was not of the Governor elect" but of Provisional Governor Smith," It might take effect only if, upon the assembling of the legislature, each house would proceed first to purge itself of all members opposed to the ratification of the fourteenth article of amendment, which would be laid before them. Immediately upon the organization Of the two houses in their respective halls Smith laid order No. 100 before them by special message, signed ''Provis- ional Governor"
 The spectacle of the assembled new government was indeed heartrending. The roll of the house showed from Montgom- cry county the name of Gen. Willard Warner of Ohio, candidate for the United State Senate, a young Austrian by the name of Paul Strobach. lately discharged from the ranks of the army who with difficulty spoke English and three cotton field negroes, unedncated. There were 26 seats in the house filled by negroes total ly unqualified for their duties. Three dem- ocrats held seats--Hubbard of Pike, a man of rare merit Howard of crenshaw and Reeves of Cherokee. Not one man in the body even pretended to represent those forces of society which were capable of maintaining civil government except these three.
 A. M Worthy from Pike, a democrat the sole representative of the virtue and intelligence of the state, in the senate.
 At the proceedings to organize the house, John Hardy, United States mar shal and representative from Dallas in- vited General Warner from Montgomery to take the chair. General Shepherd United States army, having come up from his post at Mobile, volunteer accre- tion, took seat along with Warner The governor came in to swear in t--e members by virtue of his experience. He did not need to be 'inaugurated' in ad- vance as Congress had legislated him into office and the general commanding had ordered him to take the seat that Patton had been ordered to vacate.
 A prayer for divine blessing was called for. A negro preacher rose and prayed Next white member demanded a roll call to elect a chaplain because he wanted ito vote for q colored brother" and he wanted to know what fellow members in- tended to do in the premises. Represen- tative White of Blount, white man, moved that the colored members be seat ed on one side of the center aisle and the whites on the other-lost.
 A negro candidate for every office to be filled was presented. McCraw of Mobile, white, was chosen speaker One of the negroes from Montgomery was made clerk. Two negroes were given the offices of doorkeeper and assistant.