The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-01
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
1874-1901
No. 2a-Administration of Governor Houston
1874--t901

At the zenith of the French revolu
tion Dante exclaimed. There are thre'
qualities for the statesman-audacity
Iaudacity audacity!" The government O
Alabama was engaged, in the year 1874
in the daring enterprise of puttins
down a revolution forced upon its peo
pie by the government at Washington
General Grant was yet President
with every inclination to continue II
the course which led him to abolisl
the legislature of 1872 and make an
other of his own devising He was {
recognized candidate for a third tern
by the election now two years distan
and the condition precedent to his sue
cess must be in the prolonged eontro
of the southern states by the revolu-
tionary party, of which he was tht
head and front What could the Hous-
ton reform state government do to re-
deem it's campaign pledges?
| The reform governors inaugural
avoided with manifest forethought al
suggestions of radical legislation. He
said nothing that would not have beer
sufficient for the occasion in times OF
established order and universal peace
and security among the people.
White supremacy was the pledge oI
the victor in the late campaign. The
means to the end was in audacious leg
islation. Senators and Representatives
of the majority party seemed to vie
with each other for preferment II
bringing forward bills that cast con
tumely on the recent radical legisla-
tion and the late radical executive.
At an early day in the session mo.
tions arose in either house of the legis.
lature of 1874 providing for a con-
vention to abolish the military con-
stitution of 1858 and make one better
adapted to the conditions In the state
No bolder measure could be conceived
The constitution then in force hat
been framed by carperpaggers, the ia
vorite Instruments of Congress, il
convention elected and assembled By
act of Congress, where Maj. Gen. Johr
Pope, United States army, sat in full
uniform by the side of the presiding
officer of the body. Six months after
the adjournment of the convention
Congress by special act legislated the
document into effect and without thai
act of legislation it must have remained
ldisused The proposition now made Il
was in nothing short of a movement te
repeal an act of Congress. If repea
Iwould not de facto be state nullifica-
ton, and be so acknowledged by the
government at Washington, then the
government must be unwilling to vindi-
Icate it's original action in the prem
Uses.
True, the constitution of 1868 pro-
lyided for constitutional convention
lin the future. whose province it might
be to amend the instrument. But the
mature of the amendment contemplated
was in extension of the basic principle
Iof the instrument, to-wit: The politica
equality OF the occupant white ant
black races. The defiant attitude of tn,
Legislature was in the assertion by /
Iof purpose to expunge from the or
ganic law of the state that spurious
basic principle and to substitute for i
the normal reverse principle--white SUI
lpremacy. The execution of the purpose
must be In a virtual repeal of the con.
Igressional constitution and all it stood
for and this by the action of the state
itself.
1t was in audacity equal to the occa.
sion that Senator Little moved a join
|committee OF one senator and two rep
|resentatives be ordered to Sumter coun.
ty, his district, to investigate to wha
|extent United States officials have VIC
lated the rights of citizens of said coun
|ty by invading private houses, by ar
resting many without authority of Law
Tor proper evidence; and by using theii
|power and threats so as to intimidat.
many citizens of said county and pre-
vent fair electfon'-in November