Year: 1870

WESsoN, Miss, Dec 70. 1861


Editor CIar1on Since my interview with
Won the other day, am the more fully con-
WINGED ofthe correctness of my opinion, that
now is the time for all men of all parties
to come out and support Gen. Alcorn; or
else we shall commit the same fatal error
that we have comitted three several times
since theelose OF the war. We have usually
been a year or two behind the will OF our
rulers. We have always concluded TO accept
the terms that we had rejected when new,
and more odious and dishonorable terms
have been added and offered US.


five had accepted the l4th amendment TO
the Constitution, we should have held the
franchise question in our own ands. sub
iect only to the measure of our representa-
tion in Congress.


did not advocate the adoption of the l4th
amendment, because did not agree with
you that we are a conquered nation and
subject to the uncomfortable and unexpres-
| sed will of the Congress.


Next, and in quick succession, came the
reconstruction laws. l did agree with you
1 in accepting with the best grace we could)
1 those laws indeed believe was the first TO
recommend the adoption of the law. When
this law was being forced upon us, We all
/ regretted that we did not 90 with Gen. Al
/ corn tor the adoption of the 14Lh Amend
1 menJ but still large majority then re-
iecteu the reconstruction laws and refused
| to vote for members TO the Convention. you
| and L, and many others recommended a diff
| ferent course. We advised that the law be
| executed and carried out in good faith, and
ifa majority had agreed with us we could
have sent good men to the Convention: we
| could have controlled the action of the Con
! vention and have made just such a consti-
tuition as we wanted. But instead OF doing
so we were consuming our time in vain re-
grets that we had not accepted the l4th
amendment.


Sd. Our failing to accept and carry out the
reconstruction laws in the minds of our gen.
erous( p eonquerors, brought ON us the l5tt
amendment, and now, for reasons bes
| known TO ourselves We have all concluded
TO accept the 18th amendment, but some ar,
not willing to do it in the name of and il
company with General Alcorn; why, for
sooth, he was in favor of the l4th amend


ment before we were, and when it coulC
have been made available.


will admit that the General started lit
tie ahead of us on the road to reconstruction


but some of US caught up with him just af
ter he passed the l4th mile post, and W,


have all caught him on the 18th stretch. bu


still there are some who will not agree L


bivouac nor travel on the same train will
him now. do not belong to that number


l will not keep up opposition merely for th'


sake of opposition. [ will not be kicked of


my own platform because Alcorn got upoI
it and was elected. The contest in the las


guberhatorial election was for men, no


measures. We made platform and TIN
radicals adopted it and beat us on it. w
6 are now forced to sustain their men if the
carry out the principles laid down in tina
: platform, we must admit that we wer
not sincere when we inserted them. Tn


reason that we did not support their can
didateS, was that we did not believe tha


they would do what they had promised T.
do. THE CLARION has been a consistent adj
vocate OF the policy of accepting the recon


struction laws ever since they were passed


You opposed the acts of the Convention


when they over-reached the law, aud deal


sledge-hammer blows in favor of adherin,


strictly TO the law, and against the mem
! bers of the Convention whenever they tran
. scended it. And let me advise you to cor
tinue in the path of peace, harmony an
2 consistency. In doing so can see b1t on
course to pursue. that is to support Gen
Alcorn until he departs from the principle
OF the platform.


| do not wish to be understood as attach
ing blame to those that may have disagree
with us. only wish to point out the er
rors that we have committed, so that w
may be able to use them now as cautions no
TO do so again. No blame can be attache
TO the motives of any one for what he ha
; done. We were travelling an unknown
track with no history to guide us; no par
/
lers was unascertained and unmeasured. an
il we had consulted the highest laws @
mathematics, we should have failed in tn
capacity to comprehend their malignity 10


wards US; and when we supposed they ha,


reached the illimitable depths of their mad


ness and spite against us they have gon


oack upon thei- own record and accumula
> ted still other wrongs upon us. So none ar


to be blamed, but with this experience W


should be as wise as serpents, and harmles


as doves.


And now l wish to ask how 1 can be con
) sistent if | oppose Gen. Alcorn before he il


some way violates his promises made in tn
Z last canvass; and how can you be consist


ent with yourself, Mr.. Editor as a publ


journalist, unless you advocate his cause un
e I'll he does violate some of the principle
: laid down in the platform, that Won did ad
vocate during the late canvass. If the plat


form of the two parties were not the sam
then you may logically, except that part {
e the Alcorn platform that does not accor
D with ours, but | assume, and shall assum,
thatthey are the same until the converse


proven. L think the present condition {
Georgia admonishes us that we should nc
n oppose the administration of Gen. AlcorI
Z unless there is positive and unequiyoc;
cause for doing so, that we should be slo,
to anger, that we should overlook and paI
i con seeming offence in his case, they shoul
e ascertain the reason of his acts before w
o condem him and turn against him. | al


dealing with things as they are, not that
; am responsible for them. l am only recon
: mending what | think for the best under eS
: isting circumstances. and [ hope and be


lieve that | have taken a common sens


view of the subject, disclaiming every thin
like political diplomacy. | have laid dow
z plain propositions, and, | hope, proven ther


to your satisfaction.


Your obedient servent


JAMES M. WESSON.
r