The Facts of Reconstruction | Page 5

Constitution of the United States and who, having
taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United
States, had afterwards supported the cause of the Confederacy. This
clause caused very bitter and intense opposition to the ratification of
the Constitution. When the election was over it was found that the
Constitution had been rejected by a small majority. This result could
not be fairly accepted as an indication of the strength of the two parties
in the State, for it was a well-known fact that the Republican party had
a clear majority of about 30,000.
Notwithstanding the large Republican majority in the State, which was
believed to be safe, sure and reliable, there were several causes that
contributed to the rejection of the newly framed Constitution. Among
the causes were:
First. In consequence of the bitterness with which the ratification of the
Constitution had been fought, on account of the objectionable clause
referred to, intimidating methods had been adopted in several counties
in which there was a large colored vote, resulting in a loss of several
thousand votes for the Constitution.
Second. There were several thousand Republicans both white and
colored,--but chiefly colored,--who were opposed to that offensive and
objectionable clause, believing the same to be unjust, unnecessary, and
unwise; hence, many of that class refused to vote either way.
Third. There were thousands of voters, the writer being one of that
number, who favored ratification because the Constitution as a whole
was a most excellent document, and because its ratification would
facilitate the readmittance of Mississippi into the Union; after which
the one objectionable clause could be stricken out by means of an
amendment. While all of this class favored and advocated ratification
for the reasons stated, yet their known attitude towards the clause
proved to be a contributary cause of the rejection of the Constitution.
The reader may not understand why there were any colored men,

especially at that time and in that section, that would have any
sympathy for the white men who would have been victims of this
clause had the new Constitution been ratified. But if the reader will
closely follow what this writer will set down in subsequent chapters of
this work, he will find the reasons why there was and still is a bond of
sympathy between the two races at the South,--a bond that the
institution of slavery with all its horrors could not destroy, the
Rebellion could not wipe out, Reconstruction could not efface, and
subsequent events have not been able to change. The writer is aware of
the fact that thousands of intelligent people are now laboring under the
impression that there exists at the South a bitter feeling of antagonism
between the two races and that this has produced dangerous and
difficult problems for the country to solve. That some things have
occurred that would justify such a conclusion, especially on the part of
those who are not students of this subject, will not be denied.
After the rejection of the Constitution no further effort was made to
have Mississippi readmitted into the Union until after the Presidential
and Congressional elections of 1868. The Democratic party throughout
the country was solid in its support of President Andrew Johnson, and
was bitter in its opposition to the Congressional Plan of Reconstruction.
Upon a platform that declared the Reconstruction Acts of Congress to
be unconstitutional, revolutionary, and void, the Democrats nominated
for President and Vice-President, Ex-Governor Horatio Seymour, of
New York, and General Frank P. Blair, of Missouri. The Republicans
nominated for President General U.S. Grant, of Illinois, and for
Vice-President Speaker Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana. These candidates
were nominated upon a platform which strongly supported and
indorsed the Congressional Plan of Reconstruction.
On this issue the two parties went before the people for a decision. The
Republicans were successful, but not by such a decisive majority as in
the Congressional election of 1866. In fact, if all the Southern States
that took part in that election had gone Democratic, the hero of
Appomattox would have been defeated. It was the Southern States,
giving Republican majorities through the votes of their colored men,
that saved that important national election to the Republican party. To

the very great surprise of the Republican leaders the party lost the
important and pivotal State of New York. It had been confidently
believed that the immense popularity of General Grant and his prestige
as a brilliant and successful Union general would save every doubtful
State to the Republicans, New York, of course, included. But this
expectation was not realized. The result, it is needless to say, was a
keen and bitter disappointment, for no effort had been spared to bring
to the attention of the voters the strong points in General Grant. A vote
against