Letter from G. C. Chandler to Mississippi Governor James L. Alcorn; February 20, 1871

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Letter from G. C. Chandler to Mississippi Governor James L. Alcorn; February 20, 1871

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People

Alcorn, J. L. (James Lusk), 1816-1894 Alley, C. H.Champlin, Unknown Chandler, G. C.Hewson, H. F.Osbern, Unknown Powers, Ridgley Ceylon Seal, Unknown Wood, George

Events

Appointment to office Resignation

Organizations

Courthouses Courts Courts--Circuit Courts Mississippi. Executive Department Mississippi. Legislature Newspapers Newspapers--Handsboro (Miss.) Democrat Newspapers--Jackson (Miss.) Pilot Political Parties--Democratic Party (U.S.)United States. Congress

Occupations

Chairperson Lawyers Legislators Secretaries

Places

Bay Saint Louis (Miss.)Jackson (Miss.)Jackson County (Miss.)

Social Identifiers

African Americans Historically free and newly freed African Americans

Page 1

[seal]

Bay St. Louis Miss.
Febry. 20th 1871.

Gov. J. L. Alcorn
Jackson Miss.

My Dear Sir—Enclosed please find proceedings of a public meeting in Jackson County, clipped from the Handsboro Democrat. You will note several typographical blunders, such as "involved" for "invoked" in the third resolution.

Every body, black and white, in attendance upon the Court, participated in the meeting; and, I feel authorized to say that these resolutions give utter-ance to the sentiments of nine tenths of the whole people of the District.

If what I see in the papers, ~~in the papers~~ is true, that you decline the Senatorship, of course you appoint your own successor to serve until the new

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Legislature convenes in January next, and, then, I am sure not a member of the Legislature from this District will vote against you to fill the vacancy. The most incorrigible democrats declare that if you make the sacrifice for the people reported, of resigning the Senatorship in the interest of the people, you shall have it again when you desire it.

Our friend Osbern has been laboring to destroy the confidence of the colored men in Jackson County in you, but I learned, while in the county, that his efforts were not successful. He has made free to tell them that you and I were not their friends. I think, the result is, that they will not trust him again.

Yours truly & cordially

G. C. Chandler

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PRECIS.
[gap]

No! [gap]

Executive Office,
State of Mississippi,
County of Jackson

From G. C. Chandler
Address Bay St. Louis
Dated Feb'y. 20. "71
Received " 22. "71
Answered Feby. 22/71

Encloses Resolutions adopted by a meeting held on the 14 Feb'y.

JAMES L. ALCORN,
Governor.

H. F. HEWSON,
Private Secretary.

Page 4

Public Meeting.

At a large meeting of the citizens of Jackson county, without distinc-tion of color or previous party pre-dilections, held at the Court House on the 14th day of February, 1871, the second day of the term of the Circuit Court, Geo. Wood, Esq., was called to the chair, and C. H. Alley was appointed Secretary.

The object of the meeting was briefly explained by the Chairman, and the following resolutions were offered, which, after appropriate re-marks by Messrs. Wood, Champlin, Seal and others, were unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That the citizens of Jack-son county, now in attendance upon the Circuit Court, without regard to their party affiliations and sympa-thies, desire to express their confi-dence in the administration of Gov Alcorn. Brought into power during a disturbed condition of public mind, with new and untried paths before him, and violently opposed at the outset by the great body of the old citizens of the State, Gov. Alcorn has been successful in restoring civil government, and with it good feeling among the people to a degree far be-yond our just expectations; and by his firmness, patriotism and devotion to the best interests of all classes of our people, has justly earned the confidence of the country.

Resolved, That we regret to learn that many members of the Legisla-ture, chiefly those who occupy two, and in some instances three offices, themselves, are becoming nervous at the prospect of the Governor be-ing a Senator in Congress before he vacates the Governor's office; that we do not partake of this feeling, but we are satisfied for him to exer-cise his discretion in following or not the example set him by so many members of the Legislature.

Resolved, That as we are unac-quainted with Lieut. Gov. Powers, it would be unjust and ungenerous to anticipate evil from his advance-ment to the Executive office, and without any disposition to prejudge him, in our opinion Governor Alcorn owes it to his own reputation to complete the work of civil govern-ment, not only by putting the depart-ments of the State Government in successful operation, but by giving to the people a code of laws adapted to the new order of things, before he resigns the office of Governor. This being accomplished, he can, with justice to himself and the ap-proval of his countrymen, abandon his office to his successor, and the people, their voice being involved in the election of their officers under the Constitution.

Resolved, That as citizens of the State, we approve of the conserva-tive course manifested by the Gov ernor in his administration, and we believe it to be the duty of all con-servative men to come to his aid in his efforts to have good officers, and to have the law justly administered, and to punish corruption wherever found or by whom committed.

Resolved, That the resolutions and proceedings of this meeting, signed by the Chairman and Secretary, be forwarded to the Handsboro DEMOCRAT and the Jackson Pilot for publication, with a request that newspapers throughout the State, favorable to Governor Alcorn's administration, publish the same, and that the Sec-retary of this meeting forward a copy, hereby duly certified, to His Excellency, Gov. Alcorn.

GEO. WOOD, Chairman.
C. H. ALLEY, Secretary.