nited 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