that the convention would be composed almost exclusively of illiterate
and inexperienced colored men. Although a minor at that time, I took an
active part in the local politics of my county, and, being a member of a
Republican club that had been organized at Natchez, I was frequently
called upon to address the members at its weekly meetings.

When the State Constitution was submitted to a popular vote for
ratification or rejection I took an active part in the county campaign
in advocacy of its ratification. In this election the Democrats pursued
a course that was just the opposite of that pursued by them in the
election of delegates to the Constitutional Convention. They decided
that it was no longer unwise and dangerous for white men to take part in
an election in which colored men were allowed to participate. This was
due largely to the fact that the work of the convention had been far
different from what they had anticipated. The newly framed Constitution
was, taken as a whole, such an excellent document that in all
probability it would have been ratified without serious opposition but
for the fact that there was an unfortunate, unwise and unnecessary
clause in it which practically disfranchised those who had held an
office under the 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