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1865 UNION MEETING
AT PIKEVILLE
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The Nashville Daily
Union. (Nashville, Tenn.), July 26,
1865
Union Meeting at Pikeville, Alabama.
In conformity with previous notice, a very large and highly
respectable meeting of the citizens of Marion county, Ala. , consisting of
both sexes, met at the Court House in Pikeville in said county, on
Tuesday, the 11th day of July, And after raising a handsome flag of the
United States, prepared by the ladies of the town and vicinity, the
assembly was called to order by Mr. ALLEN HALEY, when Hon. JOHN D.
TERRELL, Judge of Probate of said county, was appointed Chairman, and Hon.
WINSTON STIDHAM, former delegate to the Convention of said State, was
appointed Secretary. Thereupon, on further motion of Mr. Haley, the chair
was ordered to appoint a committee to draft resolutions for the action of
the meeting, and the following persons were appointed the committee,:
WINSTON STIDHAM, AARON BURLESON, ROB'T C. MATTHEWS, HENRY N. BOWLIN,
ANDERSON MARKHAM, ROB'T HARRISON, JOHN W. KIRT, JOHN M. CANTRELL, WIN
BROWN, JAMES M. HALL, GEO. GOOD, ARCHIBALD MORRISON, EDWARD G. TERRELL,
BUCHANAN H. TERRELL, HENRY W. MILLS, JESSE TYRNE, ROBERT LOGAN, JASPER
CLARK, ARTEMUS- SIMS, JOHN T. NEAL, DAVID S. HARRIS, JESSE POPE, LEWIS T.
MAY, URIAH WILSON, WM. HALL, MEREDITH T. ACRES, SIDNEY S. . ADAMS, ROBERT
BROWN, THOS. CARRUTH, WARREN ARMSTRONG, NATHAN MILLER, WM. CLARK, SR.,
ALLEN HALEY, GARDNER JARRETT, EDWARD BERRYHILL, FRANKLIN H. STEWART, JOHN
BROWN, HIRAM GANN, WM. COOLEY, and WM. GIBBS, to whom the Chairman was
added.
MAJ. THOS. M. PETERS being present, was called on to address
the meeting and spoke for about an hour in a very earnest and acceptable
manner to the highly respectable and crowded
assembly.
The Committee on Resolutions then retired, and after some
delay, returned, and through their chairman, Mr. Stidham, reported the
following resolutions and recommended their adoption, viz
:
Resolved:
1. That the loyal men of this county, and their helpless and
innocent families, have suffered many and grievous wrongs during the
recent merciless rebellion; and they humbly think a merciful God that the
dreadful organization of misrule and devastation which occasioned it is
totally overthrown. Hozanna in the highest to the King of Kings, that his
people are redeemed !
2. That the public authorities of this State are most,
deeply to blame for permitting, without the least effort to correct it,
the shameful state of plundering, pilfering, anarchy, violence, and
murder, which has prevailed in this county since
secession.
3 That the cause of secession was well known to its leaders
to be hopeless for quite a year, at least, before its overthrow. They are, therefore, justly guilty
of all the blood and treasure fruitlessly expended during that period ;
and they should be made to suffer for it, as an example to evil-doers and
betrayers of the people in all time to come.
4 That this State owes its late terrible disasters to the
secessionists. Those of them who are honest are unsafe members of the body
politic in a Government they hate, because they believe in treason as a
creed ; and those who are not honest are equally unsafe, because no laws
or oaths will bind them. Both ought .therefore to be deprived of all
future power to do harm. This can best be done by permitting the law to
take its course. Thus the cause of justice, truth, good morals, union and
peace will be strengthened, and infamy and misrule will be branded with
the disapprobation they should wear. For these ends governments are
instituted among men.
5. That in the language of the patriot Jackson, "compared to
disunion Other evils are light, because that brings with it an
accumulation of all." Our eyes have lived to see the truth of
this.
6. That no change in the Constitution of this State should
ever be made, without submitting it to the ratification of its
people.
7. That the people of this county, with but few exceptions,
would have always remained true and loyal to the Union, had not James
Buchanan of Pennsylvania, in his high office,
indicated his purpose criminally to abandon
them.
8. That we now most cheerfully, in good faith, submit to the
Government and laws of the United States, and hold ourselves ready to
discharge all the duties of good and loyal citizens of the same; and we
ask in return protection against domestic violence, and leave to manage
our own affairs
9. That the most of us are non-slaveholders. We submit to
abolition as a necessity, brought about by the secessionists; but we are
opposed to negro suffrage and negro equality. This has been and still
should be a white man’s government, as our fathers made
it
10. That we approve the speeches and proclamations of
President Johnson since his accession to the Chief Magistracy, and we have
the highest trust in him, as an experienced statesman, and a thorough and
honest patriot,
11. That we condemn, with the deepest horror, the murder of
the late President Abraham Lincoln, and heartily sanction the steps taken
by the Government to bring his vile assassins to
justice.
12. That we view with disfavor and mistrust the recent
doings of the French emperor in Mexico. Such conduct cannot be
regarded by the United
States as an act of a friendly power. It
justly merits rebuke, if no more.
13. That the chair appoint a committee of thirteen to
forward the proceedings of this meeting to President Johnson, with
expressions of our highest admiration and regard.
Which being read and considered by the meeting, were
unanimously adopted, resolution by resolution, and then as a
whole.
The chair then appointed the following committee under the
13th resolution viz: WINSTON STIDHAM, ROBERT HARRISON, AARON BURLESON,
GEO. GOOD, HENRY W. MILLS, ARTEMUS SIMS, JOHN M. CANTRILL, ARCHIBALD
MORRISON, SIDNEY S. ADAMS, ALLEN HALEY, GARDNER JARRETT, WM. BROWN, and JESSE
TRYREE.
After which the
meeting adjourned.
JOHN D. TERRELL, Chm'n.
WINSTON STIDHAM. Sect’y
