Missouri, post Civil War

Rico's friend Kema (she of the on-line Slavery Museum) forwards this article from the Columbia (Missouri) Daily Tribune by Rudi Keller:

The political struggle over slavery, a source of national controversy at the birth of the state and the cause of a war that had engulfed it in a bitter guerrilla conflict, ended for Missouri when the State Convention voted 60-4 to abolish it immediately.
The ordinance, which replaced a scheme of emancipation for freeing slaves on 4 July 1870, read simply that “in this State, there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except in punishment of crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted; and all persons held to service or labor as slaves are hereby declared free.”
With the vote, Missouri became the second loyal state to abolish slavery since the war began. Maryland abolished slavery on 1 November 1864. Only Delaware and Kentucky retained slavery among the states that did not secede in 1861.
Missouri was admitted to the Union after the 1820 Missouri Compromise that maintained the balance between slave and free states and limited the expansion of slavery in territory of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.
William Switzler of Boone County, Thomas Harris of Callaway County, Samuel Gilbert of Platte County, and William Morton of Clay County opposed emancipation.
During their debate, delegates inaugurated a new controversy: whether the people hereafter known as freedmen would be recognized as the equals of whites. Convention Vice President Charles Drake of St. Louis sought to amend the ordinance to prohibit discrimination in property, education, religious, and legal rights.
Attorney James Owens of Washington sought to add voting rights. “Owens said he wished to test whether this convention was in favor of making men free, without giving them the rights of free men,” the Daily Missouri Republican reported in a summary of the day’s proceedings.
In reply, “Drake said his amendment was to secure the emancipated man his rights. The amendment of Owens was to clothe him with what he called a privilege.”
To make sure Missourians would remember who was willing to grant voting rights to blacks and who was not, Switzler demanded a roll-call vote on Owens’ proposal.
“Sir, if it be the intention of gentlemen to pass these amendments, one of which qualifies as a witness and the other dignifies as a voter those who were yesterday slaves, freedmen today, let them go upon the record before the people of the State and posterity,” Switzler said. “For one, I shall vote no.”
Voting rights lost 4-58. Owens was joined by Ethan Holcomb, a lawyer from Keytesville, George Hussmann, a nursery owner from Hermann, and James Sutton, a farmer from Wayne County.
During the debate, Switzler said white privilege and superiority was the issue, not the quality of freedom for blacks. “I ask the gentlemen to pause,” Switzler said. “I ask the gentlemen who have in their hands today the destiny of Missouri, to pause before they admit to the witness stand or the ballot box the negroes of this state.” He also complained about escalating demands made on behalf of freedom and rights for blacks, lamenting “how unavailing have been all our efforts and compromises and concessions and sacrifices to settle the negro question.”
The Central Missouri counties that are the focus of this series— Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau, and Randolph— were divided among five state Senate districts, giving the region ten delegate votes in the convention.
Drake’s amendment was defeated 25-38.
Harvey Bunce of Cooper County and Joseph Hume of Moniteau County of the 28th Senate District supported Drake’s proposal. Switzler and Harris, representing the Third District; John Gamble of Audrain County and Alexander Martin of Lincoln County, representing the Second District; Holcomb and Reeves Leonard of Howard County, representing the Sixth District; and John McKernan of Cole County and Anton Nixdorf of Miller County, representing the 27th District, opposed it.
The state Senate agreed to debate equal rights in two days after Senator Charles Howland of St. Louis introduced a joint resolution asking the State Convention to make the new Missouri constitution colorblind.
Howland’s resolution, after a lengthy preamble, stated: “That we owe it as a duty to our age of light and progress, to abolish all castes or privileges founded solely on race, creed or color, and we ask the convention now assembled to strike from our constitution the word ‘white’ wherever found, and thereby recognize the ‘equality of all men before the law.’ ”
The Senate voted 15-10 to debate the joint resolution in two days. From the Central Missouri delegation, Senators Alexander Denny of Randolph County, George Anderson of Pike County, and William Harrison of Camden County supported the measure. Senators James Gordon of Boone County and Franklin Hickox of Moniteau County were absent. When notice of the emancipation ordinance arrived, the House and Senate adjourned. Governor Thomas Fletcher issued an emancipation proclamation.
The ongoing trouble in Boone County was the result of “unrestricted sale of liquors”, orders making the county dry stated. “It is the direction of the general commanding that you cause every dram and whisky shop in the county to be closed and the sale of liquors entirely prohibited, except for medicinal purposes, and that under such regulations and restrictions as may be by you thought best,” orders sent to Captain William Colbert, post commander at Columbia, stated.

Rico says politics is complicated at the best of times, but drunkenness never helps...