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.