Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / Aug. 13, 1876, edition 1 / Page 2
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8 it Sunday yuguaty 13, 1876. TT T17T K. BREVARD McDOWELL, . Editor & Proprietors. free trona, the dtlBjf scruples .aU ittr our fre-MriiQeeMon.",, f f INFLEXIBLE RULES. We eannot notice anonymous communlca tleas. In all cases we require the writer's atne and address,, not for publication, but a guaiantee of good faHb, , We vaanot, under any1 circumstances, re tarn rejected communications, nor can we undertake to preserve manuscript Articles written on both side oi heetor paper eannot be accepted for publication. SPEECH. OF ft i COKCLUDED. 'Now, sir, notice the language of Mr. " Morton in the following sentences : . Cn you 'conceive that a body ,f men, white of black', w$a have been ia this con dition, ani their ancestors before them, are qualified to be immediately Jilted from their present state into thejfull. exercise of power, Uit only to gOTern themselves and their neighbor, but to take part in the govern-'-lutut of the United States. Can they be regarded as intelligent voters? The mere -Ute of facts furnishes the answer to the question. To say that such men-r and it is no fault of theiis ; it ' is simply a misfortune and a crime of this nation to say tbat such men just emerged from slav ery are qualified for the exercises ef political power is to make thi strongest' pro-slavery argument I ever heard. It .Is to pay the highest compliment to the institution of ularery. ,.l '...V' V " .? - Then he goes on with his objections to clothing these people with the rights of citizenship and suffrage. The right to vote carms with it the right to hold office... Yot cannot say that the r.e i jro ha a natoral right to vote but that he " mutt vote only for white mm tor joffice.3 Then, after demenstratingthat point, he makes this conclusion: If you enfranchise all the negroes in these fcta'es yoawill.have. a't "least "twenty -negro votes to brie" wHlte'vote'," and trt the work "Ofl r-cjnitructin the States, of South Carolina, Alabama, ad Florida you will Have a larger propoitiori perhaps thirty colored votes to on a white. Now. I ask you, what is tj be the effect of that? Tne first effect will be, you will have colored State govern ments. After going into a long argument to prove this fact he reaches this conclu - siori : i They will have colored governors end col ored members of Congress and Senators and judges of the Supreme Court, Ac- Very well ; and suppose they do send colored Benators and Representatives to Congress : I have no doubt you will find men in the North who will be willing to sit beside them and will not think themselves j degraded by so doing. I have nothing to say to this. am simply discussing the political effect of it. In every state where there ia a "colored btate government, a Jtfgro for goveraond a negro for supreme judge, white emigration will cease: there will be no more white em igratien to any such State. You cannot find the most ardent anti-slavery man in Waone county who will go and locate in a , State that Las colored State government. ; Now, Bir, why ascribe to the conduct of the people of the south this exclu aipn of emigration when here is pre dieted beforehand the result of the state of things which have occurred ? Here is his conclusion : I submit, then, however clearly and strongly we may admit the natural right of ic uwgru a ouuiuik wjh iuc intelligence 01 the people that colored State gevernments arc not desirable ; that they , will bring , aoout results mat are not to De noped lor; . , that finally tbey would .threaten to. bring about, and l believe would isult in a War or races. , , .: r Those are his predictions in 1865. , Now what is his remedy ! . Here it is If I had the power I would arrange it in tins way : i would give mete nun a proba tun ana preparation ; I would give them time to acquire little property and get a lit tle education ; time to learn s omett ing about toe simplest iorms pi, Business and prepare themselves for the '' exercise bf political power. Well, sir, that looks amiable and put inem unaer tnis system ol proba tion ? For the 'benefit of the race? In order to elevate them ? That is not the motive which upon that occasion he declared. Here is what he says : f. f - Jrtbeendjpf ten, fifteen, pi kwuity years ; MrMiiX time has noteVapsed. Wha4 or twenty years a "5l l J . f r. . ai me ma 01 ten, nrieen or twenty years let them come into the. enjoyment of their ! Political rights;;- : , ; H i ) Why then?, ... . - By that time these States will have been so completely filled up by emigration from the North aud from Europe that the negroes will be in a permanent minority. face ! TCeetf them ieir; niceenyor twen ty years out of the enjoyment of their ence 0nrrmiiglatfonhe ''ftegroei" ihilphfir: friendly relations,, be in a permanent minority ! Mr. Garfaeld. At what time of the year was that speech delivered? ' ' Mr, Lamar; September 29, 1865. -Yhy wottkUhey &o.m a & ! -- . Because the negroes have no emigratior, othins but the natural increase ; while w He actually identifies "himself with! the whites of the South. A ''member. Ha..was aUe4inerJ then. , -iiri l 1 than the white-liners , jf V l .'M.tv'blleiwe ibav wnigratiow rom all. the world and natural increase besides. He would put theni under probation pd keep thein out of their jejghts, asl h calls tKentSten orte Cl KB. i years : by which time' they will b ' permanent minority, and there will be ' no danger of war of races, because theyr cannot elect their own people. - Said he :. -'--i . ': ' : -r nly to such times as the negroes are qualify- lifted tnlenjoy.political.righ, ithe danger I CI il"Mr J Mnskferihgi wiuMbkvei fully passed away. .Their influence ; would" tab longer be dangerous in the manner I have Indicated, nd a conflict of races would not . .te mwre likely to happen than it now ia Ju, Massachusetts la Massachusetts the heeroerf aT "j.rema pouucai. rignts ior twenty , - five yean, .and Vat . there . h hnnn nn : a , turbance thri no eonAictl races ? Whyf Becauae the negroes have been irf the mlodr1 T .v x , . i asic, air, to append the continu o extract to try remarks and 'one also from Governor Andrew, of Massachu setts. , . Now; Csir,-if t this it errible cpr08pect struck this distinguished! statesman in Indiana with such j alarming effect, what must have been the shock'.to the people of the South upon whom the thunderbolt felr? If he foresaw this terrible avalanche and warned ; the people of Indiana who were beyond its destructive sweep, what must have been the jipplld feeling, sir, of the south em society 'upon whom it was to be let loose? a ueh was his advice in Indian. Now suppose him to be in the South';' taFe Mr, AfortortVrOm- his 'gubernato rial chair in Indiana andput him in 1863 among th petle bftheBoutK,ind what would hiLYe,tieen hi3ia(lvife?4IWliatin point of fact was his advice to the peo ple of the South ? What was the thing the people of the South were called upon to do at that time by this distin- gtrishedjfenUenjan from the. North as well as bv a-istinemsnea governor o Massachusetts whose views I ask per- mission to print with my remarks ? His advice was : "You must not admit these people into the political system ol this (jrovernment ; tney are noc qual ified to vote :..they must not . take part in the government of themselves or the eovernment of their neighbors or any participation in the Federal Gov ernment of this - country i and tp keep it from them you must nx upon them a system of probation which will hold them down and keep them out of yonr political system until they are in a per- uitmcn u jiiinuiiijr. That beine his advice.it is stranee. - renpRti that-Hhe: neonl of the SoutT j ustlret'urned from the war alt the h society in ruins, tun oi wretcneanes; and disapoointment, this race eman f.i rtpii lvinc tinon iheir olantrftions heither slave nor citizen and Iwithou t 'v.i: r.-l.- i : . 1 : any inuicauon ui iuw nauuuai aeuu rnent that theywero to become citi zens"; in discejr,swithi-ui law for the slave laws were abolished and they were at that time npt within- he pro- isions of the civil "code which applied to the white race is it strange, sir, that in improvising legislation which under this terrible pressure, this ap palling calamity, these bewildering changes, which have followed one upon the other with such rapidity is it strange that that system should have some of the incidents of the old sys tem. t9x 3? Sir, is it tdibe arrayed against them until the ebdr'of time as an evidence on their part of a purpose to remand that people to the servitude ol slav ery ? Measure these people by what the sentiment was at that time, and riot by standards you have erected al this time. It was not a system which was well advised or well executed, for. 'hit, it was repealed bythe legislature rwhich passed it lhe very moment the public sentiment of the couth could reach those would pass it. ,"Itrfa,worthy.jf special attention that Grdver'noFMortOn predicts the results of this policy which have actually fol lowed its adoption. If, sir, that policy furnishes an adequate and inevitable cause of these disorders which he be forehand said it would do, why now seek to attribute them, when they come, to a different cause ? Why send investigating committees to the South to charge them upon the murderous and. rebellious purposes of the-whites? This pblicy', so repugnant to Mr. Morton's sentiment and view of public interest, so suggestive of the alarming results which have actually ensued, could not possibly have been less un acceptably to the Southern people. With no prejudice against the negro, they regarded this clothing of him .withr'theiawferj; powers of government asiexpOTingtreir,icrchtyto the wildest disorder. Uut when the policy was fastened upon them they knew that they had a more tremendous stake in its well-working-than any -other peo ple : they knew that the attempt to reverse or obstruct it would be ruinous ; and they set to work with an earnest ness for which I know they do not get credit to adjust their ruptured rela tions to the new order of things, and give it a free, fair, and successful de velopment, it might have bad such a development. There were agencies at the Sooth of which . Mr. Mbrtani took no note and which it is dufficuU from his stand-point to appreciated Under neath the ruins of our political and social order we had uninjured the old civil institutions of Anglican . and American liberty, the princires of the old common law, the mother of free' dom and popular government and that Anglo-Saxon race of which we hear so much, so indestruclible andShvincV ble, accustomed to the handling of these institutions and trained in 'the discharge, of thjtf high duties of repre? dfentatif government. True, we had those 4,000,000 blacks, just emerged, rs, Mr. Morton would now free and invested witbfeitizensnip, sunrage, , and eligibility to political power. But though a distinct it was not an antagonistic element.. Harmo ny, friendship, aud con hdence -existed between ISiese" twoTfacejj rlhdjeslcriba- bte sympathies oicpm4erjrie& kladiyj services mutually renaerea,ties w childhood, of youth, of manhood, days of battle, nights of watching, nights of anguish, bad so intertwined the lives 0f that 'efeberatibb 6 southern men and, women, white and black, that a't the close of the war there was scarce a black man. woman, or child who did not have some endearing relation with, a white man. woman, or child and was attacnmeni. - ! Under the operation of these benigtt and the w'orkings of local self-goverii'-r ment, there was a well-founded hope that society at the South might be re constituted, even, though it would perjnanenLir ve . L ul V TlZr W OI I lieu wru a.HTi V oy ovrrrxru tsi conflict between tbe republican ; party W ttO UUC U1U1UU VJ ill vuw vrj t ,UV Kwrtd Mr. Johnson began. I do not wish to say anything against nis memory ; but his championship, or seeming chamrwrpship,jof4he South seemed to me liuJrjeiiiamagiugiuau ins uustiuty had been. The result of that conflict was that the Federal Go verri merit aesd rived as a political necessity, the euiu8ivo ure a K.-: rdgative of reconstructing government n ihe south,- xne pqucy. oi recon- trhitiott excluded theVfchlti rfc ion account of Its suspected disloyalty) as the basis ef the new order; But as the oiaciL race whh tuuomcicu no luuuiue tenttomanage the.newB'ttuctures built tWlXiMltt flilaryl pbif for the first time in the history of : the American Government, was employed- as' the force to put and keep in operation the in acjimety pf civiji venmepl 1 1 do hoV propose 'to!dtec0s6lfis policy, but simply to call special attention to one feature of it. All the measures in the furtberane f AYiit polloyi tbe Freed man'sBureau.which cut all connection of the two races sheer asunder, whose .AgfeptiUhdfloffitf f0 jfwere made judges to1 HrV AndplunisW offenses by the ; wnnes against vnerignts oi ireeomen, uawithout jury or' the ri ht of jftdicia 1 appeal ; the act dividing the South without reference: to State -lines into' military districts,; an'd,veEtiog the, pow er of aDDointine all tivil 'otiicers in a com naqding general ; the acts for re storing", civil, govern ment8,were all based upon this one ides, of protecting the eniranchised black race against the wrongs anticipatedfrom thedisfranchis ed white race; and, as a matter of fact, therefore, this reconstruction legisla tion as conceived and enforced actually arrayed the two races intq distinct knd opposing classes, and arew - the color line as ; distinctly and perfectly if such race distinction had b,e enjoined in -the. CJonstitutiop. Th (ypj&J. first pfiheipie of government 'your 'new- made (Citizens saw in operation was the brincinle of race discrimination. The very first lesson in civil government I which they learned was the proscrip-Uorf'f-Vthe white race, as an object of pblititat distrust jind resentment. . . The strange spectacle of these two races i local ly"' i nter mingled, bou n d igethei by, the strongest ties of inter: est "and - oifectioh, y.t as completely, separated political ty as "if a deep gulf bad sunk between thehi ; the passions mciin'to-frj1iH-'GbQ.te8t8 i.u which the contestants differ , riot in: con vie-J tion bnt in race, wid now charged as one; "of the -; ;beayyi te m s against the South' find their authorship and ori giiritf'ihe legislation of the Govern'' mentj and the action of its agents. One moment's consideration will con vince any fair mind of this. The meas ures devised ifor bjajf.qli! jbenefit, pro tection, and ascendency oi one race willsurel1 command' the'support of that race ; :and: if the.same policy dis franchises the other race, hurls it frjom)proud:tradjt;in6lv condi tidnnfe with' all tbe elements ot hu miliation, and deprives it even of its ancient, guarantees against the oppres sion of arbitrary power, the inevitable effect is perforce to' drive that race into opposition to those measures. Thus, I repeat by a policy which drew one race to its support and drove the other into opposition, the separation of the two was produced without the voluntary agency of either and against the natural tendencies of both. The report of every investigating committe sent to the South - confirms this; for, sir, the South has been sub jected to an ordeal that no other com munity m the -world has ever been subjected to - a microscopic investiga tion into all the detai's of its society. I hold, in. my band & report Jmade by Messrs. Hoa1r,3?ryei arldT W&eeler, in which, speaking of the state of things in Louisiana, one of the catties there mentioned is the fact that the Admin istration party is made up by massing together almost entirely the black vote with a few whites, largelyfrdm.! other States." These few whites from other Hates are a class of men who came as agents !of the ITreedman '& : Bureau, thenee - transferred ta the-TOrfitary de partment, from which they were car ried over by the bayonet to the recon structed cvil go ve6mentA AixtVhere they have been maintained" by" the power off the Federal Government ever! Tslnee, gorging themselves with the spoils of that plundered people until recently their erasp upon our thrdatfi has beehy broken by the pm tecting force of an enlightened public sentiment at the North and West. It is not my purpose to describe the character of the governments which resulted from this policy. I call atten tion simply to two principles they embodied. Gibbon, in bis history of Rome, speaking of Egypt, savs that the most absurd and oppressive .sys tem of government tbat can be'eon- ceived of is that which subjects the natives of a country to the domination of its own slaves. John Stuart Mill. in his worK on representative govern ment, says that a;govefnmettt!rdmin istered by Tillers responsible tD the governed may be a good government according to the character of the con stituency which it represents; but that a government administered by rulers mho are not responsible to the people of the government, but to some other community or power, is one of the worst conceivable systems of gov ernment; and, sir, these hideous structures in the;Bouth'verea com posile of those two vicious systems The people there were subjected ' to the domination oi oujr former slaves ; we were ruied over by men not res poniibie to, ihc people governed, but to the .Federal? GfovernmenU Gdvern or Chamberlain and Governor Kellogg come here to make their reports, and netther thihlc nb rof Louisiana . or. South' Carolina. - No man has ever had the temerity, since I have been here, to defend or apolo gize for these governments. I shall cite only republican) testimonies as to nuir viiarauier. r 1 1 .wow, sir, but a snort 7x1 me ago a .great cry waaj taisetl that i-he. elections of Louisiana were carried by intimida tion and .fraud and, violence and by organizedhtuTdeTfa!nd a subcommit tee wfl'gfleVWlkjuwviiiifvHor tbe pur- ?Trti8li)Sehbrh3ftt ,bflid2wc$carred i Lucans , and, one democrat. r i r see at tached to tbe report the name of the gentleman from? Ohipj Mr (Foster who- adf! aid the, jHouse vrthe. oth( day. r His nam 9 , was .the first in (he order of signatures to the report, and I presume she preented,' it- Here are his statemejtjs iri. relation to the con dition of things ' in Louisiana. After speaking of one of the parishes that wiere 'takeh'as sampled df 'these intimi- aauons, laitgo, uy,xppMUJjiua.uB,.uii ee lected.a.8 iheworst pases that ;bould be brought peiQre .iine ? commuieeiur, Fostereays: -.-?!! It so happens tbat tnat nanstt js a ,,sam pie parish of intimidation. -Many .witnesses from both parties' were examined in refer ence to it they ehow beyond question that there was a fraf, full, fair, and. peaceable election and registration there. There was jno evidence of apy intimidation, of -voters .practiced orl theoay at election! although it was asseriea mat inumiuauon ui coiorea men before election had been effected by threats of refusal to employ them, or dis charge ithenjk if 4hey, voted ihe. republican ticcet, - rto evidence; eicneroi mscharee i or Sd evidence; el thereof dls of refusal to employ, was produced Certain wtnssp. themselves everv one omce-hor- -i-.a- action j but hfdl iirv oneMa irrstanfefi in whifctf he treafdbf ari iy-etnpioyer so threatening or discharging . any voter, or Knew or any employee Deingso tnreatenea or dischargedNq one jingle, colored man throf glioutbe?eriljr$ aiiBl was produced to tstify,"erlher 46 suoo Vlhnat or to the execution of such a purpose, whether before or after the elecUon jg,"; "v;;..- .'yt "Upon the general subject of the state of affairs in the South, and as: to or were asserted without due founds- Asa whole, they are constrained,. to say tbat tbe intention charged is not borne out by the facts before us. No general intimida tion pi republican, vftters pas ; established no pdolaSedj tuaov was nroddcedj wo s had been threatened or assaulted by any "con senatiye beoause !of foUtfcalpinitar ;or discharged from employment, or rtos,ed emplOymentfy 'Of attthose who testified to mi intimidation there was hardly any one ho of his own knowledge could specify a relia ble instance of uch act?, and of the white men,wbo were produced testify generally ttpon- auch!iiubjectrf,' ery nearly all, if not every; ungle one, was t the holder of an office. ! Throughout the rural districts of the State the number of white republicans i very fewT it hardly extends beyond those holding office and those connected with them. No witness, we believe, Bucceded n naming, in any parish, five republican v who supported ,he. Kellogg-govern mtirt who were not themselves oQice-holders or; r lat ed to officehoiders or th se having onlcial employment. ' But lliiril bt'atrfe s testifie?lh this report that" there was intimida tion, that there was fraud, that there was murder committed for the pur pose i of; carrying the ( elections ; not that it wag practiced by, democrats on republicans, but by republicans upon democrats ; that the black men who washes, to vote i the democratic ticket wre the subjects, of Jrtioiidatipii.; I read further: ' " ' " ' It, , . . ; i rU; :)! fx-", ' i 'i: i - --! ! - Cn. tbe other hainr; it. was in evidence that blacks who sought to act with the conservative liarty weie on their itart some times exposed to tiimity; ani Abuse... In the Interior, one coloied man was shot for making a conservative speech ; and in New Orleans, it appeared from the testimony than colored men who sought to co-operate with the conservatives were subject to so much abuse from the police,' and otherwise, that an association of lawyers volunteered to protect them, but with little enect That was notthe only kind of in timidation, but that yoa an intimida tion which of alt -1 fotliers' does more to keep down the public spirit of a peo ple and to strike down the spirit of liberty, the spirit of "independence in which our institutions were founded. I call special attention to it, for it is well for the country to know the ap pliances that have been; and may be again, used to bring about a Predeter mined result. ; . I read again: On the other hand, applica.'iens to the United States commissioners in tbe various parishes, not cn'y for alleged crime?, but because of alleged threats t" discharge. non-employment, or other interference with political preference, were frequt-nt. TJpou thee affidavit? warrants were often issned, and white citizens arrested and !ound over for trial. In many localities H e Federal troops were detained for service under "the marshals and assistant marsbar , an I not only made large arrests immediately before the election, but the reports tbat l ;iey were coming to articular neighbor bouds about the election time for the purnose of such arrest served, as tbe ct nervatievs 'aimed, to intimidate and sometimes evtn i i pro duce a stampede among the white v era. I want the House to recol!e ' that this is the testimony and repbi of a were committee of whom a majority republicans. "That seryed to intimidate and pro- duce a stampede among the white voters." Sir, I have seen two hundied good, plain men mount their horses and ride out of town without deposit ing their vo'es for fear of just such persecution. But that, is not all; he goes onto tell that there was a perfect despotism over that people, eating up all their substance by exorbitant taxation, taxing their real estate in the city of New Orleans up to a point beyond the rents and in some of the rural dis tricts 8 percent., and he quotes ap provingly as an indication of the gov ernment there that the political power vesttd in the governor of the State was such as is scarcely exercised by any sovereign in the world. But the gentleman from Ohio in his last speech said that in this report he told 6ome truths that bore heavily upon his own party. "I was astounded at tbat declaration. What ! Does it bear heavily upon his party to report tbatntpeople charged with fraud, intimidation, and murder are not guilty ? Does it bear hardly upon the republican party to prove that there is no such state of lawlessness and intimidation among a people who are writhing under all the oppression which corruption can invent and tyran ny inflict ? Is it a condition of repub lican success that the country should be told that there is murder and intim idation, and that if they are not t there the tr'iuh which states the opposite bears hardly upon his parly? Mighty God ! It is true that that is the nu triment upon which the party must live? Sir, it did, strike tbis party" with amazernerrt''ats thtf tfnie, atad'ahother subcommittee, a thing which I never . Uriew of j before, went down to revise and revie.wK.bis action. They dme back ajid reported &qm things which the getlenian)do teport, some things "which did not bear so heavily upon the party. It is due to them to say that upon the searching investiga tion which lugy -made they came back and said that there was an organized system of violence and murder-there for the purpose of remanding these blacks into ia coijdjv?! something akin fo tueir former servitude. But the gentleman from Ohio, would not yield to that; that would not suit him., He nia-de another counter-report, and said : i i to W rtno tp the committee by Messrs. Hoar, Frye and Wheeler. All laws inimical to . the. colored people of Louisiana, 'referred to in thei? ie port, bave betn repealed for years, - And he goes on to state that- . In the absence .of any direct evidenca,tbat tnejafe electtnnr was notl'ree and fean tte as-. uW prion byVftqidTfty tbalrenotgh, col ored yoters Were therefore prevented from voting to change the result of the election throughout the State is an assumption so yiohnt as not to be received. But even this report of Messrs Hoar, Fl-v I, ud WhfeteCpniHis i&Mki issions aftnost asWffllfngasHHsta'tements of. Mr., Foster,,, and shows a state of tmngs wnicn, witnout resuruiig w nuy theory of bloody conpiraees, would pro&eGuSai'dJr anS mleitce among the most Virtuous people on. earth. ; Iii the State of Louisian there is a C OT eraor, ir office who owes his seat to the in terferVnce of the national power, which has recognized his title-to his office, riot by rea son of any legaj ascertainment of the fact by legS&&frt baVbasedtits ijiterferenee upon the illegal order of a judge. j Hereis what Mr.'Hoar'says abqut. He says. lhvatbfi Stale of LouUiiaha ther is a gov'ehoHh office. Reineny; ber that this is the governor l who has phf fioWerfolVreonarch.jaccoTcriBg to ijBy(0 a reqeraigugnow trHowtdid,it recogpwe jt? ftH;t.he:o;vr efnoea his.nlace to.!.thOitinteifer- ence bfi the national authority and th at atith otity has not' ascertain ett it by legal process, fib, ?did- the to4tional authority aSceitan"ii 'itetf uppnSvhat did it base its interference ?; MrHbar d Ha aotiQjnrofey on the ffiudge.Tie fudfee who ffle&al orderT uporr'tvhith tbe atiftnlr author ity baseits-actidn1 and interference, was? dm-eonto Jifit& cation tbythe feanof , lifflpeadjngirn.i peachment. But there' siu-ithat gov,, efhbwhb Awas put there by the national - authority upon that illegal orderl rtilingthp.people I?thJ pewf ter mightier han tbat of,m.onarchi 7 ; So much for ihe executivej vHow about IhifLfegfelatttre? Says Mr. Hoar- la tne same estate there i a wgisiatnre there. . syiita8f issnfta that one. bran c j of wtnen derives its amnomy partly from the same order. What! iThe leeislature gets its au thority. -.irom,- the same? illegal order.? Yes) sir ohe branch of it does jfrom the B&me illegal prderilow about the other branch. Let Mr Hoar auswer.i The other being organized by a majority who have been established in power by attft other interference of tbe national Govern ment, and which majority, derives its title, not from any legal ascertainment of the fact, but Trorn tbe certificate of a returning board which, has misconceived and exceeded its le gal authority. Therefore, at the time that ri waa made every ? branch. or thai, gov ernment ejMiibited to the American people the spectacle of an .executive office pubjere hyi !nationaV Authority base I Upon an illegal order, one branch of the Legislature owing its authoritv to the same illegal order and tbe other branch haviogiri majority based upou another illegal order. Illegality im bedded in illegality ,and upon the whole a- colossal despotism ' -brushing down the rights and interests of that people. ; Mr. Hoar, Will the gentleman from Mississippi Mr Lamar J allow me to ask him if he thinks he has fairly stated the conclusions of ,J in y "report upon the point to which he has re ferred 7 Mr.,Lamar. Upon, that particular )irit? " '"" ; po Mr. Hoar. ies. ' -Mr. Larmar. ' I think I have. Mr. Hoar. I do not think so. -Mr JLamar.-. I will yield to theten-1 tteman. Mr. 'Hoar. The report; which the gentleman does me the honor to quote from states that, m . the opinion of those who signed it, Governor Kellogg had a majority of the legal votes of the people of Louisiana ; but that any as-, certarnnient of the legal result by legal evidence was prevented by the frauds of his political opponents, who had so manipulated and treated the registra tions and the returns had finally carried .them ofty I think as to de prive them of any legal authority whatever. Thereupon the judge of the United States court, misconceiving or usurping his power I do not under take to eay which -'ordered Mr. Kel logg to be put in office, arid on that order the United States executive offi cer based his interference. Now, the committee found, first, that Governor Kellogg was the lawfully-chosen governor of the State of Louisiana by -all tbe evidence they could get at; second, that bis political ppponents had by fraud destroyed the returns of their legal value that they had done wrong to that extent; third, that the judge was unjustified in bis order and the executive was without justification in relying on that order as authority for interfering. That is the statement of the report. I agree that the gentleman from Mississippi has the right to cite my report as cidence of gross misconduct on the part of re publican officials in the State of Louis iana I do not agree that he ought to cite in y remarks as admission against my own party unless he quotes the conclusions with which they , were necessarily connected. Mr. Lamar. I think I can appeal to the recollection of all present that I said the gentleman in his report did say that there was intimidation and fraud and murder, and that the elec tions were carried by those appli ances. Mr. Hoar. 1 also said tbat in my judgment Governor Kellogg was law fully elected. Mr. Lamar. I have not time to wrestle with the gentleman on that point ; but I think if he will examine tbe report he will find its statement to be that the result could not be ascer tained, but that in his opinion Mr. Kellogg received the majority of votes. Now I think I have the right to receive I the gentleman s admissions and reject his conclusions, especially when I give him the opportunity, which I am always glad to do, to interpolate into my remarks any explanation he may please. Mr. HOAR. The gentleman i per fectly at liberty to receive my adniis- sions and reject my conclusions. I think, however, that he should not state the admissions without the other. Mr. LAMAR. I will allow the gentleman always to state for himself his oWn propositions and conclusions, and, I ha,ve yielded the floor to him for that purpose in Order that they might not be unfairly stated in passing through the medium of my brain. . Mr. HOAR. I thank the gentleman for the very great courtesy with which' he has allow me" to do so ; and I say td him that I made this interruption of his eloquent , and interesting), .speech with very great reluctance. " . ' 'Mr. LAMAR. Now, si r, as to the character 6f the government there we have the ' gentlemane acknowledgment; and I reiterate that it is not I, but the gentlenian, who, calls upon the Ameri can people to note the fact., "7 The American people are now brought face to face with this condition things. - Then he goes on to show that the governor there owes his 'authority to the interference of the natidnal power, not by the ascertainment 'of- legal. pro cess, but by an illegal order of. a judge, and, that both the other departments of the. government rest upon the same illegal basis. As to his. opinion that the election was carried oneway or the other, that is a mere jnatter of opinion; but when he himself proclaims volun tarily that the 'whole superatructure of executive ana legislative power in umi State is base! "upon the interference of the national authority, and' that inter ference resting upon illegal orders, ! I thinit, js doing, ho injustice to' him, nor ''to. 'Kis" conclusions,, to" hold i that statement' up before aii . i astonished people. '. " i i i The gemUejnaal&xejLOjJLjJiesents the state of things in Louisiana very graph hjalhrfsalid vciiW telling-, f$ i gainst 'tiate6tle 1 ?adniitf T dd hotJ-thmk he rightly conceiv-edtheir condition. He staid but, a shore time, , and failed to note kbm&6i rhest i impoltant ele ments of societv there. He has con' centrated his attention upon two clases:. t)he the slaveholders whottre the largest part. of thS white popuhttiQU,. anl the other the blacks. He. overlooks that teeming population of rionlareheldefs, thl super-best race 'off meri'ihthe Trofld.i! Threis no order-of men super ior tb those who j were? the ; .nonlaye hoiderSi (pl 1t the . South.,, They t4 were freemen and freeholders ; free soilers in the true sense of tmi ternV4 for J they worked tm?ff opwntend and reared families econeanisifulependent, arid Virtuous ; ahduiey constitute one. bf the strongest forces of Southern society aUbjs tirne;yet the gentleman .takes nor note tor, them, , in nis , anaivHiu pi southern society. . - 7 r wnapaoestue gnwt;iu dojt thd character of this t government j that thTuskre?tft apojii illegal uiterenti9n;. One fact is that tber ha3been ; gfeit maladministration bv rennblican omcia.'i ; there has beerr niuch dishonesty, to-uch cor ruption to; f State and .local: administration in Louisiana. Jf or ttns tpe repun ican party, especially under Warmoth's rale; are largely responsible, although in numerous instances their opponent have been equally to blatre. jigaih he says: r. - iT.""',, . -We do .n it overlook the causes which tend to excite deep feelings of discontent in the white- native population of Louisiana. There hasj been K great maladminis tratiorix,publift r funds baye been, wasted, public cred t im pa red, and tatiOn is heavy. What are these admissions? Illegal governments based upon interference of the national authority i nialadmin istration, dishonesty, corruption, waste of oubhc funds- whioh mpana m. h'eraflenfaM pupae mopey loss rot pnbhe credit Thi- is the-' despotism nnder which evervthine that is orecious and beau tiful and lovely in thatStateis withering' and dymgi.- asfji;. I havetherlestfjoyTEft Presi dent of the United States in his last an nual messase said not -a, word unon the uujeut ui vne wisuruers, ,01 iue,i3Quin ; for, sir, this cry vof disorder, 'intimida tion, and violence always comes up in this Hall and in this Federal metroDO llit6re;an electo,wien Jtis to be carried or just ifter5 ah eifectidn when it is to be set aside. In the interim everything is quiet and orderly. But the President in his annual message men the South wliereHhtifdisdTdefs'a occur, uses tnerotlowmallgtiltgeT I sympatiee with tbeirprostrate condition and would do all in my power to relieve lhemf -aeknowledg'uigvhatinaome instances tbeyJaava had. raosCliyiigiiafenttitB'Sto live under and very oppressive ones in the way of taxation 'or nominal improvements, not giving benefits equal to the hardships imposed. 2? ,ts Sir, take tiw liftres of ! that State ment. What are they ? Oppressive goyeimente, burdens of taxation, and prostrate' people. vwhgreate woe can there be than this ? What more accursed fate can befall a people than such a government, -as. Mr Hoar des cribes, illegal in ita every. department, marked by maladministration, and reeking with dishonesty and corrup tion ; or, as Mr Foster describes it, an infamous despotism, consuming all the resources of a people? " Where," I "re peat, orijearth or in what age of the world have you not had violence- and turbulence where a people are pros trated by the burdens of oppressive government, and tortured and impover ished by taxation?- Where have. -you ever seen orderly,- qu'iet,-? and peaceable citizens whose governors are lawless felons, whose ministerial officers are forgers and thieves, and their magis trates scoundrels ? And, sir, when this prostrate people writhing in their agony turn over and jostfe these rickety "establishments that fall down of their own lot if let alone, when, as is almost inevitable, disorders occur, the national authority s- 4s called upon the Federal Executive! invok edfor what ? To protect the prostrate people against these illegak dishonest, corrupt, and oppressive governments ? No; but to protect and maintain these governments and to hold the people down,, in .quiet submission to them! WlmV a spoirey This great Federal Government pqwerless for the protec tion of the people' against oppressions of local government, but omnipotent to maintain those governments and enforce their oppressions. Now, sir, I have read all this testi mony with reluctance. My purpose has been to show that ample source exists for these troubles in the South without attributing them to a spirit of cruel vindictiveness, or wild, restless, unlaw- ful ambition on the part of southern whites. I have appealed to this - evid- ence of earnest, leading republicans ( that the sudden enfranchisement for 800,000 slaves threatened the verylevila which have come upon us. Isjdonot arraigns your polyjrij It$ attempted reversal now wotuu i teau, i to a shock iBvcieat iiuvf wuuiu i uu i vj a, biiw Waa .not, I f er1 f .,tv, itci AatnK iokn,An All we askftl omrnto Justice to "the ooutn is tnat you will renect and act upon the fact that thejgovernment you contrived have by your own testimony Droved to vou and to the world their ut$er incompetene to solve peaceably! .- J l 1 l-t . i : t v i ? ana posperonsiy a proDiem tne mmcui-' ty of which we do not deny. When you point me to acts of violenec I acknows ledge and deplore them. But I ask you, who has governed the State where this violence occurs for the. last ten years ? Have we? Who hate taxed Ji, conT trolled our - Legislatures,'' tilled, our' courts, received the patronage of the Federal Government, ruled over us at home and represented us here ? Sir, you cannot by Federal and mjnitarjr intervention preserve those gvreSuTVoinrpS Co3t" tlie Kbertieirof whtjfe CorrimwnweattM because those governments are in defi ance of that highest and most sacred of all constitutions, the law of nature. God had so indeatified the interests of these two races by the necessities of climate and labor, and old associations that time would soon have re-adjasted their new relations. It is not yet too late for such adjustment. You have given the black race the most delicate, the most sacred of all privileges. Let that nrivileere be maintained inviolablv, But 'give hini "ileal freedomand' do"- not make him the Janizary of party tyranny. ! Alldwithat; race to learn what you have learned in New England and carried with you into thatnew empjre of the West which your ; energy has created, that moral worth, intelligence and industry and wealth are the true foundations of a people's happiness and liberty, no matter what their color. Let it no-rlongejrel3i.-nporuj Federal bayonets. fi'SheyVlnspljS araontiipi for law and disqualify for self-government. Sir. this race problem is capable of solution. Two nglish statesmen such as Lord Derby aid Earl,, Russell, orMr, Gladstone and Mr. Disraeli, coiil'd agree upon a basis of settlement in three days ; and we could do the .same . here but for the interposition of the passions of party in the; s cpntestt fort therpower and emoluments of government. It cwulrl-hA settled i in , the District , and throughout the South without abridging" universal sunrage or subjecting either race to the control of the other. Take the; question putofnatiorial, politics, and it can be settled on a basis wmch wbuld consolidate All the xighta ,,of jthe ,blek man, make him free and equal with eyery citizen befoja the law, protected in the fruits of his labor, safe in his person,-happy. in his household,, secure in the enjoyment ot whatever ne can in fair competition achieve, whether; it be of fortune or fame, and thus secure to him a higher and better life than he now leads as the the misguided and deluded constituency of dishonest office-holders. ' I have not intended to intimate that the capacity of1 TrblaH-r rfoTf freedom and the "autresnrf Mtiietrship should be determind by the the consid erations which I presented. The free dom of this race, citizenship, have riot had a fair ODDortunity for favorable develbpuaen sMrJipm meMyT6lstriSfeii &srtheyiive' been, it would be unjust to them to form, any estimate of their; capacity : to meet the demands of their high M T I position. by he events 0f the lMtUn ihfh T6 knof hat one great cause (,f jv-v,, nuicu me southern people are regard at! fa , rn they stand betwen the ambition if l party and the glittering prizes of honor uu einuiumtsnis and patronage whit-v, the control of the Government ' another four years will give. I beiwl sir, U they could do so consistPni ' with their constitutional obligation but people would willingly stand ai0o, and tet the-northern.'people settle the questionirf -President for themselves uponthe conditioa thatthere shall be no further intervention in their local affairs. But, sir, they cannot abnegate their rights and duties as American citizens and impose on themselves a suUenafcaJftactiyC incivicism. They must go forward' and keep abreast with American progress and American destiny, and- take their share of the responsibility jiV the settlement of the questions in which all parts of the country are anxe interested. 4 3uti isasked why we are. united in supportfiof tit dem6cratic party, a clebrated author in his work on politcal ethics says that in the history of all free countries there is no instance of a people being unanimous ,in asBtiment and action, unte80;eyere made so by the immiaenoeo some great and common peril or by the inspiration of sonfe entnusiasticsentiment. rm 1 c i ci .i a lie peopie oi tne ooutn are not 1(r Jen if the even us vi iiie war anu tne sunenngs since the war had not, as they have done, crushed out all their party attach torthe democratic partvi and lTrthit6rtheirffeiing, they only obey, as I said before, the imperious law ofself-peservation, 1 The;mrjitivewhich prompts their co operation is not the expectation of filling cabinets and directing policies, but simply to get an administration which will not be unfriendly to them, an administration which in place of the appliances of force, subjugation, andxlomination, willjgive them amne.ty restoration to the privileges of Ameri can citizenship ; which will accord to their States the same equal right with Other States in this Union ; equality of consideration, equality of authority and jurisdiction over their own affairs; equality, sir, in exemption from the domination of their elections by the bayonet and by soldiers asjthe irresis tible instruments of a revolting local despotism. Give them that, giveltheni local self-government, and you will then see at last what will be the dawn of prosperity id all the industries and enterprises of the North;: you will see, sir, -a true southern renaissance, a real grand reconstruction of the South in all the elements of social order, strength, justice, and equality of all the people. IHUing from her confusion and distress, rejoicing in her newly-recovered liberty, prosperous, free, great, her'ons and daughters of every race happy in her smile, she will greet your benignant Republic in the words of the inspired poet Thy gentleness hath u.ade me great. fApplauseJ. L. W. PERDUE, McMckbay a Davis Old Stand. Roasted ofice, Ric,' Java, Legutjia & Jit La. Cat Loaf, Crushed, Granulatul, .Powdered, Standard A Ex C and Yellow. SUGAR j novR T Fancy Family Flour a Fpecialtj 1 lianis. Bacon, Dried Witc,,) i iTi.Q u r u - ' I 1 ALMoK, SARDINES and LOL81EP.S. ") Pt aches, Tomatom CANNED GOODS Tom, Pnieapples.fctaicli . - . - -s ) French Alut-tanl. A FTJI.L LJfcE OF IK KLE, SAUCEP, MACARONI 8 ICF, CLOVBS. GROUND PEPPEB. JELLIES, BE ANDY PEACHES, J Fi A u BRANDY, CHERRIES, BAKIHG. POWDERS, Boyal.Faif jco, Hutufords and Sen Vmni. r Choice Black and Green, Oolong, YoMig Hyson and Imperial. . Bucket?, TubF," Broomp,' Bribes. Basket?3mok'gTobacco,Cigar8 large atsoit ment of Chewing Tobacco TEN DIFFER ENT BRAND3. arg6 Edward Gronau, v MERCHANT TAILOR, Of Baltimore, WILL visit Charlotte shortly for the pur pose of taking orders for CLOTHING, and will be glad to have his friends call on him. july 25 tf. A": THE largest and bet (.elected Stoc k of Trusses in the State of North Carolina, just received at , SCARE & CO'd. jul27 Drug Store. NONES U C H . BOiiH BASIS. HORNETS' NEST, TOBACCO. MANUFACTURED BY MILLER & LEAK, CHARLOTTE, N. C. autp jrn:Spices?r Spices. A NOTHER consignment -of those fine il"Sngli8h Spices, for sale at - tiCAKB A CQ'S, jn!27 Drug Store. jm .h.r tT-Hr, ... .. . m .... A ND White Wash Brushes. A , M - W R BUKWJll ww. it" - . -
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 13, 1876, edition 1
2
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