, 1866-02-15
FROM KENTUCKY,


the project. The vote stood 2ts toss.
FROM KENTUCKY.
Legislative Legisla1lor
for the Negroes Sensation In tn,
Senate.
Especial Correspondence Chica9o Thbunc.I
FRANKFORT, Ky., Feb. 1e, 1865.
Since my last letter, there has seemed to b.
somewhat Of a disposition to legislate in re
gard to the negro. Not, however, from an,
good will toward him, but from reasons o
policy. They reason thus: "1f We refuse t
enact laws In regard to the negro, we canno
get lid Of this odious Freedmen's Bu
reau. There Is, in my Judgment. nj
real good intended, by these gentlemen
They hare passed laws regulating 1narriag'
between negroes, which heretofore was no
allowed to be solemnized, thus compelling .
whole race Of human beings to live in adul
terry and concubiuage, and prey to the evi
lusts and passions Of any. white man wht
chose to violate the chastity of q negrt
woman, there being no Law TO punish whitt
man for 60 doing; and, more. than TINT, ne
groes were not even allowed to testify in re
gard to 1t.
They have passed Law placing all men on
an equality as to tho punishment Of crime, eI
cept that Of rupe. 1n case negro commits
the offence against White woman, he Is still
punished With desth.) Heretofore there were
number Of offences, which, If committed By
negro, were punishable with death, where
as Thy white MN, lesser penalties were In.
flicted.
They have passed . Law allowing 4 negro to
sue and be sued, and to testify In cases In
which negroes alone are interested, all. oi
which powers existed before the passage OF
the law which Is simply nullity aud IN IN.
cumbfnnce npon the statute book.
They have not, however, passed any law
allowing = negro to have arms about his
premises. On The contrary, they have re.
negro now, no matter under what clrcum.
stances, Is forbidden to keep arms about him
or his premises, and II any such are found
they Gre liable to be taken BY any white mar
who chooses to "conffscate them for bis
own use.
They have attempted, but havo not yet
succeeded, to pass law regulating contracts,
cloRged and hedged about that it will make
the nee1o's condition almost az bad as II be
were still in slavery. They have again gone
through with the ridiculous farce OF rejecting
the Constitutional Amendment, and solempiy
declare that they will not recognize tho iact
that the negro Is free. Whnt nonsense for q
gIaye legislative body to BE- gnIlty III What d,
Kentucky recognizes the fact or not? It Is a
fact, and one that kaatacky cannot get
around or elude the gasp Of.
But the matter Of which intended to say
most, Is what occurred in the Serate to-lay.
Directly n,s.r the meeting Of the Senate this
Nw I'm ffop ha o$ow rnr
etts county, arose (very eKcitedly) to bis feet
and sent to the Clerks desk an article from
the Louisville Journal, which he demanded
to have read US q privileged motion.
The article referred to rccitcs the recent In
stance Of an arrest of one James Poor, In
Mercer county, for the murder of negro, in
which case Is It complained Of that though
prisoner, BY order Of the Freedmcn's Bureau,
IVES taken ont Of tho hands Of the civil au-
thoritles, and sent to be tried under mill
tary commission at Camp Neleon. .
: After the article had been read, the Senator
read the letter Of Gen. Palmer to the Louis
yil1e Journal, In which 1t Is inserted by the
writer that though many outrages have been
State, as is true beyond all doubt, q after the
most careful inquiries, have been unable to
hear OF single instance In which the civil au-
thorities have punished the agEzessora."
The Senator, taking this as his text, launch
ed OF into dcnuuciation Of General Palmer
and the Government. General Palmer had
asserted that no redress was given for H1ev-
Auces committed against negroes, and ret the
attempt had been made to bring the man
Poor to trial, when in walked the military
authorities and demanded and took the p1is-
oner to be tried By court martial. BE had
come to the point where forbearance had
ceased to be virtue. BE WIS opposed to any
f.,r In. Too 81
negro, If the civil Law and authority was to. be
tramp1ed under foot in this style. The coun-
try was now under tho most dlsgracefnl Of oil
despotisms. lie moved to discharge the COM
mittee on the "status Of events" from any
further consideration Of matters in regazd to
the negro. He hoped committee would be
appointed to call the attention Of tho Coy
the Immediate dismissal Of General Fisk and
Captain tioodloe, and their delivery to the
civil authorities for trial. This S.atc was un-
der tno nccI or a rJTan~y A1AA l.~ .-.--~.vi1-
ling longer to submit to.
Mr. CORN (who hns generally been very
moderate in his op1uions,) here arose and
stated that ha thought now was the time,
above al others, that Senators should keep
cool He agreed with The Senator that we
were drifting into centralized despotism.
But We must exhaust every penceablc means
Of rcdrcssing our wrongs. The military au-
tupE4klEA AE10 E4AeAfuElAf1 ~ N4sIE10d kuE
people Of Kentucky through mere naIeYo-
1ence. II no redress could be obtained In any
other way, he Was for resisting tho wrongs,
even II It came to bloodshed, and at the point
of the bnyonct. We must determine whether
We were freemea or slaves.
Mr. Cochran denounced the Government Us
nothing more nor less than despotism, md
Andrew johnson and his advisers we're nest
Of tEnitors, who were rushing the country on
to ruin. When the time came, he WIS for re-
sisting the encroachmeut8 Of this despotism,
even to the death. He would rnther die a
free man than live slave
Mr.. Granger announced that, while he
was q supporter Of the Administration, be
vas opposed to any wrongs being done the
citizens Of this State. But gentlemen were.
running wild over mere statement made IN
d newspaper, thpt might be utterly without
foundation In fact. II they would frame 4.
resolution 50 as to provide for an investiga-
tion Of the matter, he wonld vote tor 1t; but
not otherwise.
Nj. Dudley then offered resolution pro-
the Governor, and, ffhe found the facts as set
dent johnson to dismiss Gen. Fisk and Capt.
Goodloe from the service. and hand them
over to the civil authorities for trial and pun
fshment. ,., :- ;. -
Several other Senators took the sanae
ground with that taken by Messrs. Dudley,
CORN and Cochran, md It really seemed as
though VIC were to have q second rebellion,
With Kentucky as leader In place Of South
Carolina.
The resolution vas adopted after the de-: