The Portland daily press., 1866-01-02
Letter from the Federal Capital.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 1855.


days, but will revive at the re-assembling of
congress, If not before. An election was
trumped up the other day professedly to allow
the citizens, white citizens of course to ex-
press their sentiments respecting tree suffrage.
Inc thing was originated and managed entirely
by the opponents OF free ballot; who of course
did all the voting that was done at all. An in
junction has been applied for. and will proba-
bly, be granted, to prevent the city govern
ment from paying out of the city treasury the
expenses of this ridiculous farce.
Hardly anybody has better reason to dread
the accession of the negro to his political
rights, than those who have here from time
immemorial proved upon and oppressed him
TO the best OF their abilities. The outrages
perpetrated up to the time of the rebellion
upon the helpless and defenceless people of
color, under the very droppings of the Capt.
tol. are not to be easily outdone by ANYTHING
In the annals of "the sum of all villainies."
Among the items added in later years to the
old secrets the School Fund swindle. When
Congress laid strong hand upon the time
honored iniquity OF taxing the pitiful gains Of
the colored people for the support OF schools
from which their children were excluded, the
ex-slaveholders rose with the occasion. The
true old Southern chivalry shone out once
mole with sickly and CHASTITY flicker. The
city government undertook by contempti-
bic bubble, by a trick utterly and ineffably
nasty, to cheat the colored schools of their
due--an attempt which was at least tempora-
rily successful. a...ii Be- ,4.ig.L s1a s9l.ll
On the second day of the present session
Jugde Kelly Of Pennsylvania introduced into
the House bill providing that "From all taos
and parts Of la,cs prescribing the qualifications
Of electors for any office In the District of Co
unaoia The word 'iclite be- and the same is here
bg, sSricsen out, and that from and after the
passage Of this act no person shall be dis
qualified from voting at any election held in
said district on account of color."
This was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary, and by it reported without amend
ment on the 18th inst, and made the special
order for January 10th. One member of the
committee, however, Hon. A. j. Rogers, elect
ed from New Jersey before that state eonclud-
ed to leave off being a precinct of the Cam
den and Amboy Railroad, felt moved upon to
present minority,-a very small minority re-
port In the first part he advances some ideas
SO original and brilliant that I quote: "The
"men who made the Constitution of the Unit
"ed States did not intend this government for
"the benefit OF the negro race, but made it for
"the benefit of white men and women and
"their posterity forever. The declaration of
"of independence was made and the reyolu-
"tionary war fought for the liberties of the
white race" Verify, Ga Daniel come to judy
mentW But isn't that sort of democracy GET
ting little superannuated, even in New Jer-
sey? Again he says, of the bill in question
sit would place the negro population upon
" the same political basis as the whites,
"and would soon result in the election of a
"negro mayor of the city," Very shocking,
no doubt, o Daniel, yet worse thing than
that might happen in these days of recon-
structed rebels. Again 1 quote: "The wis
"dom of more than five thousand years has
"refused to allow the political equality of the
"negro race as exercised by the whites" 1t
might be interesting to ANTICIPATES to know BY
consulting what authorities our Congressman
has thus been able to determine what was the
political status of the negro in the time OF
Methusaleh. But is not this precious sentence
a little misty? Even the transcendent wis
dom of A. j.. Rogers Of New Jersey seems to
shine through it but obviously, giving only a
feeble and uncertain illumination.
Once more and finally: "To allow the ne
"groes to vote and hold Office in the District
"will be dangerous, and shake, if not DESTROY.
claw and order in the District, as the white
-'people cannot be expected to quietly submit
ito it, This concluding sentence of the re-
port is quoted not more for its exceedinq pro-
ftmdity than the nice little democratic sueoes-
ton contained in 1t. So it appears, according
to H9n. A. j. Rogers of New Jersey, that if
Congress sses fit to exercise its undoubted in
risdiction over this District for the purpose of
celebrating caste distinctions atthe ballot box,
we may reasonably look for something dread
ful, perhaps an uprising, emeute or rebellion.
not on the part of the pestilent negroes, but
among the 'fwhite people" of this great Dis
trict In view of this alarming prospect
ought not the President to call out the "home
guard" at the very least?
Your readers may have heard of the dis
turbance at Alexandria on Christmas day,
Copperhead papers will probably make an eff
fort to Write up negro riot out of it,-possi-
bly, negro instruction. The facts, as they
have come to my knowledge, are these: A
gang of ex-rebels, many of whom had put on
their rebel uniforms once more for this occa-
sion, calling themselves Lees patrols began
pretty early in the morning concerted as
sault upon all people of color they could find
in the streets, attacking and abusing both men
and women. They perpetrated upon them
barbarous atrocities and in one instance ex-
posed the person Of a defenseless girl in the
most shameful manner, and thrust her into
the canal till she was nearly drowned. They
broke up and dispersed peaceable religious
meeting, which was being holden in Chappell
Hail, corner Of Duke and Washington Streets.
All this time they freely displayed their pistols
and refreshed themselves with hallooing lusti-
ly for JEFF. Davis, Lee, and other notorious
rebels AT length the eolored men, some of
whom had fought for.the Union while their
prosecutors were fighting against it, began to
stand upon the defensive, and serious riot
ensued. Shots were freely exchanged, and
three companies of the 9Th Regt. of Hancock's |
Corps were at length called out to quen the
disturbance, which they did, arresting about
one hundred Of the more active rowdies. It
is thought that one of the white men and two
of the negroes wounded will die. -
The spirit entertained, even in this city.
by the ex-rebels toward the people of color is
inhuman and positively devilish. have never
seen negro commit any breach of good Or
der, but have seen them assaulted and abus-
ed shamefully. Nothing can more certainly
demonstrate the necessity for national protec-
ton for the freedmen throughout the South,
fh an the tIiaholcal snirit ypop;f,stad +o,ro~a