The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-02-23
ALLEGED Violations Of Law.

Nobody accuses Mr., STANTON, the Sc
cretary Of War, Of any undue partiai'ty
in favor Of the people of the South. Ana
Mr.. STANTON officially gives testimony 10
the fact that the "Civil Rights Bill " mas
been carried ont all through these SOUTH
ern States with a uniformity and accuracy
altogether surprising when the -circnm-
stances of the country are considered. II
the northern people believe-and they
manifestly have believed up to this time. !
the reports Of horrible and unpunisnea
outrages perpetrated upon freedmen, winch
are Systematically manufactured py 'he
cnterprisinr correspondents OF their news
papers, it is no wonder they nave come
70 the conclusion that such. lawless
generation rs the southern people must be
ruled with rods of iron. If the civil courts
have Systematically refused redress to CO.
lored people, and have refused to admit
them to the privileges secured to them by
that act, and if the commanding generals
and Freedmen's Bureau, with all their OIL
cials and powerful machinery have so utter
ly failed, as those letter-writers represent,
10 see justice done to such an extenttha'
the black population is utterly helpless III
the hands of its oppressors, then there was
at least a plausible excuse for "mihtary
bills !" and the temporary dictatorship OF
brigadiers.
There was no end to the Radical charges
made against the President OF having
omitted or neglected to furnish the need
ful protection under the Civil Rights Act,
and of having connived at, and therefore
encouraged by his connivance, the horrible
and brutal persecution to which enamel
pated negroes were said to be exposed at
the hands Of their late masters. But the
official response to the Senate's anxious
demand upon this matter might open the
eyes of the northern people Gf they wished
their eyes open, and did not prefer them
shut,) to the fact that there never was a
country so lately torn by war which so
suddenly became perfectly peaceful and
tranquil; and that there never was SO CON-
plete displacement and revolution in the
whole industry Of any country, by raising
up subject race to condition of perfect
equality with their masters, which
was attended with so little ill-feeling,
disorder, or injustice. The President is
"not cognizant Of any cases which come
within the resolution: he refers it to
the heads of departments. The Secreta-
ries of State, of the Treasury, of the Navy,
Of the Interior, the Postmaster General,
the Attorney General-no one of them is
cognizant of any violations of the law, or
any failures to enforce it. The Secretary
of War, for his part, answers that "no in
"stance has been reported to the Depart
"ment Of any neglect or refusal by mill
"tary officers or employees OF the Depart
"ment to enforce to the extent Of their
illegal authority the provisions of the act"
&c. But Mr.. STANTON at the same time
does call to mind that there have been
"three cases " of alleged violation of the
Civil Rights law-one in Virginia, one in
Georgia, one in Texas. The Virginia case
is that of DR.. WATSON and we all know
what that amounts to. The Georgia case is
still sub JUDGE, and no doubt justice will be
done. OF the Texas case we know nothing.
But take the three cases, and suppose them
to be not only alleged violations, but real
and gross violations Of the Civil Rights
Act, and consider that these States con-
tain millions of whites and blacks, but the
other day thrown forcibly out of their old
established order and relation of genera
tons, flung suddenly into condition OF
political and social anarchy, and kept so
at the bayonet's point, in condition OF
poverty and distress also, which they had
never known before, and the only wonder
is, that in nearly two years there are but
three alleged violations of the new rights
and privileges Of the black race from
Texas to the Potomac.
Yet there is no doubt whatever that it is
in full reliance upon the monstrous fabri-
cations Of those newspaper correspondents
that the people of the North have insisted
on destroying our States, and courts, and
whole civil existence, and finging us I'M
der the armed heel Of military power.