The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-17


property unsafe and he believed the diff
Guilty to be owing to the extreme hurry Of
Congress to economize by reducing the army
below the force necessary to keep the peace
in the South.
Mr.. EDMUNDS said the objection to Mr..
WILSON'S bill was that it would even allow
the organization Of militia hostile to the
United States.
Mr.. CONkLIN was astonished that the
Senator from Indiana should oppose the or
ganization Of the local militia in the rebel
States when his party had complained 80
loudly that the employment of United States
troops there was On outrage, and an onerous,
unJushtable tax upon the people.
Mr.. HENDRICKS replied that the Demo
cratic party had complained Of the employ
ment Of the army at the South because it
had been used to set up military govern
ments, instead Of the civil governments.
which were in operation at the time of the
meeting Of the Thirty-ninth Congress. He
wanted to see the southern States govern
themselves according to the American idea :;
but while they had military governments
he preferred that they should be sustained
by the regular army rather than by local
force, which would be welded by the mi
nority for the oppression Of the majority.
Mr.. FESSENDEN said that what the Re-
publican party had done was to put the 60
verning power of those States in the hands
of the majority of the whole people, in
stead Of entrusting it to the majority of
minority, as the Senator from Indiana
wished to do.
Mr.. RICE favored the bill. The expe-
rience of the loyal people of Arkansas had
shown that local militia was necessary for
their protection. Let Congress put the
power in their hands and they would pro-
tect themselves.
Mr.. SAWYER said that in South Carolina
and the other southern States the loyal
people were unarmed while the opposing
party had plenty Of arms, and were not
scru pulous in the use of them. The 60
vernment of South Carolina was not, he
said, government of the minority, but
was sustained by majority Of the people,
including those disfranchised.
Mr.. BUCKALEW, in reply to remark
Of Mr.. CoNKLING that the President had
denounced the law which it was now pro-
posed to repeal, said that the President had
done so because he believed it to be viola
ton of the Constitution. The Republican
party had refused to allow the organization
of the militia when they feared it might be
used against them, but was willing to allow
it now, when they hoped to control it.
Mr.. WILSON remarked that the militia
organized at the South under the Presi-
dents State governments wore gray uni
form.
MIR. DAVIS said he had voted against the
prohibition originally because it was q
matter upon which Congress had no right
to legislate and be would vote against its
repeal now for the same reason. Besides,
he believed that this militia was to be used
to Cypress the people.
Mr.. SAWYER replied that the policy of
the loyal men was 80 liberal that under the
present State government of South Carolina
every citizen Of the State could hold office.
He desired this prohibition to be repealed
because militia was necessary in the
southern States, and also because, if their
governments were real State governments,
they ought to have the power to organize
and call out militia when necessary.
Mr.. WARNER, replying to @ remark of
Mr.. DAVIS about carpet-baggers," said
that he was proud to be one, having COM
menced his carpet-bagglng IN the SCUM
under General Grant. The Republican
party in Alabama had acted, and desired to
act, with the utmost liberality toward their
opponents. 1t was the Democratic party
alone that made the presence Of troops
there necessary at all, and as soon as that
party would agree to allow to every citizen
freedom of speech and action the necessity
for troops would cease. The "carpet-bag-
gers" he said, had brought the State into
harmonious relations with the Union by
the organization of State government, and
they would maintain that government
peaceably if they could, forcibly if they
must.
Mr.. DAVIS thought that if they were to
receive no aid from Washington their 60
vernment would have very fugitive exist
ence.
The amendment of Mr.. EDMUNDs was
adopted, and the bill was then passed.