The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-07-02
GRANT AND The JEWS.
OF Kentucky. i'm the United
States Senate.

Mr.. Powell-Mr. President, the day
after the resolution was introduced, un-
derstood from General Halleck that the
matter had been laid before the president
and that the order had been promptly re.
voked The conduct of the president and
of the commander in chief in thus prompt
ly countermanding such an outrageous,
unconstitutional and iuhuman ordor meets
with ray hearty approval. 1 commend
them for it.
The order having been countermanded,
[ desire to move that the last clause Of the
resolution be stricken out; and after that
Is stricken out, | desire to have the action
of the senate upon the resolution. Cen
tlemen may say, the order having been re-
voked, it is unnecessary that the senate
should take action upon it. That seems
to be the intimation Of the gentleman from
New Hampshire. l regard the matter
otherwise. | have in my hands documents
that so to establish beyond the possibility
of doubt that the Jews, residents Of the
city OF Paducah, Kentucky, some thirty
gentlemen in number, were driven from
their homes and their business by virtue
Of this order Of General Grant, only having
thc short notice OF twcnty-four hours :;
that tne Jewish women and children we're
expelled under that order; that there was
not Jew left, man, woman or child, ex-
cept two women who we're PROSTATE on
beds of sickness. / have the evidence
before me, set forth in a petition, and at
tested by some twelve or fourteen of the
most respectable Union citizens of Pa
ducah, among others the surveyor Of the
port, that those Jews Of Paducah had at
no time been engaged in trade with the
active lines Of General Grant; that they
had ali the time been engaged in legiti-
mate business at their homes, and that
there was but one Jew, resident of Pa
ducah, who had gone out Of the state into
the cotton region, and that one was not at
home, and consequently was not expelled
from lis residence by this ruthless or
der.
Mr.. President, if we tamely submit to
allow the military power to encroach on
the rights Of citizens, we shall be setting
a bad ard most rern;cious example to
those in command of our army. We
should administer to those in command Of
cur armies the sternest rebuke for such fa
grant ou;rages upon the rights Of the cit
izen. These people are represented by
the most respectable citizens of Paducah
to be loyal men. Many OF them arc men
who are not engaged ID commerce. They
were mechanics engaged in their daily
avoca'ions at their homes. In nv judg-
ment it is incumbent on the senate. ns the
matter is before them, to pass the resolu-
ton, and let General Grant and al the
other military commanders know that they
are not to encroach upon the rights aud
privileges Of the peaceful loyal citizens of
th,s country. Pass the reso luton, and
the example will be of the greattst impor-
tance, particularly at this time, when the
constitutional rights Of the citizens are
being stricken down and trodden under
foot throughout the entire country by the
executive and military power! We have
submitted already too long aud tamely to
The encroachments of the military upon
the civil T. shts OF the citizen. Many of
these Jews expelled from Paducah were
known to me many years as highly honor
able and loyal citizens. This order expels
them rs class from the entire depart
ment, and prevents them having a pass
to approach his person to ask a redress OF
grievances. General Grant might j ust as
well expel the Baptists, or the Methodists
or the Episcopalians, or the Catholics, as
70 expel the Jews. All are alike protect.
ed in The enjoyment of their religion by
tie constitution Of our country. They
are inoifensive citizens and it is set forth
in papers that | have before me, that two
of the Jews who were expelled had served
three months in the army of the United
States in defense Of the Union.
There is no excuse for General Grant
for issuing the order. 1t may be said tha
some Jews in his department had beer
guilty of Illegal traffic. IT so, expe
them / DO not wish to shield q Jew o.
a Gentle from just punishment for th,
nfraction of law. lie should have direct
: ed his order TO the offenders, and should
have punished them; but, sir, so far from
doing that, he Furnishes whole people, as
class without specific charge, hearing, O.
f trial, he drives out inoifensive, loyal peo
pie, men, women and children, from cit,
far distant from his headquarters, wtbou