Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-22
GRANT AND THE HEBREWS.


of Hon. L. W. Powell, Of Kentucky, in
the United States Senate, on the resolu-
tions relating to Gen. Grants order
cruelty expellng the Hebrews from his
Department of Tennessee: I
Mr.. President, the day after the reso.
luton was introduced, l understood IRON
Gen. Halleck that the matter had been
laid before the President, and that the
order had been promptly revoked. The
conduct of the President and of the
com mande chief in thus promptly
countermanding such an outrageous, un'
con stitutional and inhuman order meets
with my hearty approval. l commend
them for it.
The order having been countermanded,
desire to move that the last clause OF
the resolution be stricken cut; and after
that is stricken out, / desire to have the
action of the Senate upon the resolution.
Gentlemen may say, the order having
been revoked, it is unnecessary that this
body should take any action upon It,
That seems to be the intimation OF the
gentleman from New Hampshire. l look
upcn the matter otherwise. / have IN
my possession documents that 20 to es :
tablish the fact beyond the possibility OF
a doubt that the Hebrews, 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 Gen. Grant, only
having the short notice of four and twenty
hours; that the Hebrew women and chill
dren of that city we're expelled under
that order that there was not Hebrew
left, man, woman or child, except two
women, who were PROSTATE on beds OF
sickness. / have the evidence before
me, set forth in q petition, and attested
BY some twelve or fourteen of the most
respectable Union citizens of the city OF
Paducah, among others the surveyor OF
the port, that those Hebrews OF Paducah
had at no time been engaged in trade
within the active lines of General Grant;
that they had all the while been en-
gagged in legitimate business at their
homes, and that there was but one He
brew, q resident of Paducsh, who had
gone out of the State into the cotton re.
zion, and that one was not at home, and
consequently was not expelled from his
residence by this ruthless order.
Mr.. President, IL we tamely submit to
allow the military power thus to encroach
on the rights of the citizen, we shall be
setting bad and most pernicious exam
pie to those in command OF our army.
We should administer to those In com
mand of our armies the sternest rebuke
for such flagrant outrages upon the rights
of the citizen. These people are repre-
seuted BY the most respectable citizens
of Paducah to be loyal men. Many on
them are men who we're not engaged In
commerce. They were mechanics, at
tending to their daily avocations at their
homes In my judgment, it is incum-
bent on this Senate, as the matter IS
before them, to pass the resolution, and
let General Grant and ell the other
military commanders know that they
are not to encroach upon the rights
aud privileges Of the peaceful
loyal citizens Of the country. Pass
the resolution, and the example will be
of the greatest Importance, particularly
at this time, when the constitutional
rights of the citizens are being stricken
down and troddeu under foot through
out the entire country by the executive
and military power. We have submit
ted already too long and tamely 70 the
epcroachments Of the military upon the
civil rights of the citizen. Many OF
these Hebrews who were expelled from
Paducah we're known to me tor many
years as highly honorable and loyal siti-
zsns. This order expells them as class
from the entire department, and pre-
vents them having q pass TO approach
his person to ask redress Of grievances:
General Grant might just as well expel
the Bsptists, or the Methodists, or the
Episcopalians, or the Catholics, as o
class. as 10 expel the Hebrews All are
alike protected in the enjoyment OF their
religion by the Constitution OF our
country. They are inofensive citizens;
and IL is set forth in papers that have
before me, that two Of the Hebrews who
we're expelled had served three months
in the army Of the United States IN de-
fense Of the Union cause
There is no excuse for Gen. Grant for
issuing the order. 1t may be said that
some Hebrews in bis department had
been guilty Of illegal traffic. II so, ex-
mel them. do not wish 10 shield q
Jew or Gentle from just punishment
for the infraction Of the Law. BE should
have directed bis order 10 the offenders,
and should have punished them; be-,
sir. 50 far from doing that. be punishes .
whole people as class; without specific
charge. hesriDg or trial be drives out
inoHensivs, loyal people, men, women