Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-07-23
The ARMY BiIl---TRe Ballot and tho
ESMEEAE.


The army bill, which passed the Senate at
late hour on Monday night, is, in some OF Its
features, another of those bills Of abomlnation
which have come so much in vogue in these
DAYS of Radicalism. 1t provides for four regi-
mcnts of blacks in the regular service. 1t
provides for distributing one thousand Spring
field rifles among 'the loyal militia of every
Congressional District-which is equivalent to
arming the blacks of the South against the
whites. This section excited a warm debate
and led to an incendiary display on the part Of
Mr.. Drake and others. The following is a
summary of the debate:
MIR. Davis asked an explanation of the ninth
section.
Mr. Wilson said the Government had o large
number of the Springfield rifles on hand, and 1t
was proposed to distribute them in this manner
among the loyal militia of the States. There
was nothing wrong, and no danger IN the prop
osition 49,.
Mr. Davis could but regard it as illusory.-
The greatest incredullty could not doubt that
these arms would be placed in the hands OF the
negroes to 60 into the Democratic districts and
intimidate and drive off Democratic voters from
the polls.
leaders were determined to stir up another rev.
olution. Do they mean to hold out baseless
hope to the white people of the Southern
States that an election is to be held even ao:
cording to the form Of the reconstruction acts
IF this series of measures is to be kept up, II
there is to be no cessation, how long will 1t be
before the point is reached when submission is
no longer possible? 1t looked to him as il
there was deliberate purpose to force war Of
races these measures which were being forced
from day to day to day. could not be better de-
signed for that purpose. lie entered ms SOL
emn protest against this measure, but he knew
his voice would not be needed; men drunk
with power have no reason but this state Of
things cannot continue forever; it will have an
end, it must have an end, and the recoil will be
as fierce and violent. This measure was sprung
upon the Senate, and was to be put through at
all hazards, and the voice of one-third OF the
white people of the country was to be stltied.
Mr.. Howard said it had been the practice OF
the Government from the earliest period to dis
tribute arms among the States. There was no
novelty in the proposition, and he could see nc
occasion for the alarm OF the Senator, or Tor
the bursts of eloquencc to which he had given
utterance. ~..-
Mr.. Wiley read from report prepared by
the Constitutional Convention Of Texas, stating
that since the close OF the war up to the lst OF
June, 1868, the number OF murders was 939,
of whom 42l we're freedmen, and that all Of
those murders were committed on account oil
the Unionism OF their victims, and not twenty
nino Of these assassins had been brought to
justice (!) IIenow thoughtit was time to arm
the militia.
MIR. Drake would, if he had his way, arm
every loyal man in the Southern States with q
Springfield rifle and cartridges al libitum, and
SO far as he was concerned, he was perfectly
willing for it to be written in this bill that these
arms we're intended for the protection Of tho
loyal men at the polls. There were no such
men outside of h-ll as the Rebels, and the
only way to deal with them was to crush them
Mr.. Davis declared the statement read by
Mr. Wiley to be utterly impossible, MARTA
law prevailing in Texas, andtthc Freedmen
Bureau perVading the whole State.
Mr.. Anthony moved to add two thousand tC
the quota for each State Adopted.
Mr., Buckalew had heard Of no application
from the States for these arms and if we haC
more than we needed, why not sell them
Mr.. Morton said the new State Government
of the South had no arms, and no money tc
buy them. The Rebels were armed universal
ly, and the negroes had none
Mr.. Howard said if the Democratic party
wanted war, they could have it. The Repub
lican party was not going to shrink tor fear Of
consequences.
Mr.. Doolttle moved to reduce the army tC
twelve regiments Of infantry and tour OF cava
~, and the total number of men to twenty
thousand, which he thought was ample for q
time OF peace.
Dir. Wilson stated, in reply to question Of
Mr. Doolittle, that it was not intended to mus
ter out Of the service the reglmental bands, but
only the brigade bands.
Mr.. Doolittle said Gen. Grant had few
years ago, in 1866, authorized him to state that
| If negro suffrage was imposed and the whites
| disfranchised, it would inaugurate war Of
races, and afterwards Gen. Sherman had au-
thorized him to state the same thing, and the
very passage of such measure as this showed
that Congress itself was afraid of it.
Mr.. Harland said Congress had no further
control over the suffrage now. The States
which were reorganized had the sole control
now themselves.
The amendment Of Mr.. Dooltte was re-
jected. "
Mr.. Vickers offered an amendment providing
that the arms to be delivered to the States
shall not be delivered prior to the first day OF
January next, unless the President deems ii
necessary to put down instruction. The
amendment was received with derisiye laughter
from the Republican side
Mr.. Vickers said since he had seat in this
chamber he had heard that recoconstruction
| was the panacea for everything. They claimed
that reconstruction wos now accomplished, and
why the necessity for this distribution? He
| was in favor of reduction Of the army but
could not vote for this bill with the ninth sec,
ton in it,
The amendment was rejected.
The bill was then passed, and the Senate ad
journed.
SOUTHERN RADICALS IN CAUCAs. "A meet
ing Of Southern Radicals in Washington, was
held yesterday. On the Committee on resolu