The Portland daily press., 1868-09-12
The Outrage IN the Georgia
- ISuiSTOtkre,


The New Haven Palladium, gives the fol-
lowing extracts from a private letter writ
ten by one OF the members of the Georgia
Legislature, whose trustworthiness it endorses,
though, for obvious reasons, Withholding his
name. At this distance there certainly seems
to have been great lack of manly tirmness in
the conduct of these white Republican menu
bers, though il appears from the extracts We
quote that they believed themselves powerless
to effect anything against the large and reck-
less Democratic majority. But we do not
think there can be any cause to blame the me-
groes should they refuse, as this writer sug-
gests, ever again to vote for another white
man: v--a1-A . -
Tits now about week since We have had up
the subject of expelling the negro members
from the House. Wego and hear speech after
speech, but all to no purpose; the Democrats
are determsned to turn them out. The House
is nearly equally divIded and while some OF
the Republicans were absent bill was intro
duced to expel twenty-four colored members.
At the same time it was decided that the MEM
hers on trial could not vote on their own case.
Taking out these twenty-four Republicans
gives the Democrats large majority.
During this long discussion the Democrats
sit day after day talking and reading, never
hearing a word of what is said. This has been
the case until to-day, when H. M. Turner (col-
ored) got the foor. Such a speech as he made
L never heard before. 1t was eloquent and
sublime. He spoke Almost three hours, and |
never heard people get such rasping as he
gave the white race in this country. He told
them of all the meanness they had been guilty
of. How, When a slave, they had taken him
out and aohipped him for praying at the bedside
of a friend scho acds then about to die. How he
sot his education while others slept. "Now,"
said he, II will make the proposition to every
member of this House that will read the BIZ.
BILE in more languages than you can, if you
will agree to leave this hall, or will so out if
you can read it in more languages than can"
Turner reads in English, Latin, Greek and
Hebrew.
What effect Turner's speech will have in
this House l know not. but there is one thing
certain, when the negroes are turned out.
there UlU be no more Democratic negroes in
Georgia. Besides this, it will be hard to get
them to vote for any white man after this. In
all the section of country where L live the ne
grOes Outnumber us two to one. Most of these
colored members are good speakers and when
they leave this House will take the stump Tor
Grant aud Gollax. 1 hardly know what to do
when it comes to vote; perhaps, as l cannot
accomplish any thing, 1 had better not vote at
danger when they return home If they cote to
let the negroes stay in their seats. Should Sey-
mour and Blair be elected do not think it
will be safe for Republican to live in Middle
Georgia. EUery Democratic Uictory is looked
upon here as an endorsement of secession and a
condemnation q the aoar on the part Of the U"'
Well, just as I expected, the deed is done.
AT an afternoon session yesterday, twenty-fo
members were turned out for no other reason
than that they were free persons of color. L
thought it advisable not to vote, as it might
me into trOuhla and cOuld do no good -
Nothing could have been done to cause more
bad feeling between the races than this act. L
know there is not a negro in Atlanta but
thinks all who voted to turn them out are
guilty of perjury.
After the negro members were expelled they
united in protest which for temperance, dig
nifty and moral elevation can hardly be para
lleled by any document that can be found
among the records of legislative bodies. 1t is
calculated to excite the most enthusiastic ad
miration. Here are twenty-five men whom
the whites had condemned to everlasting
bondage with their wives and children. Freed
from slavery, instead of taking revenge as they
might, they voted as members of the Georgia
legislature to allow a large number of white
Rebels to retain Seats though they were ineli.
gible under the 14th constitutional amend
ment. This almost unexampled magnanimity
was promptly repaid by these white Rebels
They, who owed their seats to "nigger" gene
rosity, voted to expel their benefactors and did
expel them. The following is the protest of
the twenty-five members, which the House re-
fused even to have entered on the journal:
This House, having decided by vote this
day to expel the undersigned members from
the seats to which they have been legally elect
ed, for no improper conduct on their part, and
for no other legal reason, or pretended cause,
except their color, the undersigned, ardently
desiring the peace of society and the prosperi-
ty of the State, and determined to do all in
their power to avoid bloodshed or war of races,
have decided to suffer wrongs for time, rath-
er than attempt to redress them in a manner
that may, in this time of high political excite
ment, produce civil strife. '-'--ti y .,1ta
For these considerations the undersigned
will abide by the decision of this House, and
Will peacefully retire from the seats to which
they consider themselves legally entitled. But
before doing so, the undersigned, as the repre-
sentatlves OF their race, consisting of over $780,
600 citizens and over 10000 legal electors of
this StaCe, in the name OF the State, whose
peaceful citizens they are, whose laws they
have Obeyed, and whose white women and
childred they supported and protected when
their husbands, fathers and brothers were up
on distant battle fields in the service of the
that equality before the laws to which they are
entitled, in the name of peace and humanity,
without which anarchy and confusion must
take the place of good government, stability
and protection of life and property, and in the
name of that friendship and good understand
ing, which it is their interest and their ardent
desire to cultivate with the white race, do
hereby enter their solemn protest against the
outrage perpetrated upon the race by the ac-
ton OF this House; and they hereby give no.
tice that they will appeal at the proper time to
the Congress OF the United States, and the
justice of the American people, to redress the
grievances to which they are subjected by the
lntolerant and oppressive conduct of the DOM
inant party in this House, who, while part of
their members were in danger of losing their
seats, on account of ineligibility and under the
Fourteenth Constitutional amendment, met
the colored members of the House in spirit
OF conciliation and kindness during the inves.
tigation, but who, when they bad obtained an
erroneous decision Of the House il their favor
which enables them to retain seats to which,
under the Constitution of the United States
they are not entitled on account of their par
tcipatiOn in the rebellion, forget that Congress
has power under said constitutional amend
ment to pass all laws and establish all courts
or tribunals neces snry to carry out said amend
ment, and that, by the Judgment of such tri-
bunais, they may yet be compelled to vacate
seats illegally held by them, and who now
make war on the right of colored members
and drive them from the hall. he under
signed respectfully demand that this their pro-
test may be entered upon the journal of the
House.
The despised black man looms up in this dis
cussion and if a sense of justice has not utter
ly forsaken the AuglO Saxon heart the coming
elections will show that the lofty spirit of these
men and the uncomfortable meanness, treach-
cry and cowardice of their oppressors, are du-
ly appreciated. Isas.+. 49,.