Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-04-21

Nelay on otner GROUNDS. lne taul
! II frequently flung at us that Men
esis more terrible than the Gree
t parsonage Of the anger Of the goo
awaits her hour Of direful retribr
, tton. We are told that at no dii
tand day a great uprising Of Ii
American people will demand tn:
the reconstruction acts of Congres
be undone and blotted foreyC
from the annals Of legislative Ell
actment. l inquire, sir, if tlis d,
lay in affording protection to tn
leyalists of the State of Georgi
does not lend an uncomfortabl
sgn' ficance to this boasting snee
Rith which we so often meet? De
lay is perilous at the best; for it i
las true in legislation as in pbysic
that the longer we procrastinate t.
apply the proper remedies the NOR,
chronic becomes the malady tina
we seek to heal.
| "The land wants such
As dare with rigOr execute the laws.
llFr iestered members must be lanced anC
tented
He's bad surgeon that for pity spares
The part corrupted till the gangrene spreaC
And all the body perish. lie that's meTcifu
Unto The bad is cruel to the good"
Mr.. President, l favor the mo,
ton to strike out so much of the
bill under debate as tends to abridgc
the term Of the existing Legislature
of Georgia. Let me, then, as brief
lY as possible. review the history
Of the case which so urgently claims
our prompt action. In the month
of November, 1867, an election was
held by the authority of the re-
construction policy Of this Con
gress in the State of Georgia. Its
object was to settle by the ballot
Of her whole people, white and col
ored, whether it was expedient to
summon a convention which sho'd
frame a constitution for civil gov
ernment in that State. A certain
class Of the population declined
to take any part in the election
The vote cast at that election rep
thirty thousand white and
eig hty thousand colored citizens OF
the State. 1t was majority, too,
Of the registered vote: and in con
sequence convention was called.
A number Of the delegates who
tofmed that convention were color
ed BY its authority a constitu-
ton was framed, just and equit-
uiote. in all its provisions. Race,
dDloh or former condition of sew.
itude found no barrier in any Of its
ample enactments, and it extend
ed to those lately in armed rebel
lion, all the privileges Of its i'm
partial requirements. The con, til
tuition was submitted to the people
Of the State for ratification. Every
effort that could be called into req
to defeat its adoption was
to, The loyal population of
he State was victorious; and not
the determination of
iome to defeat the constitution,
hat same class sought under its
provisions to procure the nomina-
ion of all the Offices within the
lift of the people. A number were
Ieclared elected as county officers
nd members of the General AN
emily.
Under the authority given by the
ct of Congress of June 25, 1868,
he Legislature thus elected con
ened on the 4th of July of the
anne year in Atlanta. The act of
congress to which l refer reaf-
rmed certain qualifications which
ere demanded from all persons
ho were to hold office in the re-
States. After some
clay n resolution was adopted by
lie Legislature of Georgia declar-
lg that that body was duly quail
ed, and thus began the civil gov
in the State. Peace and
seemed at last to have
let together, truth and justice to
ave kissed each other. But their
,ign was Of short duration. BY
nd by the reconstruction act of
began to be questioned,
I'd it was alleged that they were /
unconstitutional, and the Legisla- '
ire which was elected under the t
framed and supported /
7 Uolored men declared that a {
an having more than an eighth of t
frican blood in his veins was in
igible to Office or a seat in the +
legislature of the State of Geor- '
a. These very men, TO whom t
e Republican party extended all d
e rights and privileges of citizen '
lip, whom they were empowered, {
deemed expedicnt, to cut off for C
er from such benefcent grants,
ere the men to deny political n
uality to a large majority of their a
low citizens. In the month of fl
1868, twenty eight mem "
rs of the Legislature were ex- S
lied from that body, and upon tt
C assumption Of the strange and o
artling hypothesis just mentioned "
ey continued to legislate in open c.
olation Of the constitution. That 81
Institution required by its provi- a
ms the establishment of a sys- le
n of free schools. Such proyi-
ms were wholly abortive, indeed n
lead letter, for n9ne were estab- n
he'd. The courts of law, at least 81
far as colored men were regard Il
were shameless mockery of d
,tice. And here an illustration, lie
rhaps, will the better give point