The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-04-13

I " ScIN GlllS I
it should do. Was that an act Of de.
moralization 1t elected the necessary
state officers whose election devolved
upon 1t Was that an act of demon
allzation? On the nomination of Gov
ernor Bullock the state senate ratified
his nomination ofall hejudges through
out Georgia. Was that an act of de-
moralization? That legislature passed
appropriation bills it made laws suit
ed to the new circumstances of the
state, laws of which nobody has COM
planned. Were those acts of demon
dlization {?
What act of decentralization, then,
did it comm t? 1t was this: in ac-
cordance with the opinion expressed
by the highest judicial tunctionary in
that Senate, it declared that the black
race w re not entitled to hold Office in
Georgia. The Legislature of Georgia,
or rather each branch for itself, hav
ing the absolute right to determine
that question and the right to deter
mine it without being bound by the
decision of any Judiciary, befor there
had been any judicial decision to the
contrary, and acting upon what was
the declared opinion of the most emin-
ent lawyer of the State, and the most
eminent Radical in the State in the
canvass in which the Legislature was
elected-acting upon that advice, on
those principles, and with that circum-
specction, it resolved that the II gro
members were not entitled to their
80 . - .-L,,A H. ri
the first appearance of decentralization.
Then it did what L admit was all
wrong, it seated the minority candi-
dates.
What did you do? Although this
was u question over which that Iegis-
lature, and that legislature alone had
Jurisdiction, although this was a ques
ton under the constitution of the State
oil Georgia, over which Congress had
no of control whatever, any
more than it has ovcr the constitution
OF Massachusetts or the constitution
Ohio, Or over the legislature of MIassa.
cilusetts or the legislature of Ohio,
yet because that legislature did that
you took Georgia in hand again last
December; not because her constitu-
ton vas not republican in form, the
only thing you had a right to look to,
the only thing that the constitution of
the United States givesyou any super
vision Or jurisdiction over; not be-
cause her constitution was not repub-
lican in form, for you had affirmed
that it was republican in form, but
what you complained Of was that re
publican constitution had not been
obeved /; and you took Georgia in
hand again and passed your act OF
December last.
And now, when We are brought to
the present state of things, what is the
excuse Of the senator from Massa-
chusetts for perpetuating the power of
the present legislature of Georgia
Why, that it was guilty OF that hor-
rible crime Of turning the negroes out
and OF seating the minority candidates.
Let me tell the senator from MaSsa
chusetts that of the men who turned
the neg:oes out more than seventy are
members Of the present legislature,
holding their seats now; and for that
act, which he considers an act Of such
atrocIty, lie proposes to reward them
by giving them Il lease of power for
two years longer! Let me tell him
! further that of the present members
or the Legislature there arc fifteen or
sixteen, l believe, who were minority
candidates, and who therefore seated
in the present legislature by just such
acknowledging act, justsuch an atrocity,
us hat of which the senator So eloqu,
emily complained last December and
now the reward which the senator
from Massachusetts proposes to grant
TO those men thus Illegally seated,
men who never were elected at all,
men who hold their seats by Il plain
and fragrant violation of the constitu-
ton and the law, is to give them Il
lease of power for two years longer
SENATOR WILSON'S RAw-HEAD AND
BLooDY-BoNEs INVENTIONS.
Senator Thurman continued at
length in review Of the legal PROPOSE
tions involved in the contemplated
legislation. He then passed to the
consideration of Il startling declaration
made in the Senate by that pharasical
saint, Henry Wilson, OF Massachusetts,
that there were more transformations
in the South since Lees surrender
than there were mel lost on II field
OF stricken battle during the four
years OF the war; This was said by
Wilson on his responsibility as 4 sworn
Senator. Andthis is he way Senator
Thurman disposed of the infamous
falsehood-coine to infiame Radical
passions to the pitch of doing the in
justice sought to be imposed upon
Georgia. Said Senator Thurman:
| confess my amazement at hearing
such 4 declaration. 1t that is true
there has been anarchy at the south
ever since 1865.
The senator gets up here and tells
us that there has been no protection
for life or liberty or property in south
ern states for four years; and yet in
those four years those southern states
have raised 4 crop of cotton but for
shich your greenbacks would this day
not be worth more than sixty cents on
the dollar. They have raised crop
Of cotton that has nearly brought you
TO specie payments, and if you get to
specie payment by this lime mex year
it will be because the cotton crop Of
1870 will be as useful as the cotton
crop OF 1869 and 1868. And yet Il
country that can do such a thing Us
that !; a country through which rail
roads are now being made at the rate
of more than Il thousand miles q year;
a country which is prospecting, as ev-
eryhody admits, and fast regaining its
lost Meal1h and IFS lost canital we are