Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-05
CONGRESSIONAL
SENATE.

WAsH1NoroN. April 1.-The Vice Presi-
| dent submitted an order of arrangements
| for memorial services to Gen. Thomas,
which was agreed TO by the presiding
! officers of the two Houses. 1t provides for
a meeting of Senators and Representatives,
| in the hall of the latter, Tuesday evening,
and the appointment of joint committee
of six Senator'S and seven Representatives
to attend the funeral.
GeOrgia-Another Amendment.
The Georgia bill was taken up.
Mr., Stewart moved TO strike out Mr..
Bingham's amendment.
Mr.. Wilson offered an amendment au-
thorizing the continuation of the present
Legislature for two years from its reorgan-
ization in January last; provided, that the
clause of the State Constitution on the SUBJ
ject shall never be exercised to extend any
official term beyond the regular constitu-
tional period, and the Legislature to con-
sent to this condition before the act shall
take effect
Mr.. Wiley spoke in favor of Provis-
ional Government for Georgia. Ii the
present bill was to pass he would move to
insert as a substitute for Binghams amend
ment, a provision designed to be a
warning to the State that Federal interior
ence would follow any attempt to set up
perpetual Government under the authority
of the present Legislature.
Mr.. Stewart agreed that Georgia should
either be kept out under the military rule
ogive the present loyal State organization
it sufficient time to establish itself and pro-
vide means for fair election.
Mr.. Salisbury in reply to reference by
Mr.. Stewart to the Ku-Klux KlaD, expressed
a desire to see a Ku-Klux. This conven-
lent class seemed to him to appear and dis
appear for the purpose of supplying politl-
cal arguments for that party.
Mr.. Wilson asserted that since Lees sur
render more men had been killed in the
late rebel States on account of race or color
than were killed in any battle during the
rebellion.
Mr.. Salisbury read from a private letter
of Georgia Representative contradictions
of the newspaper reports of outrages
there, and attributing them to sinister
motives.
Mr.. Howard thought the interests of the
country required the Intervention of the
Federal power to prevent Georgia passing
into the hands of party Influenced by re-
vengeful motives toward the Union party.
Mr.. Thurman asked whether the Senator
meant to assert that the majority of the
electors of Georgia were opposed to the
Radical party.
Mr. Howard, replied, that according to
the best information he had he was not
only satisfied that majority of the voters
of Georgia were opposed to the so-called
Radical party, but were opposed to the
United States Government
Mr.. Thurman-Does the Senator then
propose to reject the provision in the State
Constitution which makes those men
voters.
Mr. Howard, did not propose to reject
any much thing, but he proposed to have
the State Government in the hands Of
loyal State majority and not in the hands
of traitor minority.
Mr.. Sherman opposed the amendment OF
Mr.. Wilson as a greater stretch OF power
than has yet been claimed in any of the re-
| constructed States, as its purpose was to
continue the men III Office for two years,
not by votes of the people but by Con-
gress. Referring to the alleged acts and
violation of the Constitution, he said that
the time was when the American people
would have been reused almost to frenzy
by any one of these acts, now of almos daily
occurrence. The apparent Indifference Of
the country he thought attributable to the
fact that we were now passing through a
| reactionary period. He would not deny
| that such an organization as the ku-Klux
existed in the South. In communities where
military demons OverpOwer the people,
and where negro ignorance was made par
amount to white intelligence and virtue,
the wonder would be that such an Organi-
| cation didn't exist. Human nature was
| human nature. It was natural to rebel
against seeming oppression The impul-
ses of the human heart could not be tram
pied out. He then went on to show, &C
cording TO the decision of Senators, since
the Rebel States had passed into lOya
hands, peace and good order had beer
unknown within their borders. He had
held as a necessary sequence, that under
Democratic administration law and ordel
did prevail there, and he advised the Sen
ate as the only means of restoring the for
mer order of things to blot out Radicalisn
in the South and allow the people to cleo
their own rulers and thus re-establish
democratic government.