Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-12-07

Office Department of the Government
will prove a much greater blessing to
the whole people than it is now.
| The suggestions of the Postmaster
| General for improvements in the De-
partment presided over by him, are
earnestly recommended to your special
attention especially to the documents
| plan for uniting the telegraph system
of the United States with the postal
| system. 1t is believed that by such a
course the cost of telegraphing could be
much reduced and the service as well
| if not better rendered. 1t would secure
the further advantage by extending the
telegraph through portions Of the coun-
try where private enterprise will not
construct it. Commerce, trade, and,
above all, the efforts to bring people
widely separated into community of
interests, are always benefited by a
rapid INSTRUMENTATION Education,
the groundwork of republican lnstitu-
tions, is encouraged by increasing the
facilities for gathering speedy news
from all parts of the country. The de-
sire to reap the benefit of such improve
ments will stimulate education. l refer
| you to the report of the Postmaster
General for full details of the operations
of last year, and for comparative state
ments of the results with former years.
There has been imposed upon the Exc
cutive branch of the Government the
execution of the act of Congress, ap-
proved April 20, 1871, and commonly
| known as the "Ku-Klux law" in a por-
| ton of the State of South Carolina.
The necessity of the course pursued will
be demonstrated by the report of the
committee appointed to investigate the
| Southern outrages. Under the provi-
| siops of the above act, 1 issued a procla-
nation, calling the attention of the
people of the United States to the same,
and declaring my reluctance to exercise
any of the extraordinary powers there
| by conferred upon me, except in the
case of an imperative necessity, but
making known my purpose to exercise
such powers whenever it should become
| necessary to do so for the purpose of
securing to all citizens of the United
States the peaceful enjoyment of the
rights guaranteed to them by the Con-
stitution and the law.
After the passage of this law informa-
ton was received, from time to time,
| that combinations of the character re-
| ferred to in this law existed, and were
powerful in many parts of the Southern
States, particularly in certain counties
in the State of South Carolina. Careful
| investigation was made, and it was as
| certained that in nine counties of that
State such combinations were active
| and powerful, embracing a sufficient
portion of the citizens to control the
local authority, and having, among
other things, the object of depriving
the emancipated class of the substan-
tial benefits of freedom, and of privi-
lege, and the free political action of
those citizens who did not sympathize
with their own views. Among their
operations were frequent scourgings and
occasional assassinations, generally per-
petrated at night by disguised persons,
the victims, in almost all cases, being
citizens of different political sentiments
from their own, or free persons who
had shown a disposition to claim equal
rights with other citizens. Thousands
of inoffensive and we'll disposed citi-
zens were the sufferers by this lawless
violence. Thereupon, on the 18th of
October, 1871, proclamation was is
sued, suspending the privilege of the
writ of habeaS corpus, in nine counties in
that State. Direction was given that
within the counties SO designated per-
sons supposed, upon creditable infor--
nation, to be members of such unlaw-
full combinations, should be arrested by
the military forces of the United States,
and delivered to the Marshal, to be
dealt with according to law. In two of
the said counties york and Spartans-
burg) many arrests have been made.
At last account the number of persons
thus arrested was 16S. Several hun
dred whose criminality was ascertained
to be of an inferior degree, were re-
leased for the present. These have
generally made confessions of their
guilt. Great caution has been exer-
cised in making test arrests. Notwith-
standing the large number, it is be-
lieved that no innocent person is now
in custody. The prisoners will be held
for regular trial in the judicial trib-
unals of the United States. AS soon as
it appeared that the authorities of the
United States were about to take Wig
orous measures to enforce the law,
many persons absconded, and there is
good ground for supposing that all such
persons have been violating the law. A
full report of what has been done under
this law will be submitted to Congress
by the Attorney General.
In Utah there still remains remnant
of barbarism repugnant to civilization,
decency and the laws Of the United
States. Territorial officers, however,
have been found who are willing to per-
form their duty in spirit of equity,
anu Will d uOO SO11SO Vi Gu0
majesty of the law. Neither polygamy,
nor any other violation of existing
statutes, will be permitted within the
territory of the United States. 1t is
not with the religion of the self-styed
"saints" that we are now dealing, but
with their practices. They will be pro-
tected in the worship of God according
to the dictates of their consciences, but
they will not be permitted to violate
the laws under the cloak of religion.
1t may be advisable for Congress to con
slider what, in the execution of the laws
against polygamy, is to be the status of
the plural wives and their offspring.
The propriety of Congress passing an
enabling act, authorizing the Territorial
Legislature of Utah to legitimatize all
children born prior to time fixed in
the act might be justified by its human
ity to those innocent children. This is
suggestion only, and not a recon-
mendation.
The policy pursued toward the In
dians has resulted favorably so far as
can be judged from the limited time
during which it has been in operation.
Through the exertion of the various
societies of Christians to whom has
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