The Portland daily press., 1871-03-31
XLIId O0NGRESS---first Session.
SENATE.


sion schedule of the property, by classes
with Its estimated value, which has been SELF
ed or taken possession of since Jan. lst, 1901
Dy order OF the authorities or in the name OF
their departments respectively, what DISPOSE
ton was made of said property, the portions
sold and what became OF the money therefrom,
how much went into the Treasury and how
much to individuals, with names and amount
to each, and what portion of said property, etc,
was delivered to and retained by individuals,
| with their names.
He defended the loyalty and law-abding
character OF the people OF Ky land enumerated
various grievances to which they had been
subjected at the hands of the general govern
ment, among which was it had refused to make
compensation to their owners for slaves enlist
ed in the army at the beginning of the war in
Kentucky, Maryland and other loyal States
Congress had refused to pay an appropriation
| OF $500 for each slave and he believed the SEN
| ator from Ohio (Sherman) was among those
| who so voted.
Mr.. Sherman replied that he had been in
favor of paying $500 and believed that there
was at that time majority in the Senate IN
| favor of it.
Mr.. POmeroy-I would not vote to pay 1t.
Mr.. Blair here explained that the payment
had been prevented by the unauthorized act OF
Secretary Stanton.
Mr.. Davis.A more lawless dictator was new
er in power than that same Secretary OF War.
1t Justice had been dealt out to him in his life
| time for his crimes he would have been hung
a hundred times for murder and put into the
penitentiary ten thousand times for his crimes.
| (Sen satiOn.) Mr.. Davis continued his argu-
ment to show that notwithstanding the indig-
mites and outrages heaped upon the people of
| KY, no facts had been adduced in the discus
sion to controvert his position, that they up
held the Constitution and maintained law and
| social order in their midst.
| At this point the morning hour expired,
| when it was agreed to take vote upon the
| question Mr.. Thnrman's amendment requir-
| my bill that might be received from the House
| to be referred to committee before action by
| the Senate was voted down.
The consideration of Mr.. Anthony's amend
ment to the order of business to allow the con-
sideration of any on the South passed by the
House OF Representatives, was resumed.
Mr.. Davis of KY, spoke in refutation of the
charges of Mr.. Sherman against the peace
and order of the South, and particularly of his
own State. N
Only fourteen Senators rising in the affirma-
adopted without division.
MIR. Sherman's resolution instructing the
judiciary Committee to bring in bill to re-
press the Ku-Klux outrages was then proceed
ed with, and MI Davis of Kentucky, awarded
the floor. He denied that Congress had any
power to pass such legislation as was proposed
and gave notice that he would present his
views at length at proper time and would
then pay his respects to the administration.
To-day the authority for all he would say was
by its own friends.
Mr.. Wilson said he held in his hand list of
victims, murders and outrages committed in
Kentucky during the last month of 1865 and
the first ten months in 1866, and to this he ia
vited the attention of Senator Davis and his
colleague lStevenson.) 1t appeared that in
this time there were 10 murders OF freedmen
and ZS5 freedmen maltreated without being
Killed, two white Union men at the same time
murdured, and five others assaulted with in
tent to kill. Gen. JEFF G. Davis then in COM
mand of Kentucky, reported that in none of
these cases bad action been taken by State au-
thorities The honorable Senators might ar
que from now to eternity but could not oblit-
eratethese facts.
Mr.. Stevenson INDICATED his State from the
charge of lawlessness and claimed that the
people there uniformly treated the negroes
generously and kindly, and their only fault
negro slaves To show that the Senator from
Indiana (Morton) at one time entertained the
same sentiments, he had read extracts from the
gentleman's message to the legislature as Gov
ernor of Indiana, and from speech delivered
by him in Richmond, Ind, in 1865, opposing
negro suffrage as dangerous to the country,
holding negroes to be unfit to WELD the fran
chse and that they should undergo proba-
tiOnary period. Ms. Stevenson commented on
this as showing that the only difference be-
tween Mr. Morton and the people of Kentucky
was that the former was 0 more apt scholar
Mr.. Morton proceeded to read from what he
stated to be an official list of murders and out
RACES committed in Kentucky.
Mr.. Stevenson inquired what official list he
meant.
Mr.. Morton replied it was an official record
prepared by the Freedmen's Bureau. (Deri-
sive laughter on the Democratic side.)
Mr.. StevensOn-We do not recognize the
Freedmen's Bureau as authority in Kentucky.
Mr.. Morton-You do not recognize any an.
thority. You do not allow negroes to testify.
and If you could succeed in excluding all testi-
mony il would be easy for you to prove that
Kentucky is abiding State. In reference
TO the sentiments previously expressed by him.
which has been quoted he would say that at
the time they were announced they were very
generally entertained by the Republican party.
But it was soon found that reconstruction
could not be accomplished without the enfran-
chisement of the cOlOred people, and enfran-
chisement had worked far better than he anti
cipated.
Mr.. Blair desired the Senator from Indiana
(Morton) to answer candidly one question,
whether negroes had not been entrusted with
the ballot in orler to obtain Republican votes.
Mr.. Morton replied that it was well-kn own
mat reconstruction could not be accomplished
on white basis. The white people of the
south would not accept the situation.
Mr.. Blair, emphatcally-T did accept
tbs situation; they did abolish slavery, and
have neve1lliftedther hand against the govern
ment since, and any one who asserts the con-
trary asserts that which is not true. General
Anthony warned the galleries that a repeti-
ton Of such demonstration would cause them
to be instantly cleared.
Mr.. Edmunds said he desired to give notice
upon the next occasion of any disorderly mani
festation in the galleries that he should not
only insist upon their being cleared bat the Of
tenders be arrested and punished. 1t was
about time to put stop to these practices
which. during the last few days had turned
the chamber into bear garden or cockpit.
Mr.. Morton said he did not wish the galleries
to be ipterfered with on his account,
Mr.. Conkling said he would have to object
to the carrying out of the threat of the Sena-
tor from VT in this CASE The galleries had
now for days been applauding sentiments iden-
tical with those just expressed by the Senator
from Mo. He opposed any discrimination in
the matter, and thought that the Senator from
Mo. should not be deprived of the plaudits
awarded the other Senators.
The chair stated that if the disorder was re-
peated he would have to direct the Sergeant
alarms to enforce the rules.
Mr.. Morton said he would conclude what he
had to say by asking for the reading of an edi-
torial from the Louisville Courier Journal on
the Kentucky legislature. 1t was a photo
graph by Democratic paper of Democratic
legislature. The article declared the Ku-Klux
in KY. to be formidable in numbers and terri
BILE in acts; that the legislature had failed to
do anything. to suppress them, but spent its
time in whiskey and champagne drinking,
smoking segars, lobbying and praying that the
State may never look upon its like again, &c.
Mr.. Morton explained that he did not mean
to say that lawlessness was universal among
the Democratic party of Kentucky. He adj
mitted that the late Governor and now Sena-
tor Stevenson and two Democratic Judges had
done their duty, as also one Democratic paper.
the Louisville Courier and Journal, out Of for.
ty published in the State, but they were unable
to influence the Democratic party OF that
| State.
Mr.. Pool obtained the floor and after brief
| executive session the Senate adjourned
| HOUSE.
The Senate bill granting Phebe Scfield a
| pension of $50 per month from June 9th, 1867,
| she being at that time one hundred years old
and the widow of revolutionary soldier pass.
| ed
| The House proceeded to the consideration of
| the anti Ku-Klux bill reported from the select
| committee, Mr.. Beck of Kentucky, speaking in
| opposition to the bill. y -.
Mr.. Beck was followed by Mr. Blair of
| Michigan, Dawes of Massachusetts, Wood of
New York, Kelley of Pennsylvania, MAYNARD
ofTennessee and Eldridge of Wisconsin.