The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1871-12-07

| OF grumbling prejudice alike to national
morals and national finances. Ii the CUES
ton can be met as how To- get a fixed value
to our currency. that value constantly
and uniformly approaching par with
specie, very desirable object will bt
gained.
ARMY AND NAVY.
The operations OF The army and navy
show an improvement i'll the number anC
efficiency OF the naval force, without MA
terlal increase In The expense OF support
ing 1t. THIS is due To .he policy which hat
been adopted, ana Is being extended as tas
as our ina erlal Will tJInll, OF using small
eT vessels AS cruisers In The several std
tions. BY these means W: have been en-
abled 10 occupy 1T once larger extent o
cruising ground; TO visit more frequently
those posts where the pre- Seuce of our flag
is desirable. ami generally To discharge
more eth lenlly, The appropriate uuIles o
the Navy III Time o. peace, without eX
ceedlng the number OF men or the expe1
ditures authorized by law During Iht
past ear the navy has. III addition Ia It's
regular service, supplied the men and ofti
GERS Tor the coast survey, and has compile
ted the surveys authorized by Congress, oil
the lsthmus OF Darien and Tehaunteoec
and under like authority has sent out ar
expedition completely furnished and equip
ped TO explore the unknown ocean OF the
North. The suggestion of the report as
to the necessity fer incr, asing and lmp-oV
ing the material OF the Navy, and the plan
recommended Tor reducing the personnel
OF the service To peace standard by The
general abolition of certain grades OF OH
GERS. the reduction of Others, and the EN-
plOyment OF the same in service OF the
commercial marines, are well considered
and deserve the thoughtful attention OF
Congress. / also recommend that all pro-
motions in the navy above the rank OF
captain be made by selections instead OF
seniority. This will secure in the higher
grades, greater efficiency and hold out in
centives to young officers to improve them
selves in the knowledge of their profess
ion. The present cost of maintaining the
navy, its cost compared with that OF the
preceding year, are contained IN the ac-
companying report of the Secretary OF the
Navy. The enlarged receipts of the Post
office Department as shown bg the Z. NJ.
Gen, exhibit gratifying increase In that
branch of the public service. 1t is the in,
deX of the growth Of education and the
prosperity of the people, .wo elements
highly conducive TO the vigor and stability
OF republics With vast territory like
ours, much of it sparsely populated, but
all requiring the service of the mail, it is
not at present to be expected that this de-
partment can he made self.sustaining, but
a gradual approach to this end from year
to year, is confidently relied on, and the
day is not far distant when the z. o. Dept
will prove much greater blessing TO the
whole people than it is now.
RECOMMENDS POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The recommendation of the p. NJ. Gen.
for improvements in lhe department pre-
sided over by him, are 'arneslly recon-
mended to your special attention, especial
ly the documents favorable to considers
ton of the plan for uuiling the telegraph
system Of the l. S. with the postal sy stem.
II is believed That by such a course, the
cust of lelegraphing could be much reduc-
ed. 1t would secure the further advantage
by extending the telegraph through the
portions of the country where private en-
lerprise will not construct it. Commerce,
trade and above all, the efforts TO bring a
people widely separated into a community
of interests, are always benefited by a
rapid inter-communicatiOn. Education.
the ground work Of Republican institu.
tons, ia encouraged by increasing the ia
cilities to bring together speedy Eews from
all parts of the country. The desire 10
reap the benefit of such improvements
will stimulate education | refer you tn
the report OF The P. NJ Gen. for full de.
tails of the operations of last year for com.
parative statements of results with former
years.
THE KU KLUX.
There has been Imposed upon the Exec
utive branch at the government, the exc
cutlon at the act 81 C"ngIess, approved
April 2Olh, 1871, and commonly own as
the K IkiuX law, Iii ii portion ot The Stale
at South Carolina. The necessity of The
course pursued will he demonstrated by
tie report ui the Committee To investigate
The SOU hern outrages under the provisions
of the above act | issued a proclamation
calling the attention OF The people of the
United States TO the same, and declaring
my reluctance to exercise any OF the extra
ordinary powers thereby conferred upon
me except in case Of The imperative nCces
sity, but making known my purpose to ex-
ercise such powers whenever it shTuld be.
come necessary to do SD for the purpose Of
securing 10 all citizens of the United States
the peaceful eCj)yments of the Ti2 hts
guaranteed TO them by the Constitution
and the laws Atter the passage of this
law information was received from time
time that combinations of the character re
ferred To in this law existed and were pow
erful IN parts of the Southern States, par
ticularly in certain counties in the State of
South Carolina. Careful investigation
was made and it was sscertained that in
nine counties OF that State such combIna-
tons were active and powerful, embracing
q sufficient portion OF the citizens TO con-
troll the local authority, having among 9th
er things the object ofdeprving the eman'
cIpafed class of the substantial benefits OF
freedom and of privilege, and the free pc
litiCal action OF those citizens who did not
sympathiZe with their own views. Among
their operations, We're frequent scOurglngs
and occasional assassinatinns, generally
perpetrared at night 10y disguised persons,
the victims in almost all cases being clti-
Zens of different political sentiments from
their own or free persons who had shown
disposition TO claim equal rights with
other citizens. Thousands of lnotfensive
and weIl.dispOsed citizens were the su fer
ers of this lawless violence. WhereupOn
on the 18th OF October, 1871, a proclama-
ton was issued in terms OF the law calling
upon the members OF the combination to
disperse within five days, and To deliyer 10
the marshal or military OF the United
States, all arms, ammunitiOns, uniforms,
diSguiSes and other means and implements
used by them for carrying out their unlaw-
full purposes. This warning not having
been needed, or the nth OF October, an
OF Der proclamation vas issued suspending
the privilege of the writ of babeas cor
nt1Sis in ninp pCnntipl in that Stafa Nj
rectiOn was given that within the counties
SO designated, persons supposed, upon
creditabe information, To be members OF
such unlawful combinations, should be ar
rested by the military forces OF the United
States, and to he delivered to the Marshal
to be dealt with according 10 law. In two
of the aforesaid counties, York and Spar
tinsburg, many arrests have been made
AT the last account the number of persons
thus a. rested was one hundred and sixty
eight. Several hundred whose crimiRality
was ascertained TO he Of an inferior degree.
were released tor The present, these have
generally made confessions OF their guilt
Great caution has been exercised in max.
ing these arrests, notwithstanding the
large number 1t is believed that no in.
nOcenr person is now in custody. The
prisoners will he held for regular trial in
The Judicial T ihuuals of the United States
As soon as il appeared that the authorities
of the United States we're about In take
vigorous measures To enforce the law ma
ny persons absconded. and there is good
ground for supposiDg that all of such per.
sons have been violating the law. full
r-pert OF what has been done under this
law will he submitted tn Congress by the
Attorney General.
UTAH AND MoRMONIsM.
In Utah there still remains remnant Of
barbarism repugnant 10 civilization, de-
cency, and to the laws ofthe United States.
Territorial officers however, have been
found who are willing to perform their du
ty in spirit of equity and with due
sense of sustaining the majesty Of the law
Neither polygamy nor any other violation
of existing statutes will be permitted with
in the tarritOry of the United States Ii IS