The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-04-22

fourteenth article:
2"Congress shall have power to
enforce by appropriate legislation,
the provisions OF this article"
by appropriate legislation
What is appropri te legislation!
is legislation sdrGuate TO meet
the difficulties to be encountered,
TO suppress the W, orcs existing, 10
furnish remedies aad inf'ict peual-
ties adequate to the suppression
OF all iniractions of the nights Of
the citizens. Ard OF what is ne
cessary to this end, Congress .ione
musa be The jadge:
The third and fourth sections OF this bill
are no departure in any sense from any one
Of these propositions and therefore, in my h
Judgment, it is clearly within the constitu
tional power Of Congress to enact them. !
can not bus envy the author of this bill the
legal acunen which has enabled him TO crap
pie With all the niceties of constitutional con-
strueti n, and so shape it as to avoid making
it obnoxious TO the organic law.
And now, sir, tbs brings ME o the eonsii
this bill-the objection that there is no occa-
sion for this Legislation. !, is gravely said
that the reports Of unres:raned and unpun-
ished !awlessness that come TO us are not true. |
shall not stop now to recite the evidences
Of the fact that outregcs of the most shock !
ing character are being daily and nightly |
perpetrated, and that The offenders, through |
the unwilingness or inability of State au-
thorites, go utterly unwbipped of justice.
Ths evidence taken by the Senate committee
ought to be sufficient TO satisfy the mos: skep-
teal and incredulous. The newspapers are
full Of the DIR eadful details. The mails are
loaded with stateme nts of these outrages up
on unoffandi ne citizens. From every quar-
ter of the South, and from every" avenue
through which information is derived, it
comes 10 us that there is state of unre-
| strained terrorism and lawlessness at the
South, disgrac eful to the nation and shocking
| to the civilizat on of the age.
| 1t seems to me that a man must shut his
eyes and close his ears and summon all his
preiudices, or he must be convinced that law
lessness and disorder are he ldiDg high carn-
val in large part of the dom ain of this na-
| ton. lie must set at defiance all human les
timony and resolve that he wi II net believe
even though the dead victims Of this spirit CT
diabolism should rise in their bloody gar
ments, and from their watery graves, AMI
bear witness to the fearful fact.
But even let it be conceded that the tec
graph is prolific of lies in this regard, let it
be conceded that letter writer cx l.gera,e, let
it be conceded that the new spapers are filed
with un,rulhs, still he re upon this very floor,
10 our very miist, members of this body al c
the witnesses who can speak, and who have
spoken, and " no do bear witness to the fact
that the lives aId property of citizens of the
Southern States are in peril every bour, and
that the State autho rites can not or will II OF
afford them pro lection, and that they CAP Only
be made safe against outlaws by TIE inter-
ycntion of Federal authority.
Sir, / am reliably informed that not three
days ago member Of this House was urged
by an official, who is charged with iEporta Mt
. duties in connection with the enforcem ent oil
the criminal law, not to vote fer this bill, for
the rea son that he could not safely return TO
his home if he lid. And, sir, what is the
purpose Of all this bloody work l assert
and all we'll authenticated evidence proves the
, truth of the asserton-that it is for the ex-
:, press purpose of controlling government in
/, the States where these things are done, by
preventing citizens from exercising thei.
:, legitimate constitutional privileges. Il is K
overthrow by force ard violence poi.ica
opinion i! is to destroy by violence tht
freedom Of the ballot box, and therefore it j;
y the most dangerous form of dc nestle violence
q and rebellion against the Laws. My colleagu,
u said
5 The utmost extent of characterization il
{ confined to a very small number Of persons
and they are in few localities. They ar
merely common criminals, without politics o
: higher motives of action than the base aim
. of individual offenders.
:, ! will let these gentlemen here upon thi
G floor answer whether this Characterization
q confined to a very small number of persons
n and '.few localities" "They are merel
"a common criminals" says my colleague
4 Yes, in one sense they are common, unfortu
, nately, very remarkably so; but the charac
y ter of their criminality is very uncommo
everywhere in the wide world, except in tt
!, localities lately darkened by rebellion.
= II my colleage means that they are to
= classed with the ordinary criminals of ii
~ country. as suppose he does, must beg
differ with him. Men who bind them selvt
IS together by oaths to do deeds of cod-bloode
G. murder, and perpetrate every other erin
III that has ever been denounced by the laws
re God or man, who mask themselves and pc
rs petrate deeds that would shame savage, al
IN mo- ordinary criminals. They are Ms
IN schooled In crime. They are sprouts of TIL
al greatest of all crimes, treason. And VIII,
my colleague says they are"without politics
or 1 must differ with him again. What is Il
g. purpose of numbering poor and defensele
n. negroes? Is it for gain or-"the base aims
\. indy idual offenders % No. What is Il
:. purpose of driving officers from their places
Is it for gain or the "base aims of indvidu
n offenders" No. 1t is 10 get rid of votes,
~ get possession of local and State COVER
ments.
oI My colleague almost admits this, for in
same connection he says:
1t is undoubtedly true that millions
rs people, good, loyal and true, dislike some
the Southern State governments as now
81 ganized. 1t is not in the power Of intelligs
' and virtuous citizens to do less.
or
or That is by way IF apology for these O
=. RACES. They dislike the Estate gore,
80 mentS.'' Therefore these outrageS are CO
He mi.ted. What for? I know Of but one lee
innate deduction from the language, ard t
" is to get rid Of either the State governIue
u or of those who hold Offices under the
we This looks as though they we're not enti,