The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-03-30
Congressional Mischief Making.

~ In senQlng money, state III Il fOSI OFFlCE
to which the paper is sent.-HH
Congressional Mischief Making.
1t was grim joke of Speaker Blaine,
when he named Ben Butler as Chairman
of a committee to investigate and report
upon the condition of the Southern states.
Butler, who is, like Falstaff, a coward
upon instinct, would no more dare to
trust himself outside of military protec-
ton in any of the Southern States, tina n
he would scratch match in powder
magazine. Ben. didn't want that-but
he did want the outrageous bill that he
had framed and which, Ignoring prece-
dent, right and constitutional limit, con-
tanned the fruitful seeds of civil war
To goad the people of the South to acts
which can be called rebellion, and to put
the country again under martial law, is
the aim of the Massachusetts, Nero.
Under pretence of securing the rights
of the citizens, preserving peace. and
suppressing the "Ku Klux," bill was
concocted with the most extraordinary
provisions, of which the following is
synopsis
The Southern States are. for the protection of
civil rights and of civil order placed under the
authority of the curcmt Judges of the United
| States.
Each judge shall appoint an assistant, called a
| commissioner" in every county and in every
city, with power to receive complaints of any
"outrage or wrong done against the liberty,
property or persons of acitizen of the United
States within his precinct, with intent to him
der, impair or deprive such citizen of the full
enjoyment of any right gurrateed him under
the Constitution of the United States or any
violation of any of the provisions of this act
| and, upon such &c pdrte hearing, to arrest the
| accused and to bind him over for trial at the
Circuit Court, or imprision him, without bail,
until trial; and to hold in the same way any
persons who may be wanted as witnesses.
The Commissioners are to have authority to
summon to the aid of their process the civil
force Of their DISTRICTS and to call on the Presi-
dent for the army and navy of the United
States to enforce it.
| A long list of offences against the United
States is created by the bfl, classed as INSIDE
meanors, high misdemean0fs, felonies, and cap
ital felonies; thus, to be found on the public
highway, or near a house, even "unarmed" and
''alone" or with Others" 'with intent to terri
~" any persons, $50 as to hinder them from the
| peaceful enjoyment of their legal rghts,' is
| high misdemcanor in the day time, and a felony
at night and the fact of disguise or of ga con-
cert with others for whatever purpose is made
Prtntu ltete evidence of ''the guilty intent"
night an h 9f bart NAV
have been taken by each,'' which shall contain
any person who shall "threaten to assault' any
| person, each and every member of the crowd
shall be guilty of felony and punishable in the
same way. But if any member of the crowd
Shall commit any act by which man is killed
or a dwelling house burned, then each and
every member of it shall be guilty of capital
felony, and ''shall be hanged by the neck until
| he is de adj
This is a bill of denominations. 1t rem
ders liable to the severest penalties, even
OF death itself, persons guilty Of no Of
fence whatever, even in intent or desire
The soberest and most exemplary promot-
Ell of law and order would be liable to die a
felon's death. No penalties upon co.,
quered people in feudal times, the calling
letters upon the Irish people in the last
century even, do not equal in vindictive
cruelty this string of pains and penalties
which Butler seeks to spawn upon the
country.
The worst feature of the case is the fact
that there is no warrant in the constitu-
ton for the punishment of these offences
by United States authority. 1t is the
state in every instance that protects the
person and property of citizens against
wrongs like these. Yet a majority of the
congressional caucus supported the
measure, and but for the adroitness of
Speaker Blaine, would have passed it in
the House.
1t is these repeated and glaring viola
tons of reason and common sense-this
continual straining to magnify few per-
sonal encounters and revenges into syste-
matte resistance to law-that alarms the
thinking and peacefully inclined portion
OF the republican party. This class can
not be made to believe that the people of
the south, fresh from the experiences of
civil war, desire to invite the sword and
the torch again to their homes With
ruined farms, burned dwellings, and
fresh graves before their eyes, they surely
cannot desire to promote repetition of
these experiences. Gen. Grants own
testimony, on his return from tour of
observation in the South, Immediately
after the war, was that the people were
we'll disposed, and desired peace. All
this talk about the vindictiveness of the
people of the South, and their intentions
to make war upon any class of men, is
insulting 10 intelligent persons. 1t has no
existence.
The vote in New Hampshire and the
successes of the Democratic party gener-
ally are the voice of the people in con-
domination of this miserable party policy.
The country desires peace, needs peace,
and will have peace, despite the tricks
and schemes of all the Buffers in Con-
gress and out of it. Whatever Ben's am
bition to be national hangman, he will
scarcely be gratified.