The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-01-27
COLUMBIA, S. G.
Friday Morning, January q. 1871.
Tho Condition OF tho Southern States--
Democratic Senators Expose the De-

This subject has excited, it seems. the
attention of the Congressional majority.
President Grant having sent to Congress
a message relating to alleged disorders
in North Carolina, Florida and Alabama,
Senator Morton moved the appointment
of committee of five to investigate the
truth or falsity of the crimes and out
RACES of political character alleged to
have been committed in the Southern
States. Had we any reason to believe
that this was designed to secure an i'm
partial statement of the real state of af-
fairs in the South, we would DO disposed
to welcome the proposed investigation.
But who really believes that any such
honest purpose is in contemplation? AS
Senator Casserly, the Democratic Sena-
tor from California, remarked, when tho
matter was first introduced i'll the Sen
ate:
''No man of candor doubted that the
result of the doing of the special com
mittee was already determined. This
was too palpable for doubt or contradic-
tion. Only recently some of the most
distinguished members of tho Senate,
including the Senator from Indiana,
(Mr. Morton had exhausted themselves
in the effort to fan into new life the en-
bers Of the great civil war of sectional
hate and animosity, but tho result of tho
late elections has shown the popular rep
creating political capital. But these
nj, not hn I, oE,1o
charges, many of them, certainly rs old
as 1867. If there were any new charges
why had not the country heard Of thom !?
The opening anew Of the flood gates Of
sectional hatred might serve to stay tho
doom of perishing party; but was party
existence sufficient compensation for
national disgrace. Were it understood
that no Southern State should be repre-
sented until she sent hithcr men whose
politics were acceptable to an accidental
Congressional majority, there would be
no occasion for pouring out periodically
the walls of wrath against the South"
The Democratic member from Della
ware, Senator Bayard, takes similar
view of Senator Mortons resolution.
He says
1.-The object of the resolution was
merely to acquire i. pretcxt for again
placing the Southern people under mar.
tial law. There was not today, in any
Southern State, n single Federal officer
who had not been nominated by Repub-
lican choice, and confirmed by the Sc
nate; not II District Judge, not II Distric:
Attorney, (the business OF which office
WAS to prosecute for offences against the
laws Of tho United Statcs.) There was
not Judge or juror to try these offences
who was not thick and thin partisan of
the administration. Yet in the face of
all thai, under all their laws, Republi-
can statcsmanship, when au emergency
arose. could resort to nothing better than
simple brute force. Proposing to in.
qnire what contributions had been made
by the chosen agents of the Radicals rs
a reason for repetition of Congression-
al interference in the South, lie quoted
from the message of Governor Scott. of
South Carolina, and q letter from Go
vernon Bullock, OF Georgia; the former
positively asserting, in regard to the
State election, that although there were
individual instances of tumult and dis
order, there was no organized combina-
ton to resist the laws, of character suf-
ticiently formidable to justify him in
CiltluB ouG tIlc mlilLln OF reSOrtllg to
extraordinary measures. The represent
alton OF the so-cnllcd Governor of Geor-
ga was that the election there had been
conducted rs fairly as could he expected
under the circumstances. These confess
sions us to the public tranquility weIe
direct denials of the representations now
made, to further the Interests Of a poll
tical party. Tue idea seemed to be, ac-
cording to the tenor of the arguments of
tho Senators from South Carolina and
Alabama, mr. Sawyer and Mr. Warncr,)
that adherence to the Radical party was
to be the only test of American liberty.
After referring to the defeat of Mr.. War
ner for re- election, as possibly embitter-
ing that Senator, and suggesting that
the legal remedy for fraudulent defeat
was the better one, Mr.. BayArd went on
to argue, that by Il systematic sitting of
the popular will, the source of Republi-
can strength had of late years been the
South, and the Radical leaders, now re-
alizing that they could no longer retain
power, these were about to resort to the
most unscrnpulous means. 70 continue
their ascendancy in Congress and the
General Government, they were about to