The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-20
Interesting Debate in the U. $ senate. )
SOUTHERN otTsAcrs AND AMNESTY.

|
took place in the Senate on the condition
of the South:
Mr.. Morton asked leave to introduce a
resolution, which was read for information,
providing Tor the appointment of select
committee of five Senators, TO which shall
be referred the documents and papers re-
Gently laid before the Senate by the Presi-
| dent in reference to the condition of the
| Southern States and that such committee
have power to employ secretary and
stenographer, to send for persons aud pa
pers, administer oaths, and investigate
matters referred 10 in the documents and
papers aforesaid and the truth or falsity
of the crimes and outrages of political
character alleged to have been committed
in Southern States.
Mr.. Bayard objected
Mr.. Morton, in order to accomplish the
purpose of his resolution by avoiding the
objection, then moved to take from the
table the papers accompanying the Presi-
dents message referred to, with view to
their reference to select committee.
The motion was agreed to, when Mr..
Morton moved to refer them to special
committee on the subject.
Mr.. Casserly moved, as an amendment,
to refer the papers to the Judiciary Com
mittee.
Mr.. Wilson said the Senate had before
it from official sources such a record of
crime as no Christian or civilized land dur
ing the last five years could present.
What Congress now wanted to do was TO
put down the Ku-klux organizations of
the South, which had all the semblance of
the old legalized Southern code system.
Mr.. Warner hoped special committee
would be appointed by whom some remedy
would be devised for the insecurity of life
| and property and the wholesale denial of
the exercise Of the rights of citizenship.
Mr.. Casserly said Mr.. Warner was in
consistent with his former position, when
| at the last session he advocated the humane
and friendly treatment of the Southern
people. He spoke at considerable length,
| and ended by asking what, in the name
of heaven, had occurred to compel ex-
traordinary action.
Mr.. Warner defended himself from the
| charge of inconsistency, land spoke at
length relative to the Nervousness of South
| ern outrages, aud the necessity of doing
something to protect the lives of Union
men.
Mr.. Morrill,, Of Vermont, did not believe
the Republican party desired to make any
capital by such means, but desired to see
all such outrages suppressed. They would
be suppressed if Democratic Senators
would ignore them and depore such
state of things. Their frequency was due
to Democratic sympathy. When denoun-
ced equally by all parties they would end.
MIR. Wilson said his policy was one of
generosity, as indicated by the bill he had
introduced, granting amnesty to all except
those who were Cabinet officers and Cons
gressmen in 1860 and 1861. He would
vote to relieve the disabilities of many of
these if they asked for it. He would vote
to-day to relieve Breckenridge, because,
since the close of the war, he had, SO far as
the speaker knew, acted like heightened
and honorable gentlemen.
Ridiculing what had been said about
the failing fortunes of a perishing party,
he remarked he had not the shadow of
doubt about the result Of the Presidential
election of 1872; that the official records
heretofore mad indicated Republican legis,
lation, and that Mr.. Casserly had gone too
far in imputing partizanship to the major
ity of the Senate. He advocated the pro-
posed investigation, as looking to means
of encouraging the men all over the coun-
try who were ia favor of law and order,
Mr.. Sawyer spoke at some length in re-
lation to the condition of the South.
Mr.. Bayard followed with general at
tack on the Republican party and a de-
nunciation of the policy of reconstruction.
Mr.. Thurman spoke in the same strain.
Mr.. Nye forwarded to the Secretary, and
had read portions of the message of Gov
ernor Holden, of North Carolina, showing
the existence of lawless and murderous
organizations under the name of Ku-Klux
bands, and accounts of violence inflicted
by them upon colored citizens of North
Carolina. He charged the Democratic
Senators with preventing, if possible, any
investigation into these outrages, and
argued that this violence was very like
former Democratic operations in Kansas.
Mr. Chandler spoke at length in reply
to Mr.. Cassery, and defended the Repub-
lican party.
He was followed by Mr.. Wiley on the
same side of the question.
Without reaching vote, the Senate, at
five O'Clock, adjourned.
Peter Richngs, the veteran actor, is
dead, aged 70.
An insane woman, at Rochester, New |
York, shot her brother and produce |
dealer dead yesterday
Henry B ,rden, famous as an inventor |
and iron manufacturer, at Troy. n Y,
aged 80, dropped dead yesterday.
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