Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-12-08

The suggestions of the report as
to the necessity for increasing and
improving the material Of the navy,
and the plan recommended for re-
ducing the personnel of the service
to peace standard by gradual
abolition of certain grades of Off
GERS, the reduction Of others, and
the employment Of some in the SER
vice of the commercial marine, are
well considered, and deserve the
thoughtful attention of Congress-
I also recommend that all promo
tons in the navy, above the rank of
Captain, be by selection instead Of
by seniority. This course will Sc
cure to the higher grades greater
efficiency and hold out an incentive
to young officers to improve them
selves in the knowledge of their
profession.
The present cost of maintaining
the navy, its cost compared with
that of the preceding, and the esti-
mates forthe ensuing year, are con-
tanned in the accompanying report
of the Secretary of the Navy.
| POSTAL AFFAIRS.
The enlarged receipts of the Post
Office Department, as shown by the
accompanying report of the Post
master General, exhibits crafty
ing increase in that branch of the
public service. It is the index of
the growth of education; of the
prosperity of the pcople-two ele-
ments highly conductive to the Wig
or and stability of republics. With
a vast territory like ours, much Of
it sparsely settled, but all requiring
the services Of the mail, it is not at
present to be expected that this de-
partment can be made self-sustain-
ing, but gradual approach to this
end from year to year is confidently
relied upon, and the day is not fal
distant when the Post Office De.
partment Of the Government will
prove much greater blessing to
the whole people than it is now
The suggestions Of the Postmaster
General for improvements in the
department presided over by him
are earnestly recommended to youl
special attention, especially those
documents favorable to the consid
Grafton of the plan for uniting the
telegraph system of the United
States with the postal system. 1t is
believed that by such a course the
cost of telegraphing could be much
reduced, and the service as well, i
not better, rendered.
1t would secure the further advan
tage Of extending the telegraph
through portions of the country
where private enterprise will moi
construct it. Commerce, trade, and
above all, the efforts to bring PEG
pie widely separate into commu
nifty of interests are always benefit
ted by rapid REORGANIZATION
Education, the groundwork of Re
publican institutions, is encouraged
by the increasing facilities to gath
er speedy news from all parts Of the
country. The desire to reap the
benefit Of such improvements viii
stimulate education. refer you te
the Postmaster General for full de
tails of the operations Of last yeal
and for the comparative statements
Of the results with former years.
ENFORCEMENT OF THE KU-KLUx ACT
There has been imposed upon the
Executive branch of the Govern
ment the execution of the act o
Congress approved April goth, 1871
and commonly known as the Ku
Klux law, in portion Of the State
of South Carolina. The necessit,
of the course pursued will be dem
onstrated by the report Of the Com
mittee to investigate Southern out
RACES. Under the provisions of thu
above act, issued a proclamation
calling the attention of the people
of the United States to the same
and declaring my reluctance to ex
ercise any Of the extraordinary
powers thereby conferred upon me
except in case of imperative neces
sity, but making known my purpose
to exercise such power whenever il
should become necessary to do sc
for the purpose of securing to al
citizens of the United States the
peaceful enjoyment of the rights
guaranteed to them by the Consti
tuition and the laws. After the pas
sage of this law, information was
received from time to time tina,
combinations Of the character re
ferred to in this law existed ano
were powerful in many parts of the
southern States, particularly in Ger
tain counties in the State of South
Carolina. Careful investigation
was made, and it was ascertained
that in nine counties of that State
such combinations were powerful
and active, embracing sufficient
portion of the citizens to control
the local authority, and having
among other things the object of de.
priving the emancipated class
of the substantial benefits of free
dom, and the privileges Of free po-
litical action of those citizens who
did not sympathize with their own
views. Among their operations
were frequent scourgings and occa-
sional assassinations = generally
perpetrated in the night by DISCUS
ed persons. The victims, in almost
all cases, were persons of different
political sentiments from their own,
or free persons who had shown a
disposition to claim equal rights
with other citizens. Thousands
of inoffensive and we'll disposed
citizens were the sufferers by this
lawless violence. Thereupon, on the
18th Of October, 1871, proclama-
ton was issued in terms of the law,
calling upon the members of the or
ganization to dispense within five
days, and to deliver to the Marshal
or military officers of the United
States, all arms, ammunition, uni
forms, DISCUSSES and other means
and implements used by them for
CARVING ont their unlawful nurnoses.