The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-05-10


sir, what haye we to-day? A propo.
sition not only to turn over the South
ern States to military domination, but
is proposed to authorize the President,
at his own discretion, to establish mil
itary rule over New York, Massachu-
sets, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois or
any other State or States, as he may
desire. And l would say to Repub-
lican gentlemen on this foor-for
am satisfied that a maj jority of them
are against this BILL bid them re-
member, when they record their votes
in its favor, that they not only author
ize the President of the United States
to establish military rule and military
courts in Virginia, but in Ohio not
only in Mississippi. but in New York;
not only in Louisiana, but in Maine,
and in every other State of this Union.
Sir, in free government the ap
proaches of despotism are always
stealthy. The usurper does not at
first proclaim his purposes. He in
cases his iron hand in a silken glove
He advances step by step until too
confiding people, with their rights, lie
PROSTATE at his feet. We have an in
structive lesson in the condition of
France at the present time 1t was
but. a few years ago when Louis Napo-
leon appeared in the French Assembly
as representative of republican prin-
ciples bordering upon license. He
was republican deputy. Time pass
ed, and, pretending to advocate the
cause of the people, he became can
didate for prince president. He was
elected. Time passed on, and after
being republican deputy and prince
president, backed by half million
bayonets, he became n candidate for
Emperor, universal suffrage having
been first proclaimed; and by the
bayonet he was elected to the throne.
He then proclaimed a sentiment in
tended TO deceive the people of Europe
and of the world. What was it p
"L'empire c'est La pair" And it is
ominous, sir, that our President adopt
ed the Napoleonic motto in four other
words, "Let us have peace;' and
while utterring it he ordered armed
columns and gun-boats against the
city of New York and Philadelphia, 10
teach free people how to vote!
Now, sir, before proceeding TO dis
cuss the bill under consideration, de-
sire to consider the action of the House
prior to the date of the President S
late message Before the opening of
the present Congress it was rumored
that the President would send mes
sage to Congress recommending legis-
latinn in reference to what are charged
as Ku-Klux outrages, At the very
moment when that this House was
being organizieda whisper ran through
the House, from seat to seat, ''we are
to have message from the Presi-
dent" Why? General Butler, his
confidential adviser, is closeted with
the president, and under his dictation,
the message will come" Sir, the
message at that time did not come
The sentiment of the House was
against any legislative action on the
subject without information. The
sentiment of the Majority of the Re
publican members on the floor was
against any such action, as was prov
ed by their votes. A resolution was
adopted to appoint committee of in
vestigation, a committee of thirteen.
When it was announced, the member
from Massachusetts,, (Mr. But,er.) ap-
pointed chairman of the committee,
rose in his place and refused to serve,
and six out of eight Of the Republican
members of the committee asked to be
and were excused
| propose TO recur for single mo-
mont to the calumny, to the reason
given by the member from Massachu.
setts why he was not willing to serve
upon that committee. He gave with
other reasons the following:
II shall not serve On that committee, be-
ing convinced, as 1 am, that no good, but
harm only, can come Of it to tie RepubE-
can party"
Why should harm come through
investigation to the Republican party
Because he knew, and knows now, as
the country knows, that these calum-
nies against the whole people of the
South, are manufactured falseLoods,
and that investigation would prove
them to be so.
Well, sir after the passage of the
House resolution, and the refusal of
six of the eight Republican members
to serve on the committee of investi-
CATION, a resolution came from the
Senate for the appointment of a joint
committee, which also passed the
House, thus again showing that this
body was against legislation on this
subject without investigation. Then,
to the surprise of every one, there came
message from the President; and it
was whispered about that Mr., Butler
and Mr.. Morton had been in council
with him, and, contrary to the wishes
of majority of the Republicans in
Congress, the message vas the result.
It was great triumph for the gentle
man from Massachusetts,, (AIr. But.
ler,) triumph which demonstrated
that if he is not leader here, he is mas
ter somewhere else.
Now, sir, the message, which is the
basis { 1 the bill now before the House,
charges, first, that life and property
are insecure in some of the States, not
one fact being given to sustain the
charge. The second allegation in the
message is that carrying the mails in
the South is dangerous; no fact stated
to sustain the charge. But it is now,
known to the country q that in one sin
gle instance, in Kentucky, nowhere
else, toward the latter part of the
month of January, as stated by Sena-
tor Stevenson, four persons. supposed
to have been soldiers of the Union ar
my, feeling outraged at the appoint
ment of negro to the position Of route
agent, for which they had applied and