Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-05-03
CONGRESS MEANS BUSINESS"

The extreme element i'm the South are
very slow to understand the spirit and
character of the people that carried this
Government safely through the anXieties
perils and suf1Grings of aprotracted civil
war. They gave their own sons to die for
it, because of their deep and sincere con-
victiOn that it was good government
too good to he given over to treason and
slavery. Having through seasons of de
Spair and hope, of defeat and victory chung
faithfully to it, given of their blood and
treasure unsparingly and willingly, they
do not now propose to give it over to law
IeSSncSs and crime. AS one of the results
Of their struggle, indeed, as one of the
means to secure those results they gave to
The colOred people Of the South the right
of suffrage, and the power to protect that
privilege by the additional rights of hold
ing Office and sitting on iuries. These
privileges We're extended to them in good
iaith from convictions OF duty, and it is
Just rs firmly the purpose of the loYal pcO-
pie of this land to protect them in those
rights rs it was their original purpose to
save the Government. This our friends
i'm the South ought by this time to
understand They watched patiently
through the war and for five years since
to see this people falt in these purposes,
bnt as yet they have stood firm and un-
yielding. They ought therefore to accept
the results and go about setting their
house in order for the hOusekccper. Until
they do this their case is hopeless. They
may cry aloud against KukluX bills, but
30 long as they allow luwlcss armed men
to terrify citizens, whose rights and per-
sons the Government is sworn TO protect,
Just 50 long will they find such laws en-
acted and their execution rigidly enforced.
We commend to them, in this connec-
ton, the closing words in the debate on
the kukluX bill uttered by that firm old
patriot and able lawyer Hon. Aaron f.
Perry, of Ohio, which We're rs follows:
takcit Mr. Speaker, that we Mt least on
this sido Of the House are not TO act upon the
theory that we are about to commit a trick BY
suspending the writ of kdbeas corpus during the
next year. desire very mueh-I haye no de-
sire nearer my heart than this--to meet gentle
men upon the other side of this House in meas
ures which shall contribute 70 the happiness
and tranquility OF Southern society. ] am
willing and ready toIyote'for extending amnes-
."sl ~------z-~ %-----.-s
THRoUGH the efforts Of. President Grant
the purchasing and disbursing of supplies
for the Indians has been placed i'm the con-
troll of a board of citizens eminent IN COM
mercial circles for their integrity and ca
pacity. The result is that this important
branch of the service is now honestly SUI
perintended. We notice in some of our ex-
changes an advertisement for two mill
lions dollars worth of supplies, bids for
which are to be opened in New York in
the presence Of the committee Some of
the best houses in the country are now Of
fering bids, and the result is the Gov
eminent will save millions, and the In
dams get good supplies For nearly forty
years these contracts have been so cor
H
would not touch them. The chang. Is
striking Illustration of tie integrity and .
economy Of the Administration.