Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-12-05

I
| inter communication. Education, the ground
work of republican institutions, is encouraged
| by increasing the facilities TO gather speedy
news from all parts of the country. The de-
sire TO reap the benefits of suchimprovcm nts
will stimulate education.
refer you to the report of the Postmaster
General for full details of the operations ~
last year and for 4 comparative settlement az
results with former years.
ENFORCEMENT or THE Kr-KLrN Acr
Taere has been imposed upon the executive
branches of the government the execution 81
the act of Congress. approved Aprh -Vih'
/ 1871, aud commonly known as the hu- AUX
! law in portion OF the State OF South caro-
! lima. The necessity OF the course pursued
will be demonstrated by the report of the
committee to investigate Southern outrageS.
Under the provision OF the above act, issued
4 proclamation calling the attention of the
penple of the United States to the same, aai
! declaring my reluctance to exercise any O:
the extraordinary powers thereby conf FRED
upon me. except in ease Of imperative neCCs-
.ity bur making known my purpose to eXer-
else such powers whenever it should become
necessary to do so, for the purpose Of Scchr-
ing to all citizens OF the United States tire
peaceful enjoyment of the rights guaranteed
to them by the Constitution and the lawa.
received from time to time that combinations
of the character referred to m this law. eX-
listed and were powerful in many parts OF the
Southern States, particularly in certain coun
ties of the State of South Carolina. 4 care
ful investigation was made, ard it was ascer-
famed that in nine counties of that State such
combinations were active and powerful em-
bracing a sufficient portion OF the citizens -
control the local authorities the object being,
among other things, to deprive the emagei-
pa'ed class Of the substantial benefits of free
dom, and preventing the tree political action
Of those citizens who did not sympathise with
their own views. Among their operations
were frequent scourgings and an occasional
assassination, generally perpetrated at night
by disguised persons, the victims in almost
all cases being citizens of different political
sentiments from their own, freed persons who
had shown disposition to claim equal rights
with other citizens. Thousand OF inotiensivc
and well disposed citizens were the sufferers
by this lawless violence. Therefore, on the
18th of October, 1871. proclamation was
issued in the terms of the law, calling upon
the members of those combinations To dis
perse within tive days, and to deliver to the
| Marshal or military officers of the United
| States all arms, ammunition, uniforms, dis
guSes, and other means and implements used
! lay them for carrying out their
unlawful purposes. This warning not
! having been needed on the l1th of October
another proclamation was issued, suspendng
the writ of heabeas corpus in nine counties
! in the State. Direction was given that with
! in the counties so designated, persons sup
posed, upon respectable information, to be
members Of such unlawful combinations,
should be arrested by the military forces of
| the United States and delivered to the Mar
shall, to be dealt with according to law. In
two of the said counties, York and Spartaas-
burg, many arrests have been made.
At the last accounts the number OF person.
thus arrested was IGS. Several hundred,
whose criminality was a>certained to be of an
! inferior degree, were released for the present.
/ These have generally made confessions of
their guilt. Caution has been exc Icised in
making these arrests, and notwithstanding the
| large number, il is believed that no innocent
| person Is now in custody. The prisoners will
be held for regular trial in the judicial tribu
mails of the United States. As it appeared
1 that the authorities of the United States were
about to take vigorous measures to enforce
the law, many persons absconded and there
/ is good ground for supposing that all OF such
persons have violated the law. 4 full r.
port of what has been done under this law
will be submitted to Congress by the Attorney
General.
PoLYGAMY.
In Utah, there still remains rem-
nant of barbarism repugnant to civilian
tion and decency, and to the laws OF the
United States territory. Officers however
have been found who are willing 10 perform
their duty in spirit of equity aud With due
sense of sustaining the majesty Of the law.
Neither polygAmy nor any other violation OF
existing statutes will be permitted in the ter
rtory of the United States. Ii is not with
the religion OF the seif-styled Saints that we
are now dealing, but with their practices.
| They will be protected in the worship of God
according to the dictates OF their conscience,
but they viii not be permitted 10 viollte the
laws under the cloak of religion. Ii may be
advisable for Congress to consider what in the
| execution Of the law against polygamy is to be
the status Of plural wives and their offspring.
The propriety OF Congress passing an ena-
bling act authorizing the Territorial legi,la-
lure of Utah to legitmatize all children Born
prior to a time fixed in the act, might be jas
tilted by is humanity to these innocent chill
dfen. This is suggestion only, and not
recommendation.
INDIAN PoLcY, PuBLIc LANDS, &c.
The policy pursued towards tle
Indians has resulted tayorably, rs
FIR as | can Judge from the limited time dur
ing which it has been in operation. Through
the eXertious OF the varions societies of chris
tians to whom has been entrusted the execution
oI the policy, and The board of commits sioners
authorized by the law OF April 10Th, l669,
many tribes Of Indians have been induced to
settle upon reservations, to cultivate the
Soll, to perform productive labor OF various
| kinds, and to partially accept civilization.
Tbey are being kindly cared for in such a
way that it is hoped TO induce those still pur-
suing their old habits Of lite to embrace the
only opportunity which is left them TO avoid
determination. | recommend liberal appro
priati4nS 10 carry Out the Indian peace poll
cy, not only because it Is humane, christian
like, and economical, but because il is right
recommend to your favorable consideration
also the policy Of grantng territorial gov
ernment TO the Indians in the Indian territory
west Of Arkansas and Missouri and south Of
Kansas. In doing so every right guaranteed
10 the Indians by treaty, should be secured.
SGeh a course aight in time be the means Of
collecting most OF the Indians between the
fi,i4 Nfssnupi aud ths, pacif, e.,ntl