The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-04-05
SPEECH, OF F. P. BLAIR, fJr.

- HSf7io VI ehC fItSN" Va
Francis p. Blair, Jr., delivered in the
United States Senate on Monday last.
pending action on Sherman's rcsolu-
ton to perpetuate reconstruction:
Blair argued that the measure was
an assumption of power by Congress
to punish a violation of a State law.
This dangerous power, which is now
to be assumed by Congress, may and
doubtless will be exercised at some
future day by some other party upon
a wealthy community in the North.
The design now of this legislation was
to carry out the designs of that re
morseless set of Scoundrels, the ear
pet-baggerS and their aiders and abet-
tors, and to continue General Grant
p~erpetually n power. He denounced
thesystem ofgovernment under which
the South was now ruled as disgrace
fol to the age, and the carpet-baggers
as worthless adventurerS. He said it
was the interest of the people of the
South to repress disorders, but it was
the interest of the carpet-baggers to
manufacture them, because it is what
they fatten upon. He declared the
real reason FOL h proposed legislation
was found in the discouraging pros
poets of the radical party. He charac-
teriZed the reports of OutrageS in North
Carolina, as detailed before the Com
mittee of the Senate as the u~tteranceS
of men who would not be believed by
any. Out of Governor Holders own
mouth We're these falshoodS exposed.
as in his message TO the Legislature,
Holden expressly said no disorders
existed in North Carolina. Abiding
to the Reconstruction Acts Blair said
that whenever the Supreme Court had
any opportunity to pass upon any
question connected with them. it had
invariably pronounced them unc0n-
stitutional, and Congress. knowing
they We're so. passed an Act to pre-
vent the Suprcme Court from passing
directly upon its reconstruction meas
ures. He said the Democratic party,
while it believed these Acts to be I'M
constitutional, did not intend to over
throw them by force. The only
measures to which the Democratic
party would resort We're constitutional
measures.
Scott. inteTruptin@, quoted from the
Broadhead letter OF Blair. that the
President elect should disperse the
carpet-baG government by force.
Blair said he was not the Democratic
party. and the Democratic party was
not Blair. and he repeated that the
Democratic party had never threatened
to use violent means to overthrow the
unconstitutiona! acts OF Congress. He
blair had believed. and did believe.
that the President. having taken an
oath to support the Constitution.
should stand to the oath. whether
against Congress n individuals; for
he believed thai Congress. in violating
the Constitution, wa nc more than a
mob. He had said that the army
should be made to undo the work Of
usurpation. and he said 50 now: but
no force would be necessary. for il the
army was Withdrawn the infamous
Carpet-bag Governments would fall
off themselves. He charged that the
Republicans in North Carolina had.
through the press. repeatedly. ever
since 1865, in an address advised the
negroes to burn the barns of people
who discharged them on account of
their politics.
He reviewed at length the condition
of affairs in North and South Carolina,
alleging that corruption. fraud and
villainy reigned supreme. lie quoted
from Republican papers III South
Carolina articles severely commenting
on the v~enalty of the Legislature. and
also quoted the remarks of GOV. Scott
that one of the greatest curses at1iict-
ing South Carolina wa a horde of I'M
scrupuiousadventurer from the North
coming there for plunder.
Sherman admitted that the Legisla-
ture of South Carolina had behaved
.shaHefully, but unless the Senator
proposed some remedy he had no right
to bring the matter in here.
Blair said he had the right to arraign
this body for destroying local self
government and continued. reviewing
the condition OF other Southern States.
the debts of which he declared had
been enormously increased under Re
publican rule. Referring to tho Yer
ger case, which had been brought into
the discussion by sherman. Blair read
from a statement Of one of the counsel
to prove that the cast had been kept
out OF the Supreme Court for fear the
Reconstruction Acts under which G =
ger had been committed would be de
unconstitutional.
Without concluding his speech Blair
way for an executive session,
after which the Senate adjourned.
WARNING.-Tt wouldn't be we'll for
Uncle Cross, F'arnham, Tom irwin
and Squire Jackson, of Gold Hill, to
visit Salt Lake City, just Yet awhile,
under assumed names The
Daily Herald of that city rcpublishes
our little joke about the repatriation
of these gentlemen, introducing it
thus: 1.-THE following from the Carson