The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-04-20
m. Ku XIX Iccisla.ion i'm congress.

the House bill, the ostenslble purpose
OF which is to suppress the ku Klu.
in the Southern States, but really tC
place in the hands of the Presiden'
the power to control iiie elections il
the South, and .perpetuate the rule o
the Radical 1cspois. The bill under
went some amendments in the Senate
but only to add to its odius character
The following is synopsis of the bill
as il passed the House:
First sf:-Conspiraciee, or the combi
natien of two or more persons to de
prive any class of persons of equa
protection OF The laws, are defined 4
felonies punishable in United State
Courts by fine and Imprisonment
while the injured parties have re
course there for damages.
2. In case of obstruction TO tht
laws of State or of the United States
SO as to deprive any person of AMI
privilege, immunity, etc., and the
State authorities are unable or fail tC
afford protection, or to apply to the
President for protection, the Presi.
dent may use the National forces
thereby meaning, it is believed, the
militia as well as the army, to arrest
any offenders and hand them over to
the United States Courts. The act OF
1868 is revived, which requires the
military to hand list of imprisoned
persons to the United States Courts,
then, if the term adjourns and no in
dictment is found, all such are to be
discharged.
3. After the Proclamation the
President may suspend the writ OF
habeds corpas till the 1st of July, 1872,
whenever and wherever he finds un-
lawful combinations.
4. The iron-clad, or test oath, for
Jurors in the United States Courts is
abolished, but the Judge may exact
an oath from q juror that he has never
belonged to the Ku Klux.
The bill was amended in the Senate
by adding to the provision making it q
high crime to injure in person and
property any United States officer in
the performance of his duty, the words
cor while engaged therein The
time for which the President may sus-
pend the writ of habeas corpus was
limited to the end of the next regular
session of Congress. A section was
added on motion of Senator Sherman
providing for assessing damages to
persons and property, upon localities
in which outrages are committed.
Mr.. Blair moved to modify Mr.. Sher-
mon "a orraon1p,anf an ae fo ,,pnw;d a
that, in the assessment of damages up
on locality for outrages committed
there, property shall not be taken un-
less it is proved that the owner par
ticipated in the ontrages. But this
reasonable proposition was voted
down, and the innocent and guilty
are to be made to suffer alike. On
motion of Mr.. Morton the clause in
the House bill repeating the test oath
for United States juries was striken
out and the infamous test oath is con-
tinued. Some other alterations and
amendments were adopted, but all
amendments offered by Democrats
were voted down. The bill was final
ly passed by . vote of 45 ayes to II
nays; the Republicans all voting for
its passage except Hill, Robertson,
Schurz Upton and TrumbuIl, who
voted with the Democrats.
This legislation is not only an in
vasion of the constitutional rights of
the States, subversive of the funda-
mental principles upon which the gov
ernment is formed, as has ever here
tofore been recognized by every polit-
ieal party that has had an existence in
this country from its origin to the
present time, but shows in glaring
colors the gross hypocracy of the par
ty by which it is enacted. The Ma
tional Convention which nominated
Mr.. Lincoln in 1860, uttered the fol-
lowing plain language upon the sub
ject of thereserved rights ofthe States !:
That the maintenance inviolate of
the rights of the States, and especial
iy the right Of each State to order
and cOutg'ot ats o,CR domestic fnStitu-
tons ACCORDING TO ITS OWN JUDGMENT
Excl UsivELY, is essential to the bal
dnce Of poUers on fchich the perfsc-
ton and endurance Of Our political
fabric depend; and we denounce the
lawless invasion by armed force of
the soil of any State or Territory, no
matter aadef' schdt protect, AS THE
GRAvEST OF CRIMES.
This utterance of the Republican
platform is but a reiteration of the
doctrine which, has been heretofore
recognized in this country.
The Cincinnati Commercial, Repub-
lican, commenting on this legislation,
says:
We are of the opinion that the Re-
publican Congress have done them
selves no good in this proceeding, and
that the ultimate result will be mis-
The precedent. of Con-
gress legislating to police the States
is unsafe. We are aware there are
in the South. The disturb
ances are of a character that oppres-
sive legislation cannot cure. No
doubt there are assassinations. Arm
ed forces can not prevent them. The
cure that Horace Greely was wise
enough years ago to prescribe-uni-
versal amnesty-has not been tried.
The course of Congress looks to over
disaffected populations with
armies. That is not the bet
ter way. Then the majority in Con-
gress have listened to but one side of
the story of the condition efthe South.
The people of disturbed Statea have
suffered, and that previously, from
the adventures who have thrust
into conspicuous political
places, and have been riotous upon
Of those who were prostrated by the
National arms when attempting rev.
olution.
If it was worth while to send a ship
of war with n cargo of commissioners
and reporters to San Domingo to see
whether Baez or CabraI controlled
the Dominicans, and, above all, to
please the President, surely it would
have been well before venturino mn.