Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-01-18
MISSOURI.
Brave Words from Frank Blair.

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 17.-Friday last res
olution was introduced in the Lower
House of the Legislature endorsing the
18th 14th and 18th amendments and the
reconstruction policy of the government
and favoring the payment of State and
national Indebtedness according to the
contracts upon the which Indebtedness is
based. The resolution was debated dur
ing the morning hour Friday and Satur-
day and continued yesterday. 1t has
been stated the resolution was introduced
by Maj. Pope, of St Louis, to force Gen.
Blair to sustain the position taken in his
famous letter to Col. Broadhead in 1868,
or recede from it. Yesterday Gen. Blair
spoke to the question stating he was in
favor of the 18th amendment and be-
lieYed the South generally assented, but
the reconstruction acts he declared un-
constitutional and referred to the decision
of the Supreme Court in the case of Cum
mings against the State of Missouri; aIso
to the case of Milligan land Bowles, tried
by military commission in Indiana during
the war. Referring to his letter to Col.
Broadhesd housed the following language:
Now Sir-My letter which has been re-
ferred to contends that the military should
be made to undo their usu-pations at the
South. say SO still and you have only
to withdraw them from the South and
their work will be undone. Applause
That carrion crow of carpet-baggers who
are gorged upon the plumber and drunk
with the blood of the vanquished people
of the South will dispense themselves in
an instant if not sustained by the bsyonets
of the Federal Government. There is no
item in that letter / take back. stand
by it. believe in the construction Civ
en- to the Constitution of the United
States by the Supreme Court that this
reconstruction was unconstitutional. My
hope in going to Congress, If l should at
tain that high position, is that l may aid
IN Withdrawing the troops from those
Southern States which are held there to
saddle upon the backs of that people 3
parcel of carpet-bsggers and scalawsgs,
followed by an ignorant mass of negroes.
IF the people of the South who have
shown disposition to abide in good faith
by the arbitrament of arms renew their
allegiance to the Government they should
be allowed to resume self government
among themselves as we have done in
Missouri. And whilst l may not expect
to carry with me the gentleman from st.
Louis, l believe that we can surely and
certainly count upon the cooperation of
the large body of liberal men who assisted
US in relieving ourselves from similar
tyranny in the State of Missouri.
The speech concludes with a rather
savage assault upon John B. Henderson,
a portion of whose career during the
early part of the war is not very delicate
ly handled. He forgives all past mis-
deeds of the gentleman, however, for the
position he took in the impeachment trial
of Andrew johnson.
The VOte-BIair 80; Henderson 60.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 17.-Both Houses of
theLegislature voted separately for United
| States Senator this afternoon:
Senate-Blair Is, Henderson II; sb-
sent 2.
House-Blair 81, Henderson 4S. Total,
Blair 90, r. Henderson so.
Tomorrow vote will be taken in
joint session, when it is expected Blair
will receive three more votes, absentees.