The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-12-02

possession Of one branch of the Legisla.
ture. Many Of the State officers are rad.
calls, and the whole Judiciary Of the State
are the same. Many counties are CONTROL.
ed by radical officials, especially those
counties where most disturbances occurred.
X. What was said about the proclama.
ton ofmartial law?
Gen. B. The people are apprehensiye
that If it becomes necessary to carry the
elections, martial law will be declared Ly
the President. In Alabama and Mississip.
pi they seemed to feel that this whole thing
is mere trick of party to obtain lis
ascendeney, and that il would be resorted
to II necessary 10 continue power in its
hands. The people were all convinced
that the only way to put stop to these
matters to restore peace and harmony in
the South is to accept the policy which has
been proclaimed by the Republican news
paper, known AS the Missouri Policy, aud
to vote for some liberal republican to defeat
Grant; tG have general amnesty and to
repeal all these prosecuting Ku-Klux laws.
believe that sentiment is about universal,
and it is the only thing that buoys up the
people of the South with anything like hope
in the future. 1t has been generally accep.
ted by the democrats throughout the South.
II. You were invited to make several
speeches in the South?
General. B. made speech in Mont.
gomery and in Meridian, Mississippi, and |
was asked to make a speech almost every
day, but did not have time. | was the
only democratic member of the committee
there, and was prevented by that from
going to Mobile and Vicksburg, where |
was invited. The committee generally sat
ten hours every day, sometimes at night.
There were three republicans, and as had
no democratic colleague with me, could
not absent myself day. But wherever
spoke in public, or wherever conyersed
with the leading men Of the State, found
that they all accepted the policy known as
the Missouri Policy as the only hope, and
l believe that it Grant should be re elected.
it would cone very near depopulating the
Southern States Of the white people. 1be.
lievc that everybody would leave who had
the means of getting away. The danger,
the apprehension under which they suffer,
the actual inability to repress the crimes of
the character | have spoken Of is such that
the people feel that they cannot in safety
remain there among that vast negro popn.
lation, which is prompted and urged all the
time by the most unprincipled men ON the
face of Gods earth to cxcesses of every
KIND and description. They consider that
the Missouri Policy is the only one to save
them from rIin-exiradtion from their
homes. The believe that it would produce
condition of affairs in the South which
would enable them to control labor better,
and in all probability i, would renew the
prosperity of the South, and conducs To
the happiness OF both races because these
disturbances were created in great part by
designing men down there, growing out Of |
the nnimosities engendered by them, and
they destroy the happiness of both the white
people and the negroes. They crnnot get
race can get along without
harmony and good understanding. The |
whole South is in a most unhappy condition. |
X. Did fairness characterize the action |
OF the cou mittee?
General y. No. If there was brayl |
on the street they would enleayor to prove |
1t to be disorder, and give the Impression
OF law lessness, and they would very fire..
quently reserve witnesses For instance.
IN Mississippi they had before them the |
United States district attorney. He came
to Columbus and was there the whole time
that the committee sat there. They never
put him on the stand until the very last day.
when they had determined to adjourn on
Friday night. Friday they put this gentle.
man on the stand, and he had forty pages
OF foolscap which he hadiled up with all the
stories he had been able to gather together
under his administration of the Ku. Klux
laws, and he read them to the committee,
and they were all reported when it was too
late for me to call any witnesses from the
localities to explain or refute them. And
they observed that sort of conduct in ali
their sessions in the different places. They
ma e point to gvethe minority no opportu
nifty to refute the stories gotten up IN t,is
way. The only real u.Klux that we had
before US was mau who admitted that he
Joined the ku Klux in Sumter county. Ala.
baina. lie admitted he had taken the oath
and Joined the Ku klux. They asked him
the question. ''0f course you are a Demo.
crat y but he threw himself back upon his
dignity and said "Noin that before the war
he was an old line Henry Clay whig. Since
the war he had not belonged to any party.
But. said these iuquisitors, ",yon did
not belong to any party, but you voted far
the Democrats? NO" said he, with an
oath, II have voted but once since the war
and tho time voted it was for old Souire
Meredith, who is a good radical" That
was the only vote he had given, and that
was the only real Ku- Klux we found.
Il. What was the feeling about the
proclamation of martial law in South Car
olina?
Gen. u. They apprehend that the same
Will be proclaimed in those other States for
political purposes to control the electoral
vote oil the States. They have no other
idea, believing that the motive which ami.
mates them, because there is really no
ground for martial law. The State govern.
ments could reach every crime commit ted,
and with a much greater certainty than the
United States courts.
X. Was there much debate in the com.
nittee?
. ten. Is. Argument made no sort of diff
terence with them. They persisted in fol.
lowing out the course which have spoken
of. 1 had a great many witnesses, as
natter OF course, aud they were generally
men oil high character aud standing in
me country. The witnesses called by the
majority OF the committee were negroes
ow fellows; no one, with few exceptions.
u any character was called by them. Those
'aiied by the minority were generally, as |
'aid, OF character, were esteemed in their
states ana were known abroad drew nv
as to the real condition of the
country from the statements made by these
gentlemen, that all the excesses are due to
he plnndering, Legislative plunderine. of
he radicals in the State and county Govern.
nents. That the excessive taxation, the
BURDENS imposed upon them in every way
ire for the benefit of these adventures,
Il. Do the people expect any good to
'ome from the action of the committee?
Gen. b. They would have been very glad
the committee would report their actual
condition, but they did not seem to hone
or ii, as the policy of the radical party had
'een very different, and as this committee
lad in it two carpet-baggers (Rice of Ar.
Iansas and Buckley OF Alabama) whose
Whole interest is in holding their nnsitinn |