Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-06-15
flag and would do everything he could to dis

ator Spencer and Warner, by which the latter
was defeated and democrat elected to the
Senate last fall, the republican party in Ala
bama is very much weakened, and the State
almost hopelessly lost. Neither side will adj
nit any good or any strength in the opposite
wing. Senator Spencer intrigued against the
republican nominee for Governor, and against
Warner and both were defeated. General
Spencer is man of very fair ability, and
possesses fine war record. He being the
only republican Senator, the Administration
is obliged to listen to him and recognize to
some extent his claims but General War
ner, being a man of more ability and charac-
ter, has full as much influence, although de-
feated man, as Spencer. The Administration
is pursuing wise policy in connection with
important appointments in these Southern
States where the party is broken up by per-
sonal feuds. Lately the Collector of Customs
at Mobile was invited to resign as it was de-
sired to have more efficient officer and ADLER
politician in that position. Senator Spencer
was the prime mover in the matter, and of
course named the man to succeed Judge
Miller, the present incumbent. On the other
side Senator Warmers friends flocked straight
way to Washington and beseiged the White
House and Treasury Department to have him
appointed alleging that it was the only saliva
ton for the party, and that Col. Pearson, the
man nominated by Spencer, did not amount to
a row of pins so far as his political influence
in Alabama was concerned. Among Warmers
friends who came here was Major w. B. Nor
ris, an Elk. M. c. from Alabama, and former
partially on account of his health which has
been very poor for some time.
But to return to my subject The Presi-
dent and Secretary Boutwell, finding that both
wings were set upon having their own man
appointed, concluded very wisely not to APP
point either, and thus avoid widening the
breach, but to allow Judge Miller, who is a
very worthy and honest Southern Unionist, to
retain his position until the two branches of
the party could unite upon some suitable per-
son. This is to be the general policy of the
President in the different States.
To give an idea of the feeling in the inter
ior of Alabama, as well as other Southern
es,-Judge Miller, who is a South Care
linan by birth, Gas is also his wife, and has
been resident of Alabama about 80 years,
and who is a man of great integrity of char
acter, simply because he is a republican and
Union man, dare not visit his plantation near
Eutaw, Green County, although he is the
largest payer in the county, and has filled
the office of probate Judge there with credit
to himself. Last October republican meet
ing was held in Eutaw, at which Ex-senator
Warner, Ex-Governor Parsons, Congressman
Hays, Collector Miller and other white re-
dience, which was almost entirely composed
of peaceable and well disposed negroes. On
the outskirts lowered band of white men, who
were evidently bent on mischief, but were
held in restraint by their leader, until just as
the meeting was about to close, when the ne
groes and the speakers were assailed with a
volley of revolver shots. Between thirty
and forty were struck, but fortunately all but
three or four negroes escaped without serious
damage. The meeting of course broke up in
a hurry, the colored men stampeding as fast
as their legs would take them, Nine of these
Ku-Klux, including their leader, were indict
ed by the grand jury, and would have been
tried while we were in Mobile but for the alb
sence of material witnesses who could not be
brought up to the scratch, and among them a
congressman Captain Brown, who was one of
the principal witnesses in this affair, and who
was on hand for the trial, was burned out
after erecting fine buildings of brick at great
expense and warned never to set his foot into
that country again; but with Spencer rifle
upon his shoulder he marched in, and re-
manned there, taking the rifle about with him
everywhere he went, as did our forefathers
upon the Indian frontiers. Unfortunately
most our of regular army are democratic, and
| although they may obey orders yet they man.
age to neutralize much of the benefit of their
presence by Openly in many cases. sympa-
thizing with the very men they are compelled
to arrest, saying, "Good enough for the
damned niger, served him right" ETC. |
was told by the District Attorney in Mobile,
that there was only one republican among the
L. S. Army officers in the State. 1t seems
as though it would be a comparatively easy
matter to enforce law and order in the South,
but there are innumerable obstacles in the
way the principal of which, together with
that | have just named, is the vast extent
of territory to be covered, and the
great diff Guilty of convicting accused persons,
for two reasons, first the unwillingness of
witnesses to testify, and second, the unwil-
| lingness of juries to give verdict of guilty.
But the passage by Congress of the Force
or Ku-Klux BILL" and its enforcement by the
President, (and he is determined that it shall
be enforced,) will no doubt put stop to most
of these outrages, many of which, l have no
doubt are the natural results of the present
state of society in the South, and engaged in
by the Young men from the confederate army