The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-03-17
Son. Butler and the Ku KIux R,u.


Gen. Butler hal lai: O. tie table u every |
member of the House Thursday morning |
letter giving his reasons for declining to serve
on the rowing committee to take testimony
during the recess concerning the Ku Klux
outrages in the South. The material portion
Of the letter is as follows:
Having been appointed against my wishes,
expressed both publicly and privately, by the
speaker as chairman of the committee to in
vestigate the state of affairs in the South, Or
dered to-day by the Democratic vote, against
the most earnest wish of more than two thirds
majority of the Republicans of the House, and
certainly against the almost UNANIMOUS wish
OF the Rppubrcans of the States whom it most
specially concerns, my self-respect and defer
ence to good opinion requires me to explain 10
the country why shall not serve on the COM
mittee, being convinced as am, that no GOOD
but harm only can come of it TO the Republic
can party.
on the Republicans by the nearly unanimous
vote of the Democratic party in the House,
aided by some twenty or thirty Republicans
only, against the decision of Q majority of that
party IN duly called caucus OF the members
of the House.
Second, because the committee was raised by
combination OF the high tariff Republicans
with the Democracy, the one class willing to
permit the slaughter and determination of
their political friends in the South if the tariff
| could be saved even for nine months bv an
early adjournment of Congress, and the De-
| mocracy acting with them in pursuance OF a
| deliberate plan carefully concocted, in my be-
lief, to murder and outrage enough Union men
! OF the South to overcome by tear, intimidation
and injury the Republican majority there at
| the next Presidential election ;they we'll know
| ing that the committee can do them T o harm,
aud that it will furnish an excuse tor the tariff
Republicans to vote with them for an adjourn
| ment without legislation to protect Union men
| in the rebel States.
Third, because such committee would De
wholly powerless for any good purpose Sit
| ting in the vacation, it can have under pallia-
| mentary law no power to compel the attend
ance of single witness who does not choose to
| come, or an answer from one when he does
Gomez as the only method by which witness
can be brought before Congressional commit.
tee and made to answer when unwilling, is
the House being in session, by its order of ar
rest and Imprisonment for his contempt dur.
ing the session only. So that any unwilling
witness cannot be compelled to testify to any.
thing, and the witnesses willingly coming be.
fore the committee to testify to anything
against their Ku Kiux nelghbors would be
killed on their way home from the committee
room. do not, therefore, propose to make my
self accessory before the fact to the murder Of
every faithful Union man of the South who
shall be brought before the committee and give
truthful evidence ct the state tGesre:. -'-
Fourth, because my service as chairman O.
the com mittee would furnish the best election
eering document that could be placed in The
hands of the Democracy in the coming con
test, in this: that tie report OF the committee
would be wholly nugatOry, iliusory and useless
| to show the exact state of things at the South
Whenever and wherever the committee would
| 60 there would be sunshine and peace, and w
should be compelled to SO report. Where ",
we're not and could not be, banded murder
| robbery and arson would stalk abroad at night
to be disbanded by the rising sun. Besides
have not the slightest doubt but while serving
on your committee in the Southern States,
should be treated with the highest aud mos
f distiDg uisbed consideration and respect tina
would be in the furthest degree polite
as Southern men understand politics.
fully believe l can go anywhere thrOug
any portion of the South, alone and urat
tended and tortiori, when, as the head O
a congressional committee on Investigation
: i'honr personal harm or insult. Therefor
when Republicans should claim in the canvas
that 1t was necessary to maintain the Repubii
can party in power to have peace at the Soutt
and to protect our loyal friends there, the
would be answered on every Democratic hust
ings, You are not believed when you say tb
law cannot be executed at the South, and men'
lives and property are ia danger there, whel
you see that Gen Butler, tie man who hapge
one OF their rebel brethren. the man VIII
f brought New Orleans into subsection, The ma
. who is more hated and vlllitied in the SoUt
| tudu any OtHcT, Gauge LnTOuSn II uDUOucQp
and uDharmed." have no intention of aid
ing the Democratic cause and breaking dow
the Republican party by furnishing in my ow
person any such argument with no counter
va,ling good.
Fifth, because with the views hold of tn
efficiency and powers of the committee my sci
vices would be useless, and am not accus
toned to undertake that which feel that
have no power succe Sstuily to accomplish; an
| it ia parliamentary practice which has latel
f been illustrated in a signal instance in til
Senate, that the chairman of a committe
should be in harmony with the majority wh
, | constitute 1t, and there is no element of har
mony between me and the Democratic party
largely composed OF secess 0nists. old whe
and ktOw-nOthings who are the majority tha
constitute this committee.
Sixth, because this committee was brough
into being by lee islatve trick and not cred
: table one at that, by Wntcn the wishes of ti1,
Republican majority of the House have bee
thwarted by Republican minority BY the al
of Democratic voters with which proceeding.
as a Republican, desire moss effectually b
divorce myself
am compelled to take this mode to address
you in declining to serve, because the ar
nonncement OF the committee was not made b
the Speaker until after the vote OF adjourn
ment had been taken, and Immediately there
upon his hammer fell, by which he adjourne
the House 50 as to preclude the possibility
| resigning the place thus attempted to be force
| upon me at the time. | believe can demon
strate, even if majority of parliamentar
0 | body can force Massachusetts man off con
mittee at its pleasure, that it is quite anotht
thing fer tho Speaker to force another on
/ | committee against bis consent
BENZ f. BUTHER