Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-04-20
FAYETTEVILLE, TENNESSEE /:
Thursday Morning, april 20. 1871.
Hon. John N. Blight.


On the 7th inst, Mr.. Bright de-
livered a speech in Congress on
the Kuklux Bill, from which we
take the following extracts:
Permit me in this connection
in behalf Of our prosecuted and
downtrodden South, to thank our
noble friends on the Democratic
side of the House, who have
thrown themselves in the breach,
and have lowered, like pillars of
state, before the impending dan
ger and poured down the fiery floods
of overbearing eloqueuee and ar
gument against our fierce assail
ants. can only ningle a feeble
voice with theirs.
And while | am dealing in pre-
liminaries, let me cali attention to
the fact that the able chairman
of the committee Mr.. Shellabar-
ger seemed to anticipate grave
and formidable constitutional OBJ
jections to the bill, and he was
compelled; to heave and tug with
utmost vigor in attempting to re,
move the distractions from his
path. Not only was he forced to
beg the question by craving Iii
eral constr uction for his bill, which
is denied to all penal statutes, but,
with the zeal of the impracticable
Jeremy BentLam, he strained ev-
cry principle of the Constitution
involved in the discussion "until
it cracked" in attempting to hoop
up the enormous dimensions Of
his bill.
His party, too willing 10 yield
TO the force of his logic, and be-
ing fired up with the Munchausen
exaggerations from the South, |
fear that their determination has
gathered such head that it may
be difficult to lay an arrest on the
passage Of the bill. la the Ian
guage OF Gouverneur Morris:
"The legislative lion will not be
entangIed in a logical net. The
Legislature will always make the
power which it wishes to exercise,
anless it be SO organized as to con-
tain within itself the sufficient
check"
But / ask, will it not be dan
gerous precedent to pass this bill
when it requires such coercive log
ic to give it constitutional vent?
IT the right to exercise the power
be doubtful it is a just rule to give
the constitution the benefit of the
doubt. One breach in the Con
stitution for the admission of a
dangerous precedent may prove
only another Trojan horse, which
may fly asunder and. disclose the
clements of destruction.
The speeches Of the advocates
of the bill may be divided into
four parts, to-wit: the Constitu
tional, the statistical, the damna-
tory, and the inhammatory.
i As to the statistical part,
in its application to Tennessee, |
state that it is distorted, garbled,
and exaggerated. l state, as a
general truth, that her citizens are
industrious, peaoeable, law-abiding,
brave, patriotic, attached to the
principles of republican govern
ment, and demonstrating, in an
eminent degree, every day their
capacity for selfgovernment. The
members of her Judiciary, supreme
and inferior, are distinguished a
like for their exalted ability and
incorruptible integrity the most
of whom / know, and knowing, l
dare affirm that they "would not
intrigue with Jove for his thun-
der. nor with Neptune for his
trident" Such of her peace of
fcers as I know are vigilant, &C
tive. and faithful. Her govern
ment is republican in form, and,
by the voluntary act OF her peoFI
pie, she has placed the Caucasian
and African on the same constltu-
tional and legal platform and,
speaking through her last LeglSla-
ture. which was composed of men
of choice ability, and some OF
them of national reputation, she
proved herself the friend OF peace,
the foe of crime, prohibiting the
carrying of arms about the person,
except when. going on a journey,
aud pursuing Ku Klux and masked
Inarauders to the verge of outlaw
ry. making it felony to wear
mask for the purpose of lntlmlda-
ton, and justifyipg any one Tor o.
taking the life Of a masked asSali'
ant Her citizens a,e intelligent
smoash to understand the dlstinc-
ton between law and hcenAoUS