Litchfield enquirer., 1871-12-14

 tercommunication. Education, the ground aged by increasing the facilities to gather speedy news from all parts of the country. The desire to reap the benefit of such im- provement will stimulate education. re- fer you to the report of the Postmaster General for full details of operations, the last year, and for comparative statements of results with former years. a5 ENFORCING THE KU KLU1 LAW.
 There has been imposed upon the execu- tivebranch off the government the execution of the act of Congress appeoved April 20, 1871, and commonly kno.%n as the Ku Klax law, in portion of the State of South Carolina. The necessity for the course pursued will be demonstrated by the report Of the committee to investigate Southern outrages. Under the provisions of the act, issued proclamation calling the attention of the people of the United States to the same, and declaring my re- luctance to exercise anysof the extraordi- mary powers thereby conferred upon me, except in. case of imperative necessity, but making known my purpose to exercise such powers whenever it should become necessary to do so, for the purpose of se- curing to all citizens of the United States the peaceful enjoyment of the rights guar anteed to them by the constitution and the laws. After the passage of this law, information was received from time to time that combinations of the character referred to i'll this law existed and were powerful in many. parts of the Southern States. especially in certain counties in the State of South Carolina. Careful in- T T l tained that in nine counties of that State such combinations were active and pow erful, embracing sufficient portions of the citizens to control the local authority 1 with the object of depriving the enamel pated class of the substantial benefits of 1 freedom, and preventing the free political action of those citizens who did not sym pathize with their owls views Among their operations were frequent scourgings and occasional assassinations, generally perpetrated at night by disguised persons, the victims in almost all cases being citi- zens of different political sentiments from their own, or freed persons who had shown 8 disposition to claim equal rights with other citizens. Thousands of inof l fensive and well disposed citizens were the sufferers by this lawless violence Thereupon, on the 18th of October, 1871, proclamation was issued, in the terms of l the law, calling upon the members of 1 those combinations to disperse within five days, and to deliver to the marshal or military officers of the United States all arms and ammunition, uniforms, disguis- 1 es, and other means and implements used by them for carrying out their unlawful purposes. This warning not having been needed, on 17th of October, another pro- clamation was issued suspending the priv liege of the writ of hdbe0s corpus in nine counties in the State. Direction was giv- en that within the counties so designated persons supposed, upon creditable inform atlon, to be members of such unlawful combinations should be arrested by the military forces of the United States. and delivered to the marshal, to be dealt with according to law. In two of said counties. York and Spartenburg, many arrests have been made. At the last account, the num- Der of persons thus arrested was 168. Several hundred whose criminality was ascertained to be of an inferior degree were released for the present. These have l generally made confessions of their guilt. l Great caution has been exercised in mak- | ing arrests, and notwithstanding the large number, it is believed that no innocent person IS now in custody
 The prisoners will be held for regular trial ill the judicial tribunals of the Uni ted States. AS soon as it appeared that the authorities of the United States were about to take vigorous measures to en- force the law, many persons absconded, and there is good ground for snpposing that all of such persons have violated the law. A full report of what has been done under this law will be submitted to Con- 1 gress by the Attorney General.
 THE MoRMoNs
 In Utah there still remains aremnant of barbarism fepugnant to civilization, to de cency and the laws of the United States. Territorial officers, however, have been found who are willing to perform their duty in spirit of equity and with due:sense of sustaining the majesty of the law. Nei- l ther polygamy nor any other violation of existing statutes will be permitted within the territory of the United States. It is not with the religion of the self-styled Saints that we are now dealing, but with their practices. They will be protected in the worship of God according to the dictates of their consciences, but they will not be permitted to violate the laws un- der the cloak of religion. It may be ad- | hG, the execution of the law against polygamy. is to be the status of the plural wives and their offspring The propriety of Con- gress passing an enabling act authorizing the territorial legislature of Utah to legit- imize all children born prior to time fixed, might be justified by its humanity to these innocent children. This is a suggestion only, and not recommends ton. 1 l E ss THE INDIANS. 9s
 The policy pursued towards the Indians has resulted fayOrably so far as can be 1 judged from the limited time during which it has been in operation Through the exertions of the various societies of Chris tians to whom has been entrusted the ex- ecution of the policy, and the board of Commissioners authorized by the law of 1 April 10, 1869, many tribes of Indians have been induced to settle upon reserva- tions, to cultivate the soil, to perform pro- ductive labor of various kinds, and to par tially accept civilization. They are being cared for in snch a way, 1t is hoped, as to induced those still pursuing their old hab- it's of life to embrace the only opportunity which is left them to avoid extermination. recommend liberal appropriations to carry out the Indian peace policy, not on- ly because it is humane, Christian-like and economical, but because it is right.
 AN INDIAN TERRITORY
 recommend to your favorable consid- eration also the policy granting a territo- rial government to the Indians in the In- dian Territory, west of Arkansas and Mis- souri, and south of Kansas In doing so every right guaranteed to the Indians by treaty should be secured. Snch course might in time be the means of collecting most of the Indians now between the Mis- souri and the Pacific and south of the British possessions into one territory dr one State. Thesecretary of the the inte- rior has treated upon this subject at great length, and I commend to you his sngges- tions.
 E. az38 PUBLIC LANDS Af
 I renew my recommendation that the public lands be regarded as g heritage to 1 our children to be disposed of only as re. G-. A.