Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-04-06

81 the condition of affairs in the South.
During his remarks be read from tne
statement of one of the counsel OF Coi.
Yerger of Mississippi, to prove that the
case had been kept out of the Supreme
Court because of the fear that the recon-
struction acts, under authority of which
Yeroer was committed, would be declared
unconstitutional.
way, and the Senate at 4.4O o'clock went
into Executive session, and then al
journed. s
HOUSE.
General debate was continued on the
bill to enforce the provisions of the Four
teenth amendment to the Constitution,
and for other purposes.
Mr.. Buckley of Alabama controverted
the assertion that the bill was to be passed
with a view only to continue the ascend
ency of the Republican party. On the
contrary, it was for the purpose OF simply
protecting not only Republicans, but
Democrats.
Ellis II. Roberts of New York referred
to the evidence of outrages in most OF the
States lately in rebellion, and OF organized
conspiracy, political in character and mil
itary in form. They occur only where
violence promises to render the district
Democratic. In cases where either party
is strongly dominant they do not prevail
Republicans only are victims. The con-
stitutioDal power exists in the nation to
protect its citizens; or, as Jefferson Davis
has Just proclaimed at Selma. State sover-
eighty is to triumph. The Empire
State demands protection for her
citizens maltreated in Alabama and
Virginia, and claims the aid of
the national government for that purpose.
The carpet.bag has been made the pretext
of slaughter. 1t must be the symbol of
expulsion of the new barbarism. Our
danger is not from Capitalization. The
Ku-Klux mystery threatens anarchy. The
charges are not of executive usurpation
but of the tyranny of Congress, of despot-
ism by people acting under the constitu-
ton yet Congress had restored every
State to full representation. The OPP
ponents of the proposed bill revive the old
heresy that violence under Southern
sun is chivalry. The same arguments
now employed prove Congress gailty for
saving the Union and restoring the States.
The alternative to the proposed legisla-
ton is hopeless anarchy, limited only by
sheer exhaustion or the exercise OF doubt
full powers by the President. Complete
pacifcation will require the hearty CO.
operation of the Southern people.
Legislation can provide the conditions.
The administration can remove all OBJ.
stacles. The Senate committee had let
light upon the Ku-Klux mystery. The
Joint Committee will continue the work,
but will be only the headlight of national
power, which will be ready to crush out
continued violence. The proposed law
will be preventive, educational, remedial.
Its effect is limited to the present ex-
igency. Let the Democrats cease devices
to fire the Southern heart. Let the
Southern people for their own sake and
the honor of the Union, help to trample
out lawlessness, and the Republican party
will eonsecrate all moral influences and
all power of the government to protect
the weak and to perpetuate the equal
rights of every citizen by securing liberty
under the law.
The balance of the sessions, afternoon
and evening, was consumed in speeches
upon the bill. Adjourned.