The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-31

aitSiuatoiy ~ tulS way, but piiuSi-
pally by putting foolish aud dilatory ques-
tons, near four hundred Republicans were
denied the right to vote in Richmond net
three months ago. Similar frauds were prac-
ticed in other parts of the State. In some
portions of the State, where Republican
majorities were cast, one or more of the
judges of election would very conveniently
omit to sign the returns, and the board OF
commissioners, when they would come to-
gether two days afterward, under the
statute, would declare such returns ille-
gal, and very coolly proceed to "count
out the Republican candidates who had
received majority OF the votes. They
would claim that such was the law,
though the statute was merely directory
as to the signing of returns. But it so
happened that in some instances one or
more Of the judges, innocently and with
out evil design, omitted to sign the returns
where Democratic majorities bad been
given. What did the board of commits
sioners do then 2 "Count out. the Demo-
cratic candidates? Not at all but they
would send for the judges to come and
sign the returns. There is Virginia Demo-
cratic consistency for you
Why, in my colleagues own district,
the municipal election in the city of Nor
folk was carried by the Democrats 10 May
last by the most stupendous frauds and
intimidation, that threw off all disguise
and knew no limit Of oppression and
cruelty in the pursuit Of its object.
/ do not know how it was in that city
at the late November election. pre-
sumo it was fair on that occasion. There
was not much, If any, inducement on the
part of the leadership of the Conserva-
tive party in Norfolk to repeat their
shameful work of fraud and intimidation.
There was no municipal ticket before the
people there, as was the case in my city,
(Riohmond). The election in Norfolk was
exclusively Congressional election. There
was no ticket, no candidates to draw the
Conservative voters to the polls to vote
against my colleague, except his opponent,
Colonel Robert B. Boiling, and the senti-
ment prevailed to very considerable ex-
tent in the Democratic party in Norfolk,
as we'll as throughout my colleagues dis
trict, that Colonel Boiling was nearly, if
not quite, as much in favor of the rights
of the colored people before the law as my
colleague.
In fact, during the canvass. in public
speech delivered at Oxford Hall, in, the
city of Portsmouth, Colonel Boiling even
referred to the colored portion of his audi
ence as tour colored brethren" This soon
spread through the neighboring city of
Norfolk, and Colonel Boiling was pro-
nounced by the Conservatives or Democrats
as being entirely "too soft on the negro
question" While l have no doubt that
the late Congressional election was fairly
conducted in Norfolk, yet we all know, for
the country was informed at the time, that
in the recent campaign-only few days
before the election-at Republican mass
meeting which had assembled in the city
of Norfolkfor the purpose of hearing ad-
dresses from the Secretary of the navy,
Professor Langston my colleague and others
the crowd was fred into and dispersed,
and several loyal lives lost. If / remem-
Der correctly, Langston was fred at while
speaking. presume no arrests Of the
guilty parties have ever been made, or, if
made, nothing came of it.
What class of men committed these
outrages; who fred these mnrderous
shots 2 Were the missiles of death pro-
jected into that unoffending body of people,
and without warning, by white loyalists
Oh, no; the supposition would be absurd.
By colored men, then /? Equally, if not
more, absurd.
Were they hurled by men who are dis
qualified by the fourteenth article Of
? / do not know. Were
they thrown by men who are excluded /.
from holding Office by inability to take the
though not disqualified by the
fourteenth amendment do not know.
But this l know, that one class or the other
committed these outrages and my COL
league has stated to the House to-day that
he is in favor of the doing away Of all
disabilities. He pronounces 'iron-
clad oaths and disqualifying clauses
a miserable delusion." So my COL
league is in favor Of comforting full
amnesty on the men who shot down his
political friends and supporters in Nor
folk; aye, the same class of men who sent
him hero, by whose votes he is alone per-
mitted to lift up his voice here in behalf
of their enemies, prosecutors, and MUIR
derers Well, my colleague has this privi-
lege, and perhaps it is as well that he has
this time so plainly and unequivocally put
himself upon the record.
Now, will my colleague, when loyal men
are denied the opportunity of voting, and |
these outrages are committed, tell me that |
must stand by the declaration that uni
versal amnesty shall be granted, when uni |
versal suffrage is constantly defeated No,
sir; l cannot. 1t would be wrong; it
would be unjust it would be such ingrati-
Jude to my friends and the friends of my
country that my whole nature revots.
Let us look at my colleagues speech in
letail. He says be twill vote for the bill
before the House, which, in effect, and
practically, repeats the iron-clad oath,p
md he 'hopes that every gentleman who
iesires to see peace restored to the South, |
md to see that party prevail which put
Town the rebellion, will support this BILL"
Will my colleague tell me why his opinion
lpon this subject is SO much better than
hat of the Democrats on this floor +? Or
Ices my colleague suppose that they, too,
'elieve that the repeal of this oath will re-
ult in the triumph of the Republican
'arty, 'the party which put down the re-.
ellion I"
My colleague knows full well that the
ther side of the House believe its repeal
L IL IL