St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-06-28
Ku Klux Outrages.


r.
May ~. l-72.
The house having met for debate Il,
in Committee of the Whole on he stat,
of the Union
Mr.. Poland said:
Mr.. Speaker: am greatly Obliged
To my colleague on the committee Mr.
Stevenson for allow ing me the remain
mg ten minutes of this hour. and To tn,
House for the cNtcnSion of il to Il hall
hour. had not the slightest intention
of addressing the lIou<, on this subject
till my colleague kindly proposed tc
WELD me IL portion of his time. speak.
therefore. without the slightest prcpl-
ration. and of course can only express
my general ideas on the subject. and
any aluSiom to the evidence taken IN
such immense quantity 10y the commit
tee will he from general recollection
merely. for have not had time to cN-
anime II since II Wa> printed.
came into Congress. Mr. Speaker. N
the first session after the close ot tn,
war. The war was over. and the rebel
armies were di>handcd. The South
WaS PROSTATE before the ConuucIimg q
North and West. who had upheld and
maintained the integrity of the mi"n
and poured ont their treasure and thril
blood like water for that purpose. TIN,
problem WAS how to restore the south
crn States to their proper place III the
| mon. and how to allaN the hate and
bitterness growing ont of the long and
bloody conflict. 81 that We might again
live together aS II harmonious. nationa
family. | then felt. not only the inn
portanc,. but the wisdom of dealin.
ua"HanimiouSlN and lcnicmtlN with th,
people of the South. and that at least
nothing which Wa> Justly due them
should he withheld. did not look
upon the great ma>S of the people %
the south. aS many of OlIr people at til,
North did. ;i> criminals in intent an,
heart.
The doctrine of State rights in tn,
South had dcucnrI;itcd into that tern
bile hcrc$N that the primary and plinci-
pal allegiance of the citizen W.lS due I,
his State. and that lr owed no person
I'll allegiance To the nation aS his $nNrr-
ciGm: that the State only held relation,
with the Federal Union. and that whcl
the State chose To sever those relation:
the constitutional oath and duty of cV
cry citizen required that hc should .,
with his State. This had hccomc tn,
accepted theory in the South as tl,
true philosophy of the Government i
prrucItrd all Glasses and conditions q
men. For the ambitious and wickc,
leaders of the rebellion. who know how
ha>rIc>> were all their alleged com
plants against amy arti"m of the Fed
cril Government. Who knew they were
It on false prctcn>,.> incitim% these people
II IL 4
the world ever saw. NhokncW. or ou"h
to have known the untold mi>rIirs an,
calamitir> they were bringing ON thci
people tor these wicked men | felt II,
sympathy or compassion. The gIea
mistake in our whole policy "i recon
>truction. ~ / have always Thought AM
said, Wa that these m-n. or some q
the most prominent and influential q
them. Wcrc not brought to speedy tri:r
1. and punishment and made I" suffer II
they dc~cIN cd. the traitors doom. hat
- this been done at the cluS,. of the VA
the whole work OF Reconstruction woul,
have been rendered comparatively ca>
and speedy.
But ;iS to the mass of the Southcr
people my feelings We're entirely differ
rnt regarded them as the victims Il
political lcrcSN and of ambitious an
pultical leaders. | will say here. Nh
}. speaker. what have never feared t
declare among my own people ut home
thai | believe the great mass of thoS
Y who fought in the armies of the Soutl
fought a> honestly and conscientious
T. aS did those who fought i'll the armie
of the Union. Entertaining theS
views. | believed it the policy of tru
craftsmanship to deal generously an
T. literally with the southern people, t
T. restore. if possible. Il love of the MO
and for the national Government. an
To dctach them from their former error
and leaders. The mad folly of some ,
the southern people. and especially {
the southern press. which was to il gre;
extent controlled by the old rebel lead
crS. prevented general acquiescence i
these views and greatly retarded tn
restoration of amirablc relations bt
~ tween the two sections of the country
I. For IL considerable time. have tavore
granting amnesty to all the people Il
the South except the leaders i'll the re
iH hclli"n. and at last have had the sal
l>tacti"n of seeing that accomplished b
. the general occurrence of members ,
r my own political party.
t. During the war the property of man
Union men was taken for the purpo>
of supplying the wants of the Army fo
#. which they had never received compeI
>atiOn. The constitutional duty t
make payment WAS strengthened 10y til
fact that they adhered to the Union III
der circumstances of great peril, IN
~, the injustice of not paying them ";
r enhanced by the taunts of their reh
re ncighbors of the ingratitude and iniu
-, tice of the Government to which the
Of had clumg at the peril of their lives.
have been one of those who have col
Stantly and persiStently advocated II
passage of some law by which justl'
:, s. could he done in this class OF case
tn Many of my political associates feare
I'd that any law which would enable pa!
ment to be made i'll these cases woul