Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-05-09
Civil Rights VS.. General Amnesty
A Supplemental AppOrtiOnment Bill
Tennessee to Have Another Member.
SENATE.


SENATE.
WASHINGTON, May 8.-Wilson from the
Committee on Military Affairs, reported,
without amendment, House bill authoriz-
ing the issue of one thousand rihed breech-
leaders and ammunition to the authorities
of Montana for defence of the settlers
against the Indians.
PIebiscites.
Kellogg called up the bill providing that
the Presidential election in louisiana shall
be held on the same day with the State
election-frst Monday in November. He
said the object of the bill was to avoid the
trouble and expense of two elections in sue
cession.
Morton said that an additional ad-
vantage Of the change would be that the
Presidential election would get the benefit
of the protection now provided by law for
the State election.
Mr.. Trumbul said that Mr.. Morton's
statement was an admission that this bill
was designed to enable Congress to control
by indirection the Presidential election in
violation of the constitution.
Mr.. Morton denied that he had admitted
any such thing, and asked Mr.. Trumbun
whether he wanted to have the scenes of
1868 in Louisiana renewed and the Presi-
dental election held under such circum-
stances that it would be controlled by Ku-
Klux. If be did, be might fifty oppose this
bill. But if he was in favor of an honest
election be ought TO support it.
Mr.. Trumbull said Mr.. Mr. Morton had
stated that the object of the bill was to
place the election under the protection of
an act of Congress, and he asked where
Congress got authority to interfere with a
presidential election in face of the express
provision of the Constitution that it is to be
held in each State in such manner as the
Legislature
thereof may direct. He knew what the
protection spoken of by Mr.. Morton might
mean, 1t might be the protection afforded
by the suspension of the habeas corpus and
the presence Of the military power. He
was in favor of an honest election by free
people, and for that reason he was opposed
to unconstitutional Congressional super
vision.
Mr.. Morton said Mr.. Trumbun was in
favor of an honest election, but was op-
| posed to the means by which it could be
secured, like the man who was in favor OF
the Maine liquor law, but opposed to its
enforcement. [Lsughter.l The Senator
knew that the election law to which he OBJ
jected so strongly merely provided for the
presence at the polls of two inspectors, one
Of each party, to see that the ballots were
| fairly cast and counted.
MIR. Trumbull: Does not the Senator
know that beyond that you may do as you
| did in the city of New York, send
Escaped COnvicts
from the Penitentiary to arrest voters?
Mr.. Morton: have heard that said be.
fore, but 1 have never heard it proved, and
do not believe it.
Mr.. Bayard suggested that as Mr.. Morton
had sought to remind the Senate of the
scenes of 1858 in Louisiana, it might be
well to recall the
Scenes of IS7I,
when the Federal authorities interfered in
the quarrels of the party Of which the
Senator (Mr. Morton) was so distinguished
an ornament, and settled them by force oi
arms.
Mr.. Morton-There was some disturbance
| in Louisiana last fall and during the winter,
but believe that the authors of them have
now joined the ranks of the Senator's
(Mr. Bayard's) friends.
Mr.. Bayard-The Senator must be very
ignorant of what my political affiliations are
or else very reckless in his charges.
Mr.. Morton-If we are to infer anything
| from the Senator's remark, it is that those
who have gone into this Liberal movement
are not his political friends. We know
what hopes have been held out to those
who
Went 10 Cincinnati
that the Democrats would father their
little enterprise and adopt their
candidates. The Senator from Delaware
now declaim that, but we shall know bet
ter in few weeks what the Democracy
will do.
Mr.. Bayard-The Senator from Indiana
! will probably be wiser three weeks hence
than he is now. By that time he will
| know what is the position of the great
| Democratic party for which 1 make no pre-
! tense to speak, and what that great organi-
zation intends to do for the benefit of this
country. But he cannot know it until the
accredited representatives of the party have
spoken. Perhaps he will have learned, too,
by that time, to appreciate the motives of
political opponent whose object in legisla-
ton is not that the laws shall be made to
benefit by indireetion or otherwise, the par
| ty to which he is attached, but that laws
shall be made that shall conserve the liber-
ties of all the people, whether they are his
political opponents or his political friends.
Mr.. Blair opposed the bill, and in refer
ence to the New Orleans trouble in 1868
said it was well known that the riot would
not have occurred but for the action of the
then Secretary of War in
Suppressing a Telegram
sent by the Military Commander in New
Orleans, notifying the President that riot
was imminent; and there were many who
believed that that telegram was suppressed
with the design of letting the riot occur ant
making use Of it as a pretext for the harSf
measures contemplated at the time by the
party in power.
at the expiration of the morning hour the
bill went over and unfinished business, the
postofice appropriation bill, came up. The
amendment offered by Mr.. Nye yesterday
aud pending an adjournment, was agreed
to and the bill then passed.
On motion of Mr.. Boreman, the Senate
took up the House
General Amnesty
bill, and he addressed the Senate in fave
of it.
Mr.. Sumner moved to strike out all ate
-Ha-I. ....l y. IA. 10