The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-10-31

" Jou, III OlutT tHag us recital may snow
70 you,how entirely and how ineradcably
lt plucked up the very root Of the evil
ana forever abolished the troubles of cit
lzenship which before had been the con-
tending bauble and ball of controversy
between 81 states. Here is the amend
ment; and beg again to say, so as to
impress it upon your minds, that in my
Judgment from the time the Declaration
OF independence was read and adopted
on the 4th of July, 177e, there has not
been any word of constitutional or statute
law written in America
OF MORE VITAL IMPORTANCE,
and of greater consequence to you and
your children, and your children's chill
dren, to the latest generation, than the
fourteenth amendment to the constitu-
ton of the United States
Now let me read it "All persons born
or neutralized in the United States and
subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are
citizens of the United States and of the
states wherein they reside"
No local legislation Of South Carolina,
Louisiana, Arkansas, or Texas, settles
that, but any person, foreign or neutrali-
zed, no matter what color, no matter
what nativity. all persons born or neu-
tralized in the United States are citizens
thereof, and of the states wherein they
reside
! Now, that is the affirmative, positive
part of the amendment. I ask you to
give attention to the negative part, which
Is still more pungent and still more sug-
gestive. mo state" [ read it, "shall
make or enforce any law which shall
abrldge the privileges or immunities of
citizens of the United States; nor shall
any state deprive any person Of life or
Liberty or property without due process
OF law nor shall! any state deny to any
person, within its jurisdiction, the Just
and equal protection of the law" CHEERS
And then follow these significant words !:
And Congress shall have power to en-
force the provisions Of this amendment
by proper legislation"
Now there you have the whole thing.
First, the positive declaration of what
citizenship is; next, a negative declara-
ton that no state shall interfere with
those rights. Third a declaration that
Congress is charged with the positive
power of enforcing those rights. Cheers
Now, gentlemen, case arose which
tested the power of Congress under that
alnandment, and it was
| VERY IMPORTANT CASE,
and beg you will bear with me through
this detail which may seem TO you some
what abstract, but [ propose, with your
patience, to cut outa garment which I
shall fit very closely on the shoulders or
Horace Greeley before am through
! (Laughter.)
Now, under the Fourteenth amend
ment, a case arose of great magnitude
and it was this When the war closed
everybody expected that certain degree
of tumult and disorder would reign fer q
time IN the south. After such vin.lctive
strife and long contention it was hardly
to be expected that law and order would
Immediately resume their sway but alter
patient waiting it was found, and pain
fully found, that instead of the disorder
being temporary il was chronic; and in
stead of it being sporadic and accidental
it assumed an organized form, and
throughout the states that had been in
revolt there was found
AN ORGANIZED CONSPIRACY
against the rights, and persons and the
/
special and devoted loyalty to our com,
mon government, It would hardly be
believed unless we haG clear and en-
phatic proof, which we do have in the
shape of report of committee of CON
gress appointed from both houses on
which both parties were represented by
the ablest men, but hardly to be believed,
| say, unless we had this evidence, that
in the six years which followed
THE CLOSE OF THE WAR,
from March, 1865, to March, 1871, there
were in the South $4,000 men who were
made the victims Of this conspiracy
$4,000 men that were manned or mauled,
or maltreated, or absolutely murdered,
and over 5000 of them were absolutely
and mercilessly murdered. More than
three every day were murdered in the
south for their devotion to the United
States, and when they raised that point
it occurred to Gen. Grant that it was
about time to say whether that thing
could not be brought to an end and he
sent message to Congress recommend
ing legislation under the Fourteenth
amendment. That message was referred
to select committee, and in due time
they reported bill which gave rise to q
very animated, and might say vindic-
tive, debate, and was finally enacted, and
is on your statute books to-day, and wide
ly known as
THE kU- KLUX LAW.
Now, gentlemen, while that law was
pending we had an invaluable aid in
securing its passage in the great name
and the potential pen of Mr. Horace
Greeley. He says:
Il hold orr government bound by its
duty of protecting our citizens in their
fundamental rights to pass and enforce