New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-23

been said by some when the resolution wa,
pending in the House that it was best not Il
uncover the proceedings in New Orleans
that such condition of things existed tber,
that they had better not be brought to light
He did not belong to that tclass of men
He assumed that both sides in Louisiana
were very nearly, as the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Beck had described one
side at least to be- He did not know eithe,
side in the matter, nor did he care about
either side any further than to bring them
to the surface and let the world see who
and what they were and what they were
going to do. He did not understand
that things had so changed down
there that there was any less Oc-
casion for the investigation to-day
than there had been the day it was ordered.
The officials of the United States down
there were banded with one side, whether
rightly or wrongly, the executive, himself,
did not know. He referred to Speaker Car
ters proclamation, under which serious
riot and disturbance to-day was very proba
Bile. He thought, in view of all the circum
stances, that the House could not afford
now to stop the investigation.
| Mr.. VOORHEES, remarked that he had voted
! for the investigation, and in doing SO he had
| differed from his political friends in the
House. He had voted for it because he be-
lieved it necessary that something should
Importance OF the events transpiring in New
Orleans. Certainly none had cOlOred the
occasion too highly. The gentleman from
Massachusetts (Dawes) was entitled, in his
judgment, to the thanks of the country for
the Independence of his conduct in coming
forward and working for an investi-
cation which would fall on his own
political friends. The condition of things
in Louisiana was a most extraordinary one.
An American State had been trying for two
or three weeks to convene its Legislature,
and had been trying in vain. During that
time the spectacle had been presented of
an American officer, in command of the
United states troops, marching his troops
backward and forward daily between
their barracks, and the State House under
orders from somewhere, until at last a
mob had gone to his General EmOry'sl
headquarters, and there, in a way disgrace
full to itself and disgraceful to the age,
asked him to proclaim martial law. The
answer was not creditable to the officer, but
was Just to the servile mob. He told them
to go away, or he would give them martial
law with grape and canister.
Mr.. Maynard suggested that that state
ment had been denied.
Mr.. Voorhees, knew that the denial
had been made, but still the Legis-
lature had not been able to convene,
and somebody was to blame, and to-day
there was a proclamation or prOnuncia-
mento after the Mexican fashion: that at
to open the Legislature with force
and arms, telling the people, with
due regard for their safety, to close their
houses and places of business, and keep of
the streets, as somebody might be hurt.
He did not know what had taken place in
that respect. and did not care. If such
state of things did not call for an investi-
II, dc Of fho Arna
gress, he did not know what would do SO.
Mr.. FarnswOrth asked Mr.. Voorhees, what
Congress would do when it found out the
facts to be as stated.
Mr.. Voorhees,, excitedly-Oh, don't ask
me what Congress will do.
Mr. Farnsworth- What ought it to do!
Mr. VOOrhees-In my judgment it ought
Southern affairs which even the gentleman
from Illinois, with even his strong sense of
Justice (which l recOgniZe) would not agree
with me in. l have been in the South this
summer, and my judgment is that the
Southern governments are the worst
in the world, without any exception. There
is nothing comparable to them anywhere
else They are unparalleled for their iniqui-
ty, their infamy and their ignorance. The
law makers are incompetent to make laws.
When you show me Legislature fOur-ffths
of whose members can neither read nor
write, who do not pay even poll tax, and
set them to the duty of levying taxes for
untold millions on the property and intelli-
gence OF the community. will show you, as
| have said government that is the worst
beneath the sun.
Mr.. voorhees, went on to depict the ter
rible condition of things, not only in LOuisi-
ana but in all the Southern States, attri5ut
ing the condition to the reconstruction laws
of Congress. In this connection he referred
to the immense piling up Of debt in the va
rious States of the South, declaring that all
these States were virtually and absolutely
bankrupt 1t matters little what became f.
either of the two factions now warning in
Louisiana, but it did matter much
to the character OF the American govern
ment whether State should literally dis
organize itself and dissolve into the ele-
ments of anarchy. As well almost might
they allow the Baratarian pirates to raise
their flag once more in the Gulf of Mexico
AS to allow these people to go on as they
were going The remedy was too vast a
subject for him to venture on. Some of
these days he might express his
views elaboratey on that subject. In
his deliberate judgment the governments
in the South had been built on the wrong
end. The pyramid stood not upon its base,
but upon its apex. They had built these
governments on vice and ignOrance-on
responsibility; not on stability, not ON
intelligence, not on the classes who are re-
sponsible for the peace, order and welfare
of the community, and these were some of
the fruits which they are now reaping.
They may be known by their fruits.
DO men gather grapes of thorns, or
figs of thistles - Neither could they
gather the blessings Of good government
from a system which has brought into
power and position the worst and most ig-
norant classes of mankind. At the end of
six and half years of Republican rule and
government at the South, this was the re-
suit. Were the Republican members of the
House content with it Would they go be-
fore the country and say as honest men that
their plan had borne the fruits of peace,
prosperity and integrity!
Mr.. Shellabarger replied to Mr. voorhees,,
but first he defended the President from
insinuations published against him, to the
effect that he was opposed to the committee
going to New Orleans. He happened to
know accidentally how exactly opposite to
the truth that cruel statement was. He
wished the gentleman from Indiana MIR.
Noorhees) had been more explicit on that
cardinal elementary proposition OF his,
that the Southern governments bad been
set M on the wrong end. Did he mean that
when Congress placed the government OF
those States on the votes OF all the people,
that was setting the pyramid on the apex
instead of on the base!
Did he mean by that to say that Congress
should turn round now aud set back
the hands upon the dial of time and take
away the votes from any portion of the peO-
ple who now bad the right to vote? If he
meant that, he should have said so. He
wanted to know right here, and once for all,
if the Democrats proposed to take the right
black m pf ia