Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-12-11

for such interference under the circum
1 stances as above stated then they are
| without meaning, force or effect, and the
whole scheme of colored enfranchisement
| is worse than mockery and little bet
| ter than a crime. Possibly Congress may
| find it due to truth and justice to ascertain
| by means of a committee, whether the al
| legged wrongs to colored citizens for political
| purposes are real, or the reports thereof were
, manufactured for the occasion.
The whole number of troops in the States
| of Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida
South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky
| Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Maryland
| and Virginia at the time of the elections was
| 4,0S2. This embraces the garrisons of all the
| forts from the Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico
/ Another trouble has arisen in Arkansas
1 Article thirteen of the Constitution of the
! State, which was adopted in 1868, and upon
! the approval of which by Congress the State
was restored to representation as one of the
! States of the Union, provides, in effect,
+! that before any amendments proposed
| to this Constitution shall become a
| part thereof they shall be passed by
| two successive Assemblies and then sub
mitted to and ratified by majority of the
electors of the State voting thereon" On
| May III, 1874, the Governor convened an eX-
| ira session of the General Assembly of the
State, which, on the 18th of the same month,
| passed an act providing for a convention
|
/ this act, and at an election held on the
| 30th OF June, 1874, the convention was ap-
| proved and delegates were chosen thereto,
| who assembled on the 14th of last July
and formed new constitution, the schedule
| OF which provided for the election of an
| entire new set of State officers in a manner
| contrary to the existing election laws of the
State. On the 18th of October, 1874, this
| Constitution, as therein provided, was sub
| mitted to the people for their approval or re-
| lection, and according to the election returns
was approved by large majority of those
| qualified to vote thereon, and at the same
| election persons were chosen to fill all
the State, county and township offices.
| The Governor elected in 1872 for the
| term of four years turned over his Office
| to the Governor chosen under the new Consti-
| tuition, whereupon the Lieutenant-G Governor,
also elected in 1872 for a term of four years,
| claiming to act as Governor, alleging that
said proceedings by which the new Constitu-
| tion was made and a new set of officers
elected were unconstitutional and Illegal and
| void, called upon me, as provided in Section
| 4, Article 4, of the Constitution, to protect
| the State against domestic violence. AS
| Congress is now investigating the political
| affairs of Arkansas / have declined to
| interfere. The whole subject of Executive
| interference with the affairs OF State is re-
pugnant to public opinion, to the feeling of
those who from their official capacity must be
used in such interposition, and to him or those
| who must direct. Unless most clearly on the
! side of law, such interference becomes a
crime; with the law to support it, it is con-
demned without hearing. / desire, there
| fore, that all necessity for Executive direction
| in local affairs may become unnecessary and
| obsolete.
[ invite the attention, not of Congress,
| but of the people of the United States,
to the causes and effects of these un-
happy questions. Is there not disposition
on the one side to magnify wrongs and out
or justify them? If public opinion
could be directed to correct sur
yey of what exists, and to rebuking
| wrong and aiding the proper authori-
ties in Furnishing it, better state of feeling
would be inculcated, and the sooner we would
have that peace which would leave the States
| free indeed to regulate their own domestic
affairs.
believe that on the part of the citizens of
| the Southern States, the better part of them,
there is disposition to be law abiding and
to do no violence either to individuals or
the laws existing; but do they do right in
ignoring the existence of violence and blood
shed-in resistance to constituted authority ?
I sympathize with their PROSTATE con-
dition, and would do all in my power to
| relieve them, acknowledging that in some in
| stances they have had most trying govern
ments to live under, and very oppressive ones
| in the way of taxation for nominal improve
ments, not giving benefits equal to the hard
ships imposed: but can they proclaim them
selves entirely blamable for this condition
They cannot. Violence has been rampant
in some localities and has further been usti-
fed or denied by those who could have
prevented it. The theory is raised that
there is to be no further interference on
the part of the General Government to
protect citizens within State where
the State authorities fail to give protection.
This is great mistake. While | remain the
Executive all the laws of Congress and the
provisions of the Constitution including the
amendments added thereto, will be enforced
with rigor, with but regret that they should
have added one jot or title to the Executive
duties and powers. Let there be fairness in
the discussion of Southern questions, The ad-
vocates of both or all political parties giving
honest and truthful reports of occurrences,
condemning the wrong and upholding the
right, and soon all will be WELL Under exist
ing circumstances the negro votes the
Republican ticket because he knows his
friends are of that party. Many good cit
izen votes the opposite, not because he agrees
with the great principles of state which sep
arate the parties, but because, generally, he
is opposed to negro rule. This is a most de-
lusive cry Treat the negro as citizen and a
voter, as he is and mustremain, and soon par
ties will be divided, not on the color line, but
on principle. Then we shall have no com
plant of sectional interferences.
JUDICIAL AFFAIRS.
The report of the Acknowledgement contains
valuable recommendations relating to the ad-
minstration of justice in the courts of the
United States, to which L invite your atten-
tion.
/ respectfully S !ggest to Congress the pro-
priety Of increasing the numoer of the judi
cial districts in the United States to eleven,
the present number being nine, and the crea-
tion of two additional Judgeships. The ter
rtory to be traversed by the Circuit Judges
is so great and the business of the courts so
steadily increasing that it is growing more
and more impossible for them to keep up
with the business requiring their attention.
Whether this would involve the necessity of
adding two more Justices of the Supreme
Court to the present number submit to the
Judgment of Congress.
THE INTERIOR.
The attention of Congress is invited to the
report of the Secretary of the Interior and to
the legislation asked for by him. The domes-
tic interests of the people are more intimately
connected with this department than with
either of the other departments of the Gov
ernment. Its duties have been added to from
time to time until they have become so oner-
GUS that, without the most perfect system and
order, it will be impossible for any Secretary
of the Interior to keep trace of all official
transactions having his sanction and done IN
his name, and for which he is held person
ally responsible.
The policy adopted for the management OF
Indian affairs known as the peace policy"
has been adhered to with the most beneficial
results It is confidently hoped that few
years more viii save orr frontier from Indian
depredations. commend the recommends
tior of the Secretary for the extension Of the
Homestead laws to the Indians, and for some
sort of territorial government for the Indian
Territory. A great majority of the Indians
occupying. this Territory are believed to be
incapable Of maintaining their rights against