The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-10-02
THE SOUTHERN TROUBLES.
speech OF senator Mor;on-The Pas:
and Present Condition of the South
The Louisiana Difficulty.


1NDIANOPoLls, Ind, Sept. lS.-Sen-
ator Morton addressed an Immense
audience at Masonic Hall tonight upon
the past and present condition of the
South. He spoke earnestly and calmly,
and his remarks were frequently
applauded. He opened by contradicting
the assertion that reconstruction was n
failure, claiming that its apparent fail
ure was due to the conduct of its enc
mics, and not because of intrinsic
defect in the system. Resistance to
reconstruction grows out of opposition
to the abolition of slavery, and the
elevation of the negroes to civil and
political rights. He condemned tho
White Leagues, which, he said, had
but a single principle-that white men
should rule.
In the majority of the Southern States
there had been II high carnival of
crime for the past two months, but Il
portion of which was made known to
the Northern public. The news agents
in the South are, with few exceptions,
Democrats and sympathizers with these
crimes, sometimes participators. II
they have news of even larger n,lssacres,
they accompany it with apologies and
Qualifications. The telegraph is loaded
with reports that the negroes are con-
spring and the whites are on the
defensive. But when the facts are
known it turns out that only negroes
and white Republicans are killed. All
the negroes ask is to be let alone. They
know they cannot cope with the whites
in any struggle with arms. The calum-
mics are made preteXts 70. ass;,ssinations
throughout the South. 1t is not Il war
of races, but II war against the Repub-
Leans Of the South, whites and blacks.
Not from any apprehension Of social
equality or fear of the &ivil Rights
bill, but to make this II white govern
ment and reduce the negroes as nearly
as possible to slaves.
He reviewed the condition Of LOUISE
ana for the past eight years, during
which time he said that State had been
made Il vast siaughtcr-house. Tho
effort to defeat ttelloGg i'll 1872 he
characterized as Il gigantic fraud. He
referred to tho Louisiana Investigating
Committees report apon that matter
rs showing the frauds perpetrated by
the McEncry party to secure his cleo
ton. He said the Supreme Court had
repeatedly decided that tho * cllogS
Government was the lawful Govern
ncut. The President III five different
ways, had recognized it. The House
of Representatives, had recognized ii by
admitting member on kriiogg's
certificate. The Senate did SO by rctr.s-
ing to pass the bill for It new election.
He reviewed the ColttN massacre and
the Coushatta murders, and said:
"I'or all these inhuman crimes not Il
man has been punished. J am no
advocate OF I<cllogg's, but it is only
justice to say that he has not belonged
to any OF the piundcring rings, and no
robbery or stealing has been brought
home to him. Tho Republicans Of
Louisiana are not free from fraud. l
have no apology to make for them, but
they arc trivial when compared with
the system of murder by which their
ranks have been dcCjuIutcd aud the
whole State dcnioraiizcd. He said,
farther, that if the people OF Louisiana
would not have their State b!ightca,
they must stop the murder business.
They cannot expect an honest Govern
mcnt. The seizure of the State by the
McEnery faction was in the nature of II
Mexican prOnunciamcnto. If is toll
Grated in one State it will be adopted
in another. There is but one salvation
for the SOuth-the recognition of equal
civil and political rights Of the colorcd
people, the protection OF life for al
opinions and for all parties. Whatever
may bc said of The irregularities bS
which the Kellogg Government was
established, it is undoubtedly truc that
it represented a majority Of the people
of -hc State; but if McIjncry had beer
! placed in Office il would have been by :;
! fraud unCpnalcd in extent ANA wicked
ness. Two apologies are given for tho
| murder of black and white Itcpubcalius
I throughout the South; first, that the
whites are driven to il by the robbcric5
Of carpct-baggcrs. This he styled "a
scif-cvidcnt, weak, and sCnscf"s5 false
| hood, for murders and punishment
| have always fallen upon the innocent
and poor. The thieves have always
! found Democratic partners. When dis.
covered they are kicked out Of The
! Republican party. The case Of War
moth is a notable fact. Tho next excuse
! is that negroes have conspircd and armed
| themselves to cXtcrminutc the whites,
| and that these murders are committed
by the whites in ScIf.dufcuSc. These
are stupid lies, manufactured by knavcs,
to be believed by idiots. The beginning
Of all improvement and restoration III
the South must consist in the cessation