Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-01-12
Thurman Puts an Extinguisher
Upon West.
Senator Schurz on the Louisiana
Situation.
A Movement 70 Abolish the Of
lice of Lieutenant General.
Another Move Towards Specie
Payments
SENATE.

| war, n rOt lncOmpablDle Win the puOllS
| interest, 10 tF-insitit 10 the Senate tire Of
fetal report and communications Of Major
Lewis Merrill, United States Amy, il re-
ference to the COushatta troubles.
Mr.. MerrimOn objected.
Mr.. Clayton then gave notice that be
would move to take up and consider the
resolution SO soon as the HoFning hasiiless
should be disposed o..
Mr. Clayton moved that the Senate pro
/ ceed to the consideration Of his resolution
/ calling upon the Secretary Of War for the
renort of Mai. Lewis Merrill, etc. Agreed
to.
Mr.. Davis inquired if this was the same
Mai. Merrill who was on duty in South
Carolina, where he committed Outrages
upon in0ffensive citizens, aud was after
wards transferred to Louisiana, where he
handcuffed citizens and cut telegraph wires,
and committed sundry other offences, for
which he was now under arrest. He (Mr.
Dayis) would like TO have the resolution
amended so as to have Gen. Emory report
upon the conduct Of this same officer.
Mr.. Clayton said he had known Maj.
Merrill for years, and all he knew about
him led him TO believe he was an hOnOra-
bic man and true soldier, who dared to do
his duty In the face Of all the abuse lev
eled at every soldier who dared to 10 his
duty in Southern States.
At The expiration Of the morning hour,
Mr.. Schurz called up the resolution sub
mitted by him Friday, instructing the Ju-
dietary Committee to inquire what legisla-
ton was necessary 10 secure 70 the people Of
Louisiana their right Of self-gOyernment,
and report with the least possible delay.
He then addressed the Senate upon LOuisi-
ana af. Is at length, in the presence Of
crowded .'alleries. A large number Of the
members Of the House and others Occu-
pied seats in the rear Of the Senators
desks, and the clOak-rOOm was filled with
ladies,
Alter reviewing the events Of last Mon
day, Mr. Schurz said sit is my deliOer-
ate judgement, cOnscienteOusly formed,
that the deed on the 4th of January in
Louisiana, constitutes a gross and manifest
violation Of the Constitution and laws. We
have an act before us indicating spirit in
olir government which is either ignorant Of
the Constitution OF laws or so interpTets
them that they cease TO be the safeguard
of its independence Of the legislation,
the rights and liberties Of the
people, and that spirit shows
itself more alarming still in the instru-
ment the Executive has chosen to carry out
his will. No American citizen can have
read without profound regrets and equally
profound apprehension, the recent dispatch
OF Gen. Sheridan 10 the Secretary Of War,
in which he suggests that a numerous class
of citizens should. by wholesale, be ont
lawed as sbanditti' BY a mere proclamation
of the President, TO be delivered over to a
military commander for summary judg-
ment by a military commission.
ssOn all sides We hear the questions
asked: II this can be done in Louisiana,
if such things can be sustained by Congress,
how long will il be before 4 can be done
in Massachusetts, and Ohio? How long
before the constitutional rights Of all the
States, the selfgOvernment Of all the
people, will be tTampled under foot? How
long before a General Of the Army may
sit in the chair you occupy, to decide con-
tested elections, in order TO make a ma
iOrity in the Senate, and before a soldier
viii stalk into the House Of the nations
Representatives, pointing to the Speakers
gavel, say-'Take away that bauble!"
Mr.. SchUrz said he contemplated the
present crisis with grave apPrehensiOns;
that our time-hOnOred constitutional prin-
ciples would be gradually Obliterated by
repeated abuses of power, establishing
themselves as precedents; that the machine
~ Of administration would become a mere
instrument of ring rule, tool to manufac-
ture maiOrities and organize plundeT, aud
that republican forms Of government would
become a mere football Of rapaciOus and
despOtic factions.
He would hail the day as a most auspi-
cious one for the cOlOred people Of the
South, when they threw off the scandalOus
leadership of those adventures who, taking
advantage Of their ignorance, made them
tools for their rapacity. He appealed 10
Senators to turn back, ''fOr," said he, ''cOn-
slider that be who, in place like ours, fails
to stop, or even justifes blow at the funda-
mental law of the land, makes himself
the accomplice Of those who strike
at the life of the republican liberty Of the
people," The people Of the South were not
murderers and banditti. There were bad
elements among them, but the national
government itself was giving to these bad
elements q strength which they never
would have possessed otherwise BY its
unconstitutional proceedings. II put
every one Of these bad men in
the position of being oppressed and
pleading for freedom. He argued that
Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia,
where selfgoyernment was unObstructed,
were advancing in prosperity, while in
Louisiana and in other States where self
government was ObStructed, there was no
prosperity He thought the lawlessness Of
power was becoming far more dangerous
than 4 mob. Mr.. Schurz continued
81 shall be the last man on
earth to say word Of
excuse for the Southern rutiian who
threatens a negro voter with violence. /
know no language too severe to condemn
him; but l cannot forget that the only act
of terrorism and intimidation ! ever hap
pened TO witness with my own eyes was
the cruel clubbing and stOning of a colOred
man in North Carolina, in 1872, by men
of his own race, because he had declared
for the Conservatives, and if the whole
story Of the South we're told, it would be
discovered that this practice has not been
Unfrequent.
Surely, the time cannot be distant when
every American who truly lives his Liberty
will not fail to recognize his own cause in
the cause Of constitutional government in
Louisiana; when that spirit Of a peaceful
victory will bury the uSurpers under a
crushing load of patriotic indignation.
The people have lost confidence in the
truthfulness Of those who parade bloody
stories Of Outrages, because, in many in
stances, it was too glaringly apparent that
the blood and murder cry was used as
convenient partisan thunder TO catch votes.
l declare it here as my solemn conviction
that the Conservatives Of Louisiana, did
fairly carry the election by considerable
majority Of votes; that they were defrauded
by the Returning Board Of the results of
that election; that the soldiers of the Uni
ted States, when they invaded the Legisla-
tive Hall of Louisiana, did not Yindicate
but trampled under the feet Of lawless
force the true will Of the people of LOuisi-
ana, lawfully expressed at the polls. No
man will be able TO obscure the real ques-
tien before the Senate by any fimsy side
issues"
He hoped his motion TO instruct the
Judiciary Committee would not result in a
bill for a new election in Louisiana.
with General Sheridan as chief
ruler, and Packard to conduct the
campaign. No measure would avail which
did not boldly Vindicate the constitutional
privileges Of Louisiana and preserve 20 the
State the right Of self-gOvernment.
Senator Sehurz concluded as follows:
"Ip the name Of chat Inheritance of peace