Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-01-28
could not have acted differently than

could not have acted differently than
| lie did.
| When the government, when the
nation, Is we'll inside Of State or the
call Of its constitution authority,
when is it to go out? Why is it 70
go out, gentlemen, when the Dem
ocratic disturbance is queIled, not
before. Whenever the Legislature
assemblies in that State and says 10
the national government: "We are
at peace, 60 out" why, out you go.
Suppose now, that neither the COVER
nor the legislature makes any such
affirmations, how Is the President Ia
know when to go? He must exer.
else his own discretion. The year
breaks, the 4th Of January comes,
the legislature assemblies, the clerk
proceeds TO call the roll. Listen 10
me, gentlemen; here is the rub To
the question. The clerk proceeds 10
call the roll. He WINS the only man
in the State that could do 1t, and Tie
momentany gentlemen In that hall
undertook to make a motion not a,l-
dressed to the clerk, and to decide it
when the clerk had not pronounced
1t carried, and when another gentle
man not the clerk took the chair,
they ceased to be legislature and
became q mob. Drag out Ave men
from the legislature Of Louisiana !!
II was not a legislature but a New
Orleans mob. What does Gen. Sher-
idan say? No man had dared IL
write "liar" on the brow Of Gen.
Sheridan. The moment that gem
tleman, Mr.. Wiltz, under that iile-
gal motion took the chair, challenge
any legal gentleman here to answer.
That was mob. Loud applause /
l have had occasion to study this
question. Mr.. Chairman. We had ~
scene of that kind in this city In 1850,
when Mr.. Howe aud Mr.. Fay acted
exactly the same part In the drama
that Mr.. Wiltz did. They came for
ward and brushed aside the officers,
Ieaped ON the platform, and said,
We will run this meeting" IL
| was a mob.
Now, gentlemen, what was len In
Louisiana The Legislature wAs
fugitive from its own hall, and there
was nothing but mob Ia the eye OF
the law. A mob In the eye OF the
INV Nbd uo Dul nFihbRk--
Hiss, II you please. hut produce the
master vi p Elementary law that
will deny ary Of my propositions.
The Governor Of the State WAC left
alone, and he said as he was bound
to say to the United States troops,
who we're then In charge of the
city. They had gone there In Sep
teniber, aud as the President had
not seen fit to withdraw them, they
were lawfully there. He sends for
the soldiers and says TO them, "Turn
that mob out OF the State house -
and say, having for twenty years
studied that very point OF constitu-
tional law Of the United States.
| Now, the Hist gentleman on this
stand was our distinguished fellow
Icilizen, Gen Quincy. What did he
say? He i'll he len the firebrnntla
and ashes Of turmoil and bloodshed
/ when he left New Orleans. General
Sheridan was there with him and
saw these frebrands, and now that
same General Sheridan has gone
back there. Mr.. Qui icy resides In
hrebralids md hot ashes and discord
in Louisiana, he don't believe there
is any there to-day. But General
sheridan, who has gone back there,
rays there Is. Which will you be-
lieve? is not the man who has gone
down there and examined better
witness j an the man who tells you
he left that state OF things, but
thinks it Is not now there? ] AIN
not here to praise the administra-
tion. If these resolutions are passed,
they will carry c0nsternation into
! the house Of every negro In LOuisi-
ana. III ey will carry comfort To
every as ASSN In New Orleans. My
anxiety is not for Washington.
! don't ca o who Is President. Ny
anxiety 10 for the haunted, tortured,
poor, u addened population, white
and blp,k, Of the Southern States,
whom you ere going to consign TO
the Ina DIS of their Oppressors. II
you pass these resolutions cries "we
will, We wili"l II you pass these res
olutiorl -Icries 1--WE will, we will !"
If you pass these resolutions lciiea
"we v III, we will III say II In the
presen,e OF Almighty d-[cries Of
"Sh!" "Sh!"l-the blood Of more
than hundred blacks and hundred
whites will be on your skirts before
the fiYt day Of January next.
Gentlemen, have done all In
tended to do. only wanted to re-
cord the protest Of one citizen OF
Boston Iuproarious applause against
that series Of resolutions. Other men
recorded 1t by their absence, by their
refus to sign the call. chose to
record mine In presence, In this very
hall, and under this very roof, where
/ bave so often labored to bring
these colored men into the very con-
dition in which they are. should
de- m myself wanting In my duty ~
an Id aboIitionist loud kissing and
app ausel II I did not utter every
word IN my power to prevent word
going out from this hall that will
make negro or white Republican
more defenceless."
According To the investigation OF
tha Pacific Mail SWinll0 there Ia a