National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-21

water. These trips offer chances OF health
full amusement that are now being con-
stantly called into requisition by our citi-
zens, and which promise in the immediate
future q much moro extended Development
DEMOCRACY IN ALABAMA.
The Democrats of the South are laboring
very hard just now to convince the people
of the North that they are Union-ioying
and law abiding party. They hope to dot
by Gushing" and securing the continued
and incessant aid of Vice President Wilson.
Some months ago Thomas L. Ivy, colored
mail agent, and white lawyer named Bill
lIngs, were uaylaid and assassinated in
Sumter county, Alabama. They had COM
mitted no offense except that of voting and
urging others to vote the Republican ticket.
No coroner has ever yet inquired into the
circumstances of their taking of. No grand
jury has found any indictments against
their murderers. No SQUIRT has ever in
structed grand jury that it was within
the range of its duties to endeayor to ascer-
tain who were the guilty parties. The
Democratic Governor of the State has never
offered any reward for the apprehension or
discovery of the murderers. Could these
things have happened in any other State or
under any other than Southern Democratic
government ..
A Republican House of Representatives
sent a committee to investigate alleged cleo
ton irregularities in Alabama, and that COM
mittes took testimony disclosing the circum-
stances attending these crimes and printed
the same, together with the names Of the
perpetrators Still no action has been taken
by the Democratic lsgal authorities of the
State for their apprehension and conyic-
ton. The reason is that 1t is no crime in
the mind of Southern Democrat to kill
Republican. Notwithstanding all recent
Gushing" the fact of reckless prodigality
of life still remains. A Republican, be he
black or white, has no right to live in
Alabama.
Such men as Representatives White,
Hays and Pelham are ''scalawags," and
Senator Spencer is q 'tcarpet-bagger, and
they and their supporters are only fit to
kill They are not to be compared to Ala
bama gentlemenCO and their poor white
trash ruffians, the tools who commit their
crimes for them with the understanding
that they shall be protected from the ven
geance of the law for such performances.
We are constrained to note the foregoing
facts at the present time by the result of
the recent election in that State for dele
gates to q convention to revise its organic
law. The constitution of Alabama is &C.
knowledged by most Of those who may be
considered competent judges to be an eI-
cellent instrument. But these lordly Sc
cesh dictators, now called Conservative
Democrats, or "Gushers," are not pleased
with it. 1t is Objectionable chiefly because
it is part of the compact under which the
State was readmitted to representation in
Congress after its stampede in 1851. These
gushing repentant, or willing to-be forgiven
rebels, are never so happy as when max
ing conpacts, except it be when they
are breaking them. Their notions of honor
seem to rise just about to that height: If
they give parole, or make compact with
a hated Yankee, and fail to break it upon
the first opportunity, they think that they
have lost a chance to do a good turn for
the Lost Cause, and for that they upbraid
themselves. Indeed, it would seem that
their ideas of religion and honor begin and
end in that Lost Cause" If they are
caught lying, stealing, breaking the Sab
bath or committing murder and rapine,
peace is made and dissolution given at once
if the victims of the wrong are only shown
to be the enemies of the Lost Cause"
The Democrats of Alabama were among
the most strenuous in endeayors to obtain
the acceptance of the present constitution,
and they virtually agreed in such accept
ance that they would not countenance its
change or modification except by the mode
prescribed in the instrument itself But,
as we have said, such promises are nothing
to them. They are no more to them than
their oaths to execute the State laws. By
these oaths the officials swore to punish
the assassins of Ivy and Billings. But as
we have said, they have never made the
first move in that direction. The United
States House of Representatives has inves-
tigated the facts, produced evidence show
ing the guilty parties, and we have printed
il In our news columns, and it has been
copied far and wide. There can, there
fore, be no escape under the pretence that
the guilty parties are unknown. Their
names and residences were given in the
printed testimony taken by the investigat-
ing committee. In fact, there is no valid
excuse for not bringing or attempting to
bring these assassins to justice. The true
reason for not arresting, trying and hang
ing them is that the public sentiment of
that locality will not sustain the judges and
jurors in indicating the majesty of the
law and Furnishing such shameless sacri-
fees of human life. The crimes were COM
mitted at the behest of the Ku-Klux, and
the leading men among the State authori-
ties are either the leaders or the creatures
of these midnight assassins. They dare
not punish their crimes.
The Alabama Ku.Klux are more shrewd
than some of their brethren in other States.
They have learned that United States stat
utes do not recognize murder as crime
punishable by the federal courts unless 1t is
committed outside Of State Jurisdiction.
Not being amenable to United States law
for murder, that was considered, and Justly
so, the safest crime for them to commit.
Here, " they said, "iss great Government
(which can make war for the protection
"of its citizens abroad and millions of troops
-"to coerce 3 State at home, while it is ut
:" terly and entirely impotent to punish the
murder of its own law officers within
estate jurisdiction, except by military
commission In this way were the as
sassins of its President tried. In this way
Sheridan limited at the trial of the Ku- Klux
of Louisiana, but what a hullabaloo the
simple hint stirred up among the. adherents
of the Lost Cause" and its sympathizers,
both Moth ard South What outrage
q Slater cried Evarts and Reverdy John.
son. Punish her murderers for her with
out her asking ..'said Tilden s. Co. Why
the hint ofsuch thing was regarded as an