Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-27

eussiOn on the bill to provide against the
invasion Of States and to prevent subYet-
sion Of their authority aud to maintain the
! security OF elections. There was an ater-
age attendance Of members and the gal
leries were crowded.
Debate was opened by Mr.. Coburn. He
said that somebody, in great emergencies,
must be trusted, somebody must act and
take the responsibility, or else the nation
must die. When that eventful day came,
the President must put his foot down.
Mr.. BUckner a member of the special
committee on Alabama, characterized the
| bill as extraordinary, revolutionary and
anti-Republican. He could not resist the
conviction that what he found this morn
| ing In the National Republican, the Presi-
| dents organ, vas trIie-ari editorial state
ment that the passage of the bill was requi-
site to preserve to the Republicans the
electoral votes of the Southern States. He
protested against the bill as a measure that
would cOnsign the Southern States to inter-
nal war and discord.
Mr.. Willard, of Michigan, made an elO-
quent, earnest and imprisoned speech
against the bill, and was listened to with
marked interest and attention. He depre-
Gated any legislative action that would re-
suit in still further infatning the public
mind; and did not restrain the present in
vitation by which the country was made
the mere prey Of opposing extremists ana
the helpless victim Of cOntending parties.
Mr.. Hays, Of Alabama, proceeded to
make a personal defense of himself in con-
nectiOn with the Hawley letter. He con-
fesSed that in some minor acts he had been
misled, but that generally his charges as to
lawlessness and murders had been sus-
tanned.
Mr.. Hawley, of Connecticut, said he had
been ali his life Radical in politics, but
the time had come when be had seriously
to consider whether he could 60 on with
bis Radical associates. He did not like to
part company with them, but if he
had to do lit, he could not
agree to put any further or
greater power in the hands Of the Presi-
dent. He knew there were wrongs in the
South, but they were wrongs which could
never be reached until the Constitution
was changed. There was a social, educa-
tiOnal and moral reconstruction needed in
the South, but it would never come from
the legislative halls of State or nation. He
went on to argue that tie Federal Govern
ment, while It could interfere to protect
American citizens in foreign countries, had
no right or power to interfere with the exer-
else Of civil law within the States. The
system on which the government was
founded prohibited such an interference.
He appealed to Southern gentlemen to give
an assurance that they would put an end
to KU-Klux and White Leaguers and see
fair play, and then there would be no in
reference with them. He would
rather trust their former slaves
with them than with great many North
ern men. But if these wrongs did continue,
if Ku-Klux and White Leagues went on
with murder and OStTacism for political !
opinions, and if spirit Of hostility to the |
Government were continued, a strength |
would be given TO the desire of |
the North to do justice at the |
South, and by and by the fire would burst |
out, and when it did come, when the hot |
blood Of the slow and sluggish North was |
aroused, and when a war followed, he |
dreaded for the future Of the eOUatTy;
State lines would vanish like tow in a fire, !
and there would De q centralized govern |
ment which would Oyer-Tule the ancient |
governments, and there would be a final |
failure Of the great experiment Of Re |
publiCanism. No community could pros |
per where capital and labor were at |
war and were made mutual victims Of |
ruinOus aniagonisn. The partizan policy |
which augmented aud kept alive constant |
discOrd between them in the Southern |
States was as senseleSs as it was fatal to |
the renewal Of business prosperity. This |
certainly was no time for a superfluOus |
agitation. The business men Of the cOun- |
try, North and South, demanded |
an immediate cessation Of these |
intestine troubles. They realized |
that an increase of % per cent. would be |
added TO the business Ofevery Northern and |
Western city, and so per cent to the prOduc- !
ton Of every Southern State, if there were |
to-day a complete restoration Of confidence |
and quiet.
It was midnight when Mr.. Biery, of |
Pennsylvania, commenced 70 speak, and |
there were very few members present.