Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-03-04
ONLY ONE DEKOCRATLN THE HOUSE
TOTES TO GITF LOUISIANA PEACE.

ONLY ONE DEKOCRAI IN IHE HOCSE
VOTES TO GIT'E LOUISIANA PEACE.
The hypocrisy of the democrats in the
House of Representatives concerning the
pacification of Louisiana was unmasked in
the proceedings on Monday last attending
the passage Of the compromise resolves.
The republican party has been denounced
without stint by the democracy as the
cause of all the troubles in Louisiana, and
charged with intending to keep the State
under bayonet rule, to oppose any peace
full settlement of existing troubles, in or
der to create capital for the republican
party in the northern States. For them
selves the democrats have claimed to be
the champions of peace in Louisiana.
Their appeals in that direction have been
very eloquent; their acts however are the
opposite.
The compromise resolutions it will be
recollected were two; the first recon-
mending the restoring to seats in the Lou
isiana House of the members rejected by
the Illegal action Of the Returning Board
the second recommending the recognition
Of Kellogg as Governor of the State.
These were called up in the House Mon
day morning by Mr.. George F. Hoar of
Massachusetts, A motion to suspend the |
rules that the resolves might be passed
together was defeated, the vote being yeas
154 nays IS, and o-thirds being necessa-
ry to suspend the rules. A motion was
then made to suspend the rules and bring
the resolves before the House for separate
vote. This was the test vote in the case,
for while two-thirds were necessary to sus-
pend the rules, the passage of the resolves
when once before the House required only
a majority. Upon the yeas and nays be-
ing called again on the question of sus
pension the result was yeas 172, nays 50,
one more than two-thirds, all the demo-
Gratis voting solidly against suspending
the rules with the exception of Alexander
H. Stephens OF Georgia, whose vote given
the other way would have defeated the
motion. To the republicans therefore of
the House aided by the decisive vote of
Mr.. Stephens is due the passage of the
Louisiana compromise and peace resolu
tons in that body. On the passage Of the
resolutions themselves there was no OBJ
lection to passing the first, but on the last
the vote stood yeas 1863, nays SO, the dem
ocrats voting againt it.
Thus the democrats of the House as
body put themselves on record against an
equitable settlement of the Louisiana diff
culties. After the vote was taken Mr..
Hoar called attention to their position in
the following words:
81 regret that our friends or
the other side should have voted
in solid column against permit-
ting q proposition to give peace
TO Louisiana even TO be voted
upon"
Yes, they did all they could to prevent
proposition to give peace to Louisiana
even to be voted upon They voted to
sustain the White League and the Ku-
Klux, and to make necessary the interven-
ton of Federal bayonets to protect the
peaceably disposed portion of the people
of Louisiana against the Vaccinations and
outrages of the red-handed "banditti" of
whom Sheridan spoke. Nevertheless we
presume we shall hear them again plead
ing for peace for poor, down-trodden Lou
isiana, and again charging the republicans
with being responsible for the continue.
ton of the reign of anarchy and terror in
that State.
One democrat, to his honor be it said,
Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia, voted
against his associates, and by his action
made it possible for the peace proposition
to be considered and adopted Honor to
Mr.. Stephens for his noble act 1t de-
serves TO be remembered in connection
with the stand he took in the Georgia con-
vention against Secession. How his act
is regarded by his colleagues, and what
were his reasons for voting as he did is
explained in the following which appears
in a Washington despatch to the New
York Times:
The democrats are very much displeased with
Alexander II. Stephens for the vote he gave to-
day On the motion to suspend the rules in relation
TO the Louisiana resolutions. Before casting that
vote Mr.. Stephens conversed with some of his po-
ltical associates, whom he informed ofhis purpose
to vote for suspendng the rules. They remonstra
ted with him, but in reply he said he regarded
the resolutions as a compromise which
was satisfactory to a large body of the
Louisiana Conservatives, and he believed
the adoption Ofthe resolutions would give
peace to the State. Some of the democrats
are so incensed with Mr.. Stephens that it was
riously proposed to denounce him as being false
70 the sentiments Of those he represented, and his
age and infrmity only prevented them from car
rying out that proposition
What his colleagues at Washington may
do in revenge against Mr.. Stephens we do
not know, but there is no democrat with
a conscience and judgment that will not