The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-09
aovernmeuts.rsQaeslIens Of, great .delicacy

d IGoyernments.saQa Questions Of great sdelicac,
e arise in dealing With them.
/. The people Of every State have the rigli
to make their own Constitution to suit them
i selves, provided it be republican in formanc
: lin harmony with the Constitution Of The
c tUnitcd States, and the National Government
{. has not authority to deprive them Of that
e right. Here we have the case OF q State
: having q Constitution republican in form,
adopted and ratified by a large majority OF
, the people, governed by officers of their
quiet and peace. Your committee cannot
) find any solid ground on which to stand
TO say the General Government can or
ought to interfere, and no amount o!
irregularity in the process by which
this state Of things was brought about
furnishes Just reason for doing so. The
committee believe that upon principles now
we'll established these defects and irregu'ari-
ties in the proceedings must be regarded as
covered by the verdict Of the people. The
election held for ratification was under form
of law, and the officers who conducted it
acted under appointment and under official
oaths, and though we regard all as defective
because prescribed by the convention in.
stead OF the Legislature. still we believe they
are entitled to be regarded differently from
mere voluntary meetings held under no pre-
tence of legal authority.
The committee do not recommend any &C
ton by Congress or by any department Of
the General Government in regard to the
State government of Arkansas.
Mr.. Ward, Of Illinois, the other member of
the committee, presents minority report,
and takes an entirely different view of the
testimony. In his report he says:
,tt. 1ph nf MOI Y00u
take possession Of State. depose its officers,
arrest its judges, close its courts, intimidate
its people through violence and murder, pro-
vide its own way of holding and its own Of
icers to hold elections, and its own officers to
declare the result, and the fruits Of such de-
fiance of all law are binding upon the people
of such State and upon Congress, then the
present pretended government OF Arkansas
is legitimate, and must be recognized as SUCH,
bit not otherwise. Those who will READ the
evidence must be satisfied there was reign
of terror throughout Arkansas during the
npriod in which the sO-called Garland gov
eminent was being formed and set IN motlon
entirely inconsistent with full and iair 'eX-
preston of the will o. the people on that
subject"
After asserting that violent acts had been
perpetrated in different parts of the State,
Mr.. Ward continues:
"Men in office were impeached without
cause or notice and elected by military
power. Property Of private citizens was
taken illegally and without compensation to
the owners. The Judges of the supreme
Court were arrested by armed force, SUD.
jected to insults and abuse, concealed, and
finally spirited away, TO be assasSinated II an
attempt should be made for their rescue, or
if they should attempt to escape. Mounted
bands of desperate men roamed the country
to awe and intimidate the coored people
even at their barbecues and Quotations. Men
high in command of the so-caled militia,
and at the head and in possession ola strong
force Of their own men, threatened quiet and
peaceable citizens with death by hanging.
Baxter himself was daily mutterng his
curses, surrounded by his troops, selected
because they were desperate men and would
ire on the Supreme Court, and constantly
uttered bis profane threats to arrest and
hang or drive from the State the last Brooks
man."
Attention is then called to some Of the
more objectionable features Of the new Con.
stitution, among which is the one emitting
the clauses in relation to loyalty, and that in
relation TO the recognition OF the sale OF
school lands made under the Confederate
Government.
The Legislature" continues the report.
'have inaugura:ed steps which look TO the
practical restoration of slavery. Bills have
been introduced: first, aboisbng the dis
tiuctonS between grand and petty larceny,
and making them as well as vagrancy felo
MES, and punishable by Imprisonment in the
penitentiarg; second, a system Of sub-peni-
tentiaries in each county Of the State; third,
the sale of the labor of all convicts."
The result of these laws will be that all
colored men will soon be driven from the
State or subjected to imprisonment. The
report concludes as follows:
"If these proceedings in Arkansas are TO
70 unrebuked and the result to stand as
precedent in American history, then constl-
tutions may be overthrown and the right OF
minorities trampled upon by parties for any
purpose in times Of excitement, and there Is
no remedy. 1t is revolution legazed and
secession made easy. This formula will ap.
NV as we'll to tie National as to the State
Government. The fearful consequences to
flow from such principle incorporated into
our law need not predict or speculate upon.
"There can he no stability in the State or
The nation on any such basis. No protection
or security for minorities; no protection to
liberty. In this case every form Of conslltu-
tinnal and State Law, was violated. The
American people cannot endorse the result.
The following resolution is therefore sub
mtted:
/" Resolred. That Joseph Brooks, having
been by the people Of Arkansas elected to
the Office of Governor Of said State under the
Constitution of 1868 for the period OF four
wears, ending in January, 1877, and said Con-
stitution never having been legally overturn-
ed or abrogatcd. and being still 10 force, he
is the lawful Governor of said State of Ar
kansas
HEJolcrSG IL ARKANSAS.
LITTLE ROCK, February The majority
report of the Arkansas investigating commit
tee was received here Saturday with general
T. ioicing. Cannon were fired. and the pco-
pie generally manifested enthusiasm. One
hundred guns were fired at Pine Bluff and
+ five hundred at Hot Springs on the reception
Of the news.
DEATH OF GENERAL WILLIAM HAYs.-Bos-
ton. February 7.-Brevct Brigadier-G General
William Hays, United States army, died at
: 1905 p. NJ, to day at Fort Independence,
Boston harbor, Of organic disease Of the
heart. He was born in Richmond, Va, ap-
Z 4