The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-03-25

instrument, embodied in it, as sound and
iuviolable as the original charter which
came from the hands of their fathers
/ Applause.
What then is the cause or combination
Of causes which, not existing in the
North, not existing in far the greater PoT-
ton Of the South. and not existing before
in the disturbed localities before the war,
has produced this deplorable state OF
things? The President of the United
States in his annual message uses the fol-
lowing remarkable language. Speaking OF
the people among whom these disturbances
/ exist, he saws: Il svmpathiZe with their
PROSTATE condition, acknowledging '-fel-
/ low-citizens, that Is a remarkable express
sion for the President Oft the United Safes
To use in commun icating information to
/ Congress" acknowledging that in some
/ instances they have had NEST trying gov
ernments to live under, and very oppres-
| sive ones in the way Of taxation for nom
inal improvements, not giving benefits
equal TO the hardships imposed. Have
you not here revealed an adequate cause
/ for discomfort and Disturbance In what
age of the world, in what country have
not such effects followed from oppressive
governments, imposing burdens of tax
alton with no corresponding benefit upon
PROSTATE people? Why, my fellow
citizens, what is the use of Congressional
| investigation, what is the use OF appealing
/ to passion and hatred when you have
/ here from the Executive himself causes
which, in all ages, have produced disorder,
violence, and bloodshed? Oppressive
government !" What does that signify !?
/ 1t means the sway of corruption, cupidity
and craft, peculation, and embezzlement,
/ intimidation Of voters, bribery, waste OF
public treasure. loss of public credit,
false returning boards, fraudulent ballot
ing, intimidation by the Federal military
taxation in all its grinding and diversified
forms. PROSTATE conditions W hat
does that mean? 1t means a people
reduced to bankruptcy and wretchedness,
agriculture Frustrated, commerce, trade,
merchanic arts all broken down, enter
prise paralyzed, the resources of industry
drank up, and the people with hearts
broken by the spoliation and oppression
and plumber and impurity of their rulers.
Applause.
But, fellow citizens, on this point l
have higher authority than that Of the
President Of the Nation, high and exalted
as his position is In view of these ter
rible and narrowing stories of outrages
and murders in the South, committee
was appointed upon Southern affairs, or
dered by Republican House of Repre-
sentatives, appointed by Republican
Speaker They sent subcommittee,
the majority OF which were Republicans
-Messrs Phelps and Foster and Potter
MIR. Foster is a Republican of the most
decided character, representing Radical
district, ardent and uncompromising in
his tendencies. In the session before he
had won reputation for faithfulness as
an investigator and for his adherence to
the conclusions to which his investiga-
tons conducted him. Mr.. Phelps was
also Il Republican of decided tendencies,
but man of lofty patriotism which
raised him above party following and
made him in the midst of great events
act with sole reference to the welfare OF
the whole country Mr.. Potter, Of New
York, was a Democrat, but one whose
reputation for integrity, honor and ablll-
tv was too high TO allow him TO peril it by
signing his name to a partisan or unfair
report. | speak of these facts to show
you that they repaired to this disturbed
district looking at the same events and
condition of things with minds somewhat
diverse. Yet, after long and laborious
investigation, they make unanimous
report. | will read from that report to
YOU Speaking of the charge that there
had been intimidation OF colored voters,
the committee say it was not borne out by
the facts before them. ''No general in
timidation of Republican voters can be
established; no colored man was produced
who had been threatened or assaulted by
any Conservative because of political
opinion, or discharged from employment
or refused employment OF fall those =
this is report, gentlemen, unanimous
report of committee, two of whom are
Republicans and one a Democrat
all those who testified to intimidation
there was hardly any one who, of his
own knowledge, could specify a reliable
instance of such act. OF the white men
who were produced to testify generally
on this subject, very nearly all. If not
every single one, was the holder of an
office Throughout the rural districts of
the State the number of white Republi-
cans are very few; it hardly extends be-
yond those holding Office and those con-
nected with them. No witness, we be-
lieve, succeeded in naming in any parish
FIVE Republicans who supported the kel-
logg government who were not themselves
ofice-holders or related to office-holders,
or themselves having official employ
ment" You remember, fellow-cItizens,
that the Returning Board. a Republican
Returning Board, in New Orleans elected
enough Democrats to make the Republl-
cans have majority in the Legislature.
They were turned out of the Legislature
by the power of the Federal military.
Here is what the committee say upon
that subject: without now referring
to the other instances we are constrained
to declare that the action of the Return
ing Board on the whole was arbitrary,
unjust and in our opinion illegal; and
that this arbitrary, unjust and illegal &C
ton alone prevented the returning by the
Board of a majority of Conservative
members to the Lower House" They
90 on to declare that there is q fearful
despotism in that country that is taking
all the substance OF the people, taxing
property in New Orleans an annual
amount exceeding the rents of the pro-
perty, taxing some of the rural parishes
to the amount of eight per cent.
So much for that When this report,
unanimous, came to Congress, it struck
the people with astonishment; the Repub-
| lican members were silent in their amaze
ment, and at once the other portion of
the committee repaired to New Orleans
for the purpose Of making different re-
port. Messrs Hoar of Massachusetts,,
Wheeler of New York, Frye of Maine,
with Mr. Marshall Democrat from Hi