Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-03-26


lara'ion that the people Of Louisiana are ban
ditli they may be lul ned over to the tender
mcrcies Of military court martial, with lull au
thuriy to sit aud try aud coudemn and execute
any Gil yep between the rising and the setting
Of the SUI. That is what was asked. Does
any one suppose Tor moment that there was
10 concert OF action here. 10 understanding;
that there was not belief on the part of one
if not both OF the parties in this drama that
such might be the result of this mssou2 l
canuut know, 20 one can, but think the cir
cumst ances that surround It justify the assump-
tiun that such Was the course that Was expect
ed to be pursued, and that thus by this SUN.
mary measure all opposition 10 the kellogg
government and to the administration of Gen.
eral Grant would be crushed Que 10 the blood
Of its opponents in Lou siana. The kilograms
which passed between these high officials ex-
hibit history which will yet be told 10 such
words as will raise such storm OF Indignation
from one cod of this great country to the other,
from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and from the
SLOWS Of Maine to the torrld CLINE OF Texas,
that those who justify aud defend this action
will c,Wer and shrink from the consequences
Of their act. The purpose So thiuy concealed
in the telegrams that passed between these
parties on that occasion flashed notes OF warn
lng that will yet be heard and | believe chron-
iclcd with such public reprobatlon Of the acts
proposed 10 be there enacted az will forever
preclude repetition, even by military gentle
men not lawyers.
The disorders, the scenes of violence which
have been here time aud ngaiu recaptulated,
are plead as excus $ and reasons for this mill
tary interference, aud this distinguished mill
tary leader with hot haste forwarded what pur-
ported TO he u list of sune three or fur or live
thousand men who have been murdered in
Louisiana because of their political opinions
have been looking over "a little Of The evidence
in this case, for was myself struck with horror
ut the alleged outrages described. could not
believe it possible that such scenes had been
enacted and that SO many acts OF violence had
been committed knew and am ready TO
admit that many places throughout the South,
NY, and throughout the North too, have wit
messed scenes If violence but | cannot believe
one hall OF onetenth Of the acts OF violence al
legged to have been committed 10 Louisian or 10
any other southern State 10 looking over the
testimony presented with one of the official re-
ports, my attention was directed especially to
Que parish do not recall the name at pres
cnt as it is not important, and it lies on the
table and can be referred TON which it Was
alleged that nearly two hundred murders had
been committed slice 1868 found there was
the testimony OF Que sole w!nr 81 to the fact, be
averring that he had kept record siuce 1868
of every murder that had been committed 10
that parish and that they amounted to so many;
but when he was requested to produce his re-
cord, 10, it presented the names of Twelve men
specified, and the rest filled up in blank
no name, no place, no time indicated what
ever, and he admitted that he had no knowl-
edge on the subject except that he had been
told that such Was the case. The twelve Dames
we're subsequently brought before him cons,-
cuivey in review, and after sitting him
through the process of rigid cross-examipa-
ton it appeared that Of his own knowledge he
knew Of Two Instances only i'll which men had
been killed in that parish. The number of one
hundred and eighty assasslnatlonS was reduced
to two The great dramatis of Eng laud has
immortal;zcd scene in which certain men in
buckram played very important part; but
not the genius Of Shakespeare himself ever de
vised such a picture as that presented to that
committee when they found that one hundred
elimination were reduced to two. E1 unO
disco Onlnes!'
| have 90 hesitation in asserting that most
OF the acts of violence which have been com-
u,tted in the Southern States have been the
result, of private teuds because it is demon
slrated by the evidence which Was taken by
your own committee aud by the committee of
the other House that they we're generally in
stances Of murders of black men by black men
or of white meu by white men, 10 which poll
tics played not the slightest part. They were
private feuds gotten up to avenge private
wrongs, or sudden quarrels, the result oi acct
dent or other cause which led to these acts Of
lawless violence Which | aud those who act
with NE deprecato US much as any gentleman
Of the majority on the other side. But, sir, if
acts OF violence aud of lawcssness justify an in
lertcrence by the military authorities OF the
Uuited States in the civil affairs of any State
why is it that We DO not here Of some such 10.
reference where other States are concerned?
Within the last week | have observed in the
public journals the statement that certain
number of negroes have been assaulted and
driven from their labor in the neighborlng
State Of Ohio Miners engaged 10 a peaceful
occupation, laboring for their own subsistence,
have been driven from their labor by armed
and orgauz ID bands Of white men, for no other
reason than that they were black men aud the
whites did not mean that they should work iu
the mines. Did we hear Of troops being or
dered herc2 Has Sheridan or any military
officer been ordered to assume command of the
department north of the Ohio aud see that the
laws are faithfully executed aud that violence
aud bloodshed are suppressed there? Do We
hear Of any telegram from that quarter, asking
the Executive to proclaim as outlaws the peo-
pie of Ohio because Of these acts Of violence?
Yet here ''the wards Of the nation themselves
we're the subjects oil violence at the hands Of
white men, distinction was drawn against
them III consequence Of their race, color, or
previous condiiou," aud | have never heard
that it has been prosecuted as a violation oil
the civil rights bill. Now it seems to NE
bad rule that will not Work both ways"
Mr. President, If were 10 regard this ques
ton from mere partisan standpoint should
not regret the introduction and passage OF these
resolutions here. | do not prcteud 10 question
in any degree the astuteness and skill OF the
leaders OF the majority on this Il 'or. | pre-
sumo they know what they are about. l know