New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-10
BY TELEGRAPH.
CONGRESS.
Debate on Louisiana Affairs Continued
Senate.

ators here. He alluded to the banditti
dispatch of General Sheridan, and said the
men he tSheridan) desired to have declared
| banditti were those men who had covered
the South with murder and assassination,
burned schO0lhOuses and committed all kinds
| depredatious. The Democrats might raise
| this cry Of constitutional liberty being
destroyed; they might raise it in
| their subsidized press, but when the story
of these fearful outrages in the South came
to be fully understood public opinion would
condemn the Democratic party. He argued
| that the Republicans had been humane and
kind, and had willingly extended mercy to
those who attempted to stab the nation.
| He did not say all the Southern people were
| bad There were hundreds and thousands
of people there whose souls revolted at
these deeds of iniquity. He hoped the
Senate would begin at the right end, and
have the information desired before CON
tinuing the debate.
Mr.. West, of Louisiana, again referred to
the troubles in that State for years past,
and said the men whom Sheridan desired to
have declared banditti were the same men
| who had taken the arms from the State
and had never laid them down, though
commanded to do SO by the proclamation
| of the President.
He then read list of arms taken from
| the ate which had never been returned,
| Springfield rifles, 30l Winchester rifles, 604
Enfield rifae, ninty three Spencer carbines
and 1890 bayonets.
Mr.. Morton epoke In Savor Of his amend.
| ment, and quoted from reports OF commit
| tees of Congress to show that there were
armed bands In the South who defied all
| law. Referring to the banditti dispatch of
General Sheridan, he said it was true that
| Sheridan did not write like o lawyer; he
did not write like some of those on the
other side of this chamber who have as
| sailed him, but while they were studying
| law and learning to argue, Phil was in
the field fighting for his country.
| He (Morton) had no doubt there
| we're more men killed for political offenses
in louisiana than had been killed in all the
| Indian wars for the last twenty years. This
whole thing, he remarked, looked to him as
| if it WAS preoODcerted plan to extermi-
| nate the Republican party in every South.
| ern State. Then the Democrats would have
every one OF those States, and all they had
| to do would be to get one or two Northern
| States and thus elect the next President
| Il had been denied on this floor that any
such thing as a Ku-Klux organization ex-
listed.
Mr.. Thurman inquired when and by
| whom such denial was made.
| Mr.. Morton said it had been repeatedly
denied by the Democrats.
| mr.. thurman shlu Lne senator could not
| name an instance,
Mr.. Merton, resuming his argument,
| quoted from the speech OF the Senator from
Georgia lGOrdOnl of yesterday as to peace
existing in that State, and said, while he
had no doubt the Senator was sincere in his
statement, he (MOriOn) must be allowed to
express his incredulity. He had evidence
that four hundred negroes in Georgia were
| deprived of the right of suffrage because
| thew did NOT nav the H0hOOl tax
Mr.. Gordon inquired the name of the
writer
Mr. Morton said it was not very safe to
make public the names of Republicans in
the South.
Mr.. Gordon replied that the reports of
outrages were exaggerated, and said in one
instance when he WAS candidate for Office,
and his opponent was declared to have
! been electt d, r. publican there asserted
that unless he was made United States SEN
ator and Superintendent of Roads he would
show that Gordon defeated his opponent by
600e or 7000 majority. That man was
elected United States Senator and Super
intendent of Roads too.
Mr. MOrtOn-WhO was that manf
Mr.. GOrdOn-FOster Blodgett.
Mr. Morton, resumiDg, said the Repub-
lican vote in Georgia had fallen off greatly.
Mr. Gordon said his predecessor in the
Senate, Joshua Hill, was Republican when
| Nc occupied ulE 66db IN Lib SudLu OSf. EluG6
then he had seen tit, for causes which suited
him, to change his opinion. No man stood
higher in the State than Mr.. Hill He was
man of influence, and when he left the
Republican party many went with him.
There were many cOlOred men in Georgia
who voted the Democratic ticket His
iGordon's) carriage driver had declared to
him that he desired to vote the Democratic
ticket, but he feared to do SO as he would
hA murdered by his own color
Mr. Norton said the language of the SEN
atOr from Georgia would do in this debate,
bat it wOnld hardly do in Georgia or in
in Faneul Hall in Boston.
Mr. Gordon said if the Senator meant to
say that be (GOrdonl uttered sentiments
here which he would not utter in Georgia
or in Faneuil Hail. he uttered libel Oh his
(Gurdon'sl character.
Mr. Morton said the sentiments of the
gentleman were not operative.
Mr. Gordon said they were operative.
Mr.. Merrimon, of North Carolina, also
spoke of peace existing in the South, es-
peeially in his own State.
Mr.. Scott, of Pennsylvania, asked the
Senator tMerTimonl if he remembered a
man named Shank, or Sohenok, in North
Carolina, who had testified before the con-
gressional committee that he was a mem
Der of the Ku'Klux organization, and who
had subse QuenIly been made Judge by the
people of that State
Mr.. MerrimOn replied that he did, and the
district of that judge was one of the most
quiet districts in the State.
Mr. Scott inquired if that same Judge
had not shot down negro in the streets,
and had never been brought to trial for the
offense.
Mr. Merrimon said it was not true that
the judge (Shankl had shot down q negro
in the street, The Judge was assailed at
his house BY 3 drunken negro who refused
to leave after being warned off. The judge
fired and KILLED the negro and Immediately
went to = magistrate and surrendered
himself. He was tried and acquitted. In
conclusion, Mr.. MerrimOn said, there was
not more quiet community than North
Carolina to day. They had q Republican
Governor, q Republican Judiciary and a
Democratic Legislature, but perfect peace
Tegned.
Mr. Gordon said the Senator from Indiana
tMOrtOnl had spoken of the Democrats car
rying Georgia, and the Republican vote
falling of He tGordon) would like TO in.
quire of that S.Dator how 1t was the Demo
crats carried Indiana; how they carried
Ohio, which State a shOEt time previous
gave 40, 600 Republican MAJORITY How they
carried New York; how they carried Massa
| ehuseits and Pennsylvania, the Keystonl
State He (Gordon) challenged cOmpari
son of the court records of Indiana Witl
those of Georges, and Was willing to abid'
By the result.
Mr.. Thurman said all this CRY of outrage
and White Leagues on the Republican sid
| of the chamber was TO obscure the raa
questisn. Did the Senators on that sid
think they oould deceive euch men ~ th
ex Attorney General, who had signed tn
call tor meeting al New York, and anothe