Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-01-08
CONGKEss.--sECON
SESSION.
SENATE.

sojfT S-TH!l.D CONGKEss.--sECON
SESSION.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 6.
Mr.. West. OF Louisiana said it has been
charged here by the Senator'S on the other
side Ot the chamber that the President had
used the army in Louisiana, in violation OF
tue law. They need not think the Presi-
dent had made i mistake. lie might make
mistakes sometimes, bat he never made a
military mistake. Ii had been charged here
further that ten. Sheridan was ordered to
New Orleans over a general OF the army.
and contrary to all usage. lie OR. West)
before commencing his speech fortunately
had found upon the floor of the Senate the
Secretary OF War, and upon asking him if
sucn had been the case. the secretary re-
PHed IN the negative and handed evidence
10 him to contredIct the statements that the
General OF the Army had been ignored.
Mr.. West then sent to the clerk : desk
| and had read the following letter received
/ hy him from the the Secretary OF War.
headquarters of the Army, st. Louis,
/ No. Dec 30. To Gen. W. ". Belknap,
| Secretary OF War, Washington; | have the
honor to acknowledge the receipt of your
confidential communication OF the 26th,
D y,
I your Ohedie nj servant, ". I. sherman,
General.
Mr.. Nauls Jury, OF Del-That i simply
an acknowl sdgement OF the receipt of the
confidential communication, and does not
state the character OF them.
Mr.. ess answered-W men thu, re-olu-
ZION sha4I rave been passed and all the in
formation comes out, the Senator Will see
that It wa an Acknowledgement OF the re-
ceIpt OF a 4 the orders and communications
IN reieTeIice TO Gen. Sheridan being ordered
to New Orleans. That j. the fact and
know 1t 70 Be So
lie then proceeded to review the circum-
stances attending the organization of the
legislature in New Orleans on Mond. " last.
anu charged that Z = the laws Of Louisiana
the acts Of the Conservative mcmb srs OF
that legislature were illegal, violent and
revolutionary and IN the fac; were acts OF u
mob. The Saatns Of five members, whose
SEATS were contested, before any perm. .nent
organization, WAS without parellel. lie
I quoted from the records of Congress to show
that John Quincy Adams a, one tir1e presi-
aet IN th' House of the Represe ntstiyes,
as temporary Speaker for sixteen day on ac-
/ cJlnt Ot ucrtaiu contested eases which were
not act6 d upon unit. long after a permanent
organization had been effected. Gne -
called speaker of the Louisiana house of
reprcs 1ntttlye- had declared those " no con-
testet seats were entitled to them without
any evidence to show that they were elect
ed The vote by which Witt claimed to
haze been elected speaker lacked i've OF the
lcgi! majority ct the body
lie next read from a telegram stating
that Congressman Potter was present at the
organization and Gi-cOuntenancei the ac-
tipn oi WITT. Gen. De rrobriand was
I first Gale! upon TO maintain order in the
lobby by tie - called conservative majority
n the house Of representatives,. The five
men who contested seats had not - mach
right upon the floor a those in the lobby,
AMI when those men were elected by ten.
DE IrObTIAnd he did not sec how
any exception could he taken IL
was all proper Tor the military to he used
N clearing the lobby, but all wrong = hen
used 10 quell . mob and eject from the Il ,or
i've men who were not entitled to be there.
ne charge That President had been guilty
ii malieasaLee was entirely cOntradicted by
facts before the Senate.
lie then spoke OF unkinI tTeatmen. toward
northern people IL Louisiana and SAID over
three thousand lives in that State had been
yielded up tor the sake OF their political
opinions. Talk about peace in Louisiana
but there was no peace there.
Mr.. Gordon. OF Georgia. said he did not
propose - reply to the speech OF Senator
west. lie was gate willing IL should 90
to tao country and make lis own
answer, but when people whom he
(G0rdoa) loved a has own life.
whose fortunes were his through
veal or Woe. though life or death, were held
up a. aLss.isSins an murdercrs. he could not
and would not, remain silent, and II his
voice and gestures were tremulous nov
with emotion, it was not emotion OF anger
but emotion OF Indignation at the outrage
pcrpe;rated upon his people lie stood
aghast at the spectacle presented in the
Senate YesterdaI-a spectacle OF one pOr-
ton OF the mem 5ers seeking to ruin the fair
name and honor Of the people of one section
OF this country, before the civilized world.
lie was amazed, utterly amazed, that there
should be found in the hearts of
men with whom he daily asso-
ciateG. upon this floor 50 much
hate lie as totally unprepared for 1t and
Ii he believed to-day that the expressions
which he h ard from senator's lips yester-
day reflected the sentiments of the northern
people he would feel that it was time for
the southern people TO die. Ii he believed
that these expressions ioreshOwed the
policy Of this government towards the south
then he would say Let Us have done with
this farce Of local self government" He
did not believe that such sentiments were
entertained by the northern people. he did
not believe that brave men "A gains; whom the
people Of the south had lately cOntesded
entertained any such sentiment he beliey
ca the grea- majority of the American peo-
pie OF both North and South, white and
black ,abhC rred any such spirit Of amnesty;
ne believed the movement IN augurated IN
1879, by hat larged headed an large heart
eli nan If New York to bring about good
feeling and harmony would be successful.
In the support which he (Gordon) gave to
the re solution as presented by the Senator
from 'OhIo lhurman) he protested az ainst
any construction which would make 1t ap-
pear that he was wanting III respect % the
Pr esident OF the United States. Much b. d
r cen said here about the President bel lg
the commander in-chief Of the army. lie
(Gordon) was glad he was commander-in
chief - glad that the military was
subordinate to the evil power. lie
did not propose to iscuss the reso-
luton. but TO reply to what he was
forced to conclude were gratuitous insults
offered to his people BY some of the Sen
atOrs on the other sid OF the chamber 1t was
charged that murdf r. prevailed throughout
the south, and ths these murders were by
the hands OF To Democratic whltemen's
party. His REP ~ to that was brief. The
- Nh~ Ia st IL vas lEu tubs
ders had occur red but no one deplored them
more than h. mselt. nor more than the peo-
pie he repr' scented. His people had al
ways said ' iat the class of people commit
ting these. murders were the worst enaInies OF
the South. Ii murders were committed
was tbs t any reason for branding the whole
southC IN people as a set Of assassins and
barDf .rians? Wherever in the southern
stat - people of honesty and integrity have
cor troll of public affairs. property, life and
Ill erty are ~ safeas they are in any north
G n state. (Appiause IN the galleries.)
Did Senator Edmunds forget that there
were states in the north IN the hands OF
democI ats. lie (Gordon) apprehended that
these States were governed just as well as
States governed by republicans. lie was
sure lat such was the case IN the South.
Since the war not solitary arm had been
raise in n Southern Stateagainst the power
Of he federal government and yet the
sout aern people were charged, day after
day, with being disioyal towards the gov
q al nent because there were riots at cleo
slor or riots at crossroads. A band ct
mis- guided negroes, who marched at night
wit h arms to murder and hearts to plander,
could not be attacked by whites in self de-
fence If they were attacked and a conflict
on suad +, whirh a frw were killed the