New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-01
EVILS OF THE FORCE BILL.
SPEECH OF GEN. J. r. HAWLEY.

| EXISTING LAWS STRONG ENOUGH TO sUBDUE SOUTH
ERN TURBULENcE-NO PRESIDENT WORTHY on
| SUCH A TRUsT-A VIOLATION or THE CoNsTTTU-
TIoN-REPUBLIcAS DEFEAT FoREsHADowED.
Gen. Joseph X. Hawley Of Connecticut strongly
opposed the passage Of the Force bill when il was
debated in the House of Representatives on Friday
last He made the following noteworthy speech
concerning it:
Mr. Speaker had not desired speak upon this bin
this subject and my urgency tonight 10 scekins
that the floor might be left open for the cake o.
others supposed did desire 10 occupy the time Of
the House and who would not be likely 70 obtain the
floor otherwise. hoped that before thi. debate closed
Representative wOnd express substantially the
views which hold upon this question but rear bst
at may not DC ,e ease ana re y
ions this subject may not be improper to make
q personal remark to begin With. have been radich
aboyonist from my earliest DAYS. began on reacn-
ing majority member Of the freeSOi party.
Republican SG% party was formed, and Joined that
party. went into the service OF the Union the nrst Gay
Of the war, and stad in I, until was honora6y as
charge after the close nave worked With the Kepup-
can party for ITS most radical ssures tho Tnifteeht
my subject IL toerably clear and radical
But am coming TO a tlme now when l must SERIOUSLY
associates. Lam compelled in measure 10 part com
pany them. but dislike to do it. very few min
utes Will suffice 10 tell why must take another pain
this cannot agree 10 pnt further or greater
powers into the hands of any President OF the nea
States. think the existing laws upon the statutebook
strong enough for the preservation OF all the rgn1
guaranteed by the Federal Government. full and strong
enough fBlBnent and discharge Of all the oOi-
CATIONS resting upon that Government. -
Now. acknowledge the unhappy condition OF analrs
in the South. am compelled 10 believe In the substan-
tial correctness OF that admrablydawn report pre-
seuted by Messrs Hoar Frye and Wheeler. think the
conclusions they have stated commend themselves TO
all impartial nel as sustained by the evidence ana the
general course affairs Ia South Bat gentlemen
say II that terrible arraigDment be Just
are YOU not ready then TO put INTO the hands OF inc
pus portion or tue Union and for an indefinite
lime 2" No; am not. Are you pot ready TO go ONT
you ready thai still further and further and inr
Their shall be imposed To make tnatipeople e0od.
aud to control the elections therer No; / am not.
EVILS BEYOND THE REACH OF LAW.
"Then you acknowledge yourself 10 be without power
to remedy these evsl' To large extent do ackuow
edge it, There are wrongs there that never
reach this hall until have changed the Constitu-
ton the United States. There Il social and ednca
onal and moral reconstruction OF the south needed that
will never come IRON any iegsatiye nails sate or Ma
tiouai 10 must be he growth OF time OF eduo8ton ana
of Christianity. We cannot perfect that reconstructOn
through statutes we nad all the powers OF the sab
Legislature ami OF Congress combined We cannot put
Justice, liberty aud equality into The hearts OF people
what we all know 10 be the fact that this NJ Onal Gov
eminent Is imperfect government But" say you:
II that DC true, then this Government - imperfect
say IL Is; Won all acknowledge II. We all Know that
this Federal Government winch we are administering
here Imperfect government. IL does not reaeh
tect all the rights humanity II does not profess Co.
Theft and robbery and murder may he common Ia q
State. may said to prevail all over state, and IL
those crimes are cOmmte1 In accordance with the
plans OF any widespread conspiracy, II lhey 40 NOT
Come under the head OF insIrrecton or INVASION
Deio AMI do tOuch the mails, "a rhe Federal laws.
power. aud duties how You interfere with chem
Your brotner living M Alabama may DO most fOuliy
murdered before very eyes and the eyes or your
feow-czcns. and the authorities Of the neighborho0d
may and 1t, and may utterly refuse to take
any notice OF II whatever and we sitting - tins hau
may absolutely powereSs To interfere II ls
be not done as part OF re1eoh or an INVASION OF 10
dlsobedience to some Federal law And murders IKE
that may he repeated IN tue next town. ana the neNi.
next and there may b. 5000 OF sueh murders ia
State Ia years aud nis Federal uOyerbment Is
absolutely powerlcss We all .ee that, anu all know ana
accept IT, so this IL an Imperfect one aud wa. consu
tuted imperfect government; perfect "ltma tno
lines ald for Itself, but outside OF those
lines absolutely pOwerless
PROTECTION OF CITIz EMS N FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Take the case of American citizen going into
France Austria, England. Let his family or himself
be there outraged robbed or let some of his family
be murdered Should there be any hesitation on tho
part OF authorities Of the place and country to give
him full and ample justice the entire power OF tOoOOOo
people is az the back o. inc President TO vihGtISe
be lmpeached and hurled neadong from the White
House did not protect that mao 20 the extent OF the
nations power Every lawyer knows that That precise
occurrence might duplicated in any Stale, aud the
PresIent be absolutely without particle OF power 10
interfere to prevent or punish Is not that constitu-
tiOual lawl No lawy.r will deny IL for moment.
This serves to illustrate the proposition Il might pro-
long my Illustrations by the noun tha his Is GOVERN
ment OF certain defined and limited powers. L. was
constituted upon the belief that taking enlarged
view and "A long OF years, the
personal rights the citizen would be Det protected by
This limited local state sovereignty around hun t0at.
on whole, 90 3d. 49, or 80 State soyerelgutes
wOul0 protect In general the personal rghs OF tue ci
ZEN wnilo this Federal Government, constituted in
Whatever way you please (whether by the people at
large confederation Of the States does not Tor
INV present purpose make any drrencc. would protect
a certain wider range Of rgnts-wOuid protect tho
national existence and would also IN certain other Wen
UNDERSTOOD cases protect the citizen against great
wrongs within state that would Interfere N
cases OF domestic violence, nsreceion or INVASION.
while state. little Republic within ITSELF would
take him all the DINER Respects not provided
for The National Constitution Tat was tho theory.
Did not say, ana does not every lawyer Know.
that in Hartford my ncighDOr next door on my fleht
hand may murder ne ghDOr next door 70 mo on tne
left hand the Grand Juror 10 WhOn coD as soos
as L reach nun may say 40 nos
care; jlstHable homcide;" or =" do not care
anynow" He may refuse on Whatever ground 10
Interfere The States Attorney give me no atten-
ton when 20 him. The proper authorizes may re-
fuse notice OF the criminal neglect OF tue pros
ecuting officers. Even the Governor may refuse 10 near
me. Yet 10 to the President he VIII Sigpy say.
This is mater legiumAtrly belonging " your OWL
State authorities only; does not Involve any crime
against United states. see In IL No VOCATION Oh
United states laws 1t Is gross, an awte,S Wicxsu
aud criminal Neglect tue part Ot your psOpe 10 pro-
tect themselves. But do hO see no" cIl seud iny
army there or my United attorneys there 70 H.
teriere in tho matter"
DANGER OF GENERALIZATION.
1t does not follow that because thug would be good
IL IL were done that TO do it
There are good many things should like to done
in every Southern sate-yes IN Northern States too;
vet the attempt to nave Con-res do them would TO
sist the uttermost L TANK that Is OBVIOUS. now
nave not the time to enlarge upon these POINTS do
scarcely than state them as eSdi propositions.
have Few words mote We neai - sd r =, e 'n
mucn power into the hands Of the Fedefi government
the Executive and Congress well. 1 TINS
now In the spirit OF fraternity and friendship for my
Southern friends here. VINO are Tie GENITAL Zslsf You
say We are because hearts warmed up whenever
we great IN the lately rcOelIOus States
We begin to draft Federal statutes, and hen We stop
for while to the llwOOOAs and think OF what
our fathers tried to maze vi THIS government, AMI
Wa hesitate L am one OF those VINO hSsi.
that We are the WAC seok To usdrp
power. am quite sure mat II We pass the bills now
iefore us and FOLLOW them on aud on IN that direction
creep over 10 hdrCn over the proper llneS
scate sovereignty. aud grasp more aud more powst
for that Is the motive IN our nearts-Of
the sake securing liberty justice, equality and peace