Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-01-15


the president to answer il. That resolution,
with its amendment, passed tho Senate,
March ., 1873, and to this day the president
has treated It with contemptuous silence.
With the full knowledge of this Major MerA
rill in South Carolina, he has been sent to
green fields and pastures new in Louisi-
ANA. Never, since the time when the Amer
lean colonies separated themselves from
Great Britain have the people OF tins coun-
try been brought face to face with greater
questions than these of to-day, questions
needing the most careful consideration The
issue Is whether we shall have n free govern
mcnt or II military dictatorship. The re-
marks of the senators from Indiana, (Mor-
tom, Vermont (Edmunds), and Illinois DO
GAM, are calculated to obscure the question
by partizan appeals to divert the minds of
the people from the true merits of the case.
Mr.. Bayard then spoke OF tho circumstances
attending tho organization of the legislature
OF louisiana, the action of the returning
board etc, and remarked that in states of
three and four times the population of Louis.
lana, the election returns were tabulated and
promulgated within II week after the election.
In great cities with II population equal to
that of Louisiana, they had been promulgat-
ed within forty-eght hours after the polls
closed, but in Louisiana the returning board
was occupied in canvassng the returns near
| ly two months, and in every case Of dispute
or doubt, they decided in favor of the KEEL
logg party. He read from tho constitution
oil Louisiana, aud argued that there was AN
organization of the House of Representatives
of that state on Monday last by the conserva-
tives; that there was II quorum of the House
present, and that the organization was under
the constitution. lie asked tho Senate and
the American people if President Grant had
| legal warrant to interfere in the orga nzation
OF that Legislature, and declared that this
debate would close, aud no lawyer would be
able to produce any statute showing the war
rant for any such action.
Mr.. Schruz offered resolution, that the
committee on judiciary be instructed to
Inquire what legislation by Congress
is necessary to secure to the people of
Louisiana their rights of selEgovernnient
under the constitution, and to report, with
the least possible delay, by bill or otherwise,
and gave notice that no would call it up
| Monday.
The amendment leaving the furnishing of
the information TO Grant was carried.
Mr. Sargent, of California, said the first
call for military interference in the Louisiana
legislature was from the democrats to pre-
serve order in the lobby, but that fact had
been ignored by the democratic senators here
| He alluded to the banditti dispatch of Gen.
Sheridan, and said the men Sheridan desir-
ell to have declared bnndtti were those men
who had covered the South with murder and
assassination, burned school-houses, and
committed all kinds of dcpredatons. The
democrats might raise their cry of constitu-
tional liberty being taken away, but when
the story of these fearful outrages in tho
South came to be FULLY understood, public
opinion would condemn the democratic par
| ty. lie argued that the republicans had bee
humane and kind, and had willingly extend
cd mercy to those who attempted to stab the
nation. He did not say all the southern peo-
| pie were bad. There were hundreds and
thousands of persons there whose souls re-
| volted ut these deeds of iniQuity
| Mr.. Morton, of Indiana, spoke in favor of
his amendment and quoted from the reports
of the committee OF Congress to show that
there were armed bands in the South who
| delicd all law. Referring to the banditti dis
| patch of Sheridan, he said it was true that
Gen. Sheridan did not write like lawyer.
lie did not write like those ON the other side
of this chamber who had assaulted him, but
| ,rI; .l,,;,,
how to argue, Phil was in the field fighting
for his country. lie (Moron) had no doubt
there were more men killed for political Of
lenses in Louisiana than had been killed in
all the Indian wars for the last 90 years.
This whole thing looked TO him rs if it were
II prcconccrtcd plan to eXtermInatc tho re-
publican party in every southern state. That
the democrats wonld have every one of those
states, aud all they had to do would be to
get one or two northern states and thus
elect the next president. 1t had been denied
on this floor that any such thing US the ku-
kluX organization existed.
Mr.. Thurman, of Ohio, inquired when and
| by whom such denial was made
Mr. Morton said it had been repeatedly de.
MED by the democrats.
Mr.. Thurman said the senator could not
name an instance.
Mr.. Morton made no reply, probably be-
cause he had rashly made false charge
against the democrats. He said he had evil
dence that 400 negroes in Georgia were do.
| privud of the right of suffrage because they
| did not pay the school tax.
Mr.. Gordon inquired the name of the writ
| er
Mr.. Morton said il was not very safe to
make public the names of republicans in the
south.
Mr.. Gordon replied that the reports of the
Outrages We're exaggerated.
The resolution calling for facts from the
president, with the amendment, was adopt
| ed.
The House was inflicted with a fresh APP
| peal from the contumacious witness, Irwin,
in the shape of II certificate from his physi-
cians that his confinement in the Jail would
prove pernicious to his health. The House,
however, referred it to the ways and means
committee, where 1t is likely to sleep, and,
when Gen. Butler interposcd by moving that
pending the investigation and report of the
ways and means committee, the sergeant-at-
arms be instructed to retain Irwin in his
personal custody, summnriy rejected the
motion by the overwhelming vote of 100 to
SO.