The daily gazette., 1876-04-03

right OF any man IN That state TO vote
on account of his race, color, or pre-
vIous condition Of scrvitude? Does
anybody pretend that? Why, sir, at
the last election, the election spoken of
what was the government of Missis-
sippi? Republican in all its depart.
ments-the governor republican; both
branches Of the General Assembly re
publican; nearly every judge in the
State republican; nearly every Com
monwealth officer in the State whose
duty it was to prosecute criminals re-
publican. In word, the whole power
of that State was in the hands of en-
party. Did that party, which held all
the offices in that State which was
clothed with the executive. the legis-
lative, and the judicial power, abridge
the right of any man to vote on ac-
count of his race, color, or previous
condition of seIvitude? Did the State
government do any such thing, Every
man will say, "no."
But we are told that this was done
against the will of the State govern
ment; it was done against the wishes
| of the State government; it was done
in defiance of the State government.
Then 1t was not done by the State,
| Mr.. President. Then your fifteenth
constitutional amendment has no ap-
plication to it any more than it has to
the Molly Maguires, of Pennsylvania
not one particle more. The moment
that the State has not abridged any
mans right, the moment you show
that if any man has been abridged of
his right. it has been in defiance of
the State, and not by the State, that
very moment you show that the fif-
tecnth amendment has nolapplication
and lays no foundation at all for the
inquiry which the Senator from Indi-
ana proposes. l say, therefore, that no
good can csme of this investigation,
no legislation can be based upon it.
! What did the Senator from Missis-
sippi say in his speech to day-and l
join with my friend from New York
in remarking that l listened to portions
of tnat speech with the entire appro-
baton of my judgment; and although
l think the speaker omitted one great
fact that is necessary to complete
and accurate picture. yet l commend
the spirit in which he spoke and the
decency of his utterances, which might
well be initiated by men who have
held higher places in the Government
and had more experience than his.
What did he say? I'VE do not want
any new legislation; what we want is
that the existing legislation shall be
enforced" That is what he said. Why
is it not enforned? You have had re-
publicans in power in every depart
mel of Mississippi ever since the
close of the rebellion; you have passed
: law after law; you have clothed your
, United States marshals with power to
| summon perfect army to aid them in
. the execution of the laws; you have
7 clothed your United States commits.
. sioners with powers of arrest that
make man tremble to read them. Y ou
: have done all this. Now, if the laws
| have not been executed, want to
| know why they have not been cxecu-
t ted. 1t is no fault of democratic of
i fcials; it is no fault of democratic
2 members OF Congress. You have had
r all the laws you asked for: you have
passed them; you have had all the
+ republican officials you wished to apl
7 point to execute those laws. If they
= have not been executed under these
circumstances if they are sufficient; if
r | as the Senator from Mississippi has
told US to day, no new legislation l.,
/ needed, but only the execution of laws
5 already in force, your mode of redress
, instead of committee of investiga-
5 tion into supposed intimidation
7 should be committee to find out why
s your own officials have not performed
!; their duty. Begin with them; bring
them TO trial and punishment if they
!; have neglected the discharge of their
: duty,
All, but Mr.. President that would
: not make very good campaign
| document next fall. 1t would be a
document of q very different kind
t from one that, upon all the loose hear
r say or all the actual proofs, should
e show up the violence or supposed vic.
!. lence, the intimidation or supposed
, intimidation, that took place at the
} last election in Mississippi. There is
: the difference as wide as the sea.
Call your republican officials to account
3 for not executing the laws, and your do
0 cument would injure instead OF aid the
> republican party next fall. But get up
. q frightful picture, whether upon true OIL
. false testimony, of violation of the
, rights of the colored men in the South,
:, of intimidation, violence and the like
i do that. and then every stump speaker
> OF your party can go upon the stump land
/ shake it in the face of people, and say as
!, the Senator from Massachusetts, did, that
n no southern man can be trusted and that
1 when he talks in favor of the Union he
lies! Well, for one, will not aid IN
making any such campaign fodder. Fol
: one will not pay out the peoples money
. for any such purpose. For one will moi
u agree that we shall exercise Il power that
= is not conferred upon us by the Consti
tuition, simply to make electioneerinG
documents for anv party either my owr
or any other. therefore will NOT vote
: for this resolution. There is no neces
S sity for it,