Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-10
The Bloody Shirt all Nonsense.

Mr.. Hooker, of Mississippi, replied to MIR.
Hoar's bloody shirt speech 10 the House OF
Representatives yesterday, and commented
upon bis illusions to the corruption OF public
men 10 the early history Of the Government, as
lhoul like digging into the grave of the past,
and as 6tly coming from party which, ID THIS
age. had eliminated in those excellent quail
ties which distinguished that party. he pro-
cerded to discuss and c7ticlse the RECONSTRUCT
tiou measures, particularly as bearing Oh the
State of Mississippi and be asserted that every
Northern State which had manumltted It's
saves--irom Massachusetts the first State to
New jersey he astStatc had enacted more
restrictive penal laws in regard to the freed
ma than that statute Of Mississippi with which
Mr.. Hoar had found such fault to day.
He said that he had yet to hear one mau,
woman Or child iu Mississippi express desire
,, that the condition of the coored race should
again be changed. The people OF the South
accepted that result with the traukness and
sincerity with which they had accepted the
other results of the war. They had inperilled
all TO save their houor; they had lost all when
the war closed; but they were prepared to stand
by the result, while Republican politicians,
who shouldered 90 musket and drew no sword,
waited TO keep alive the luminosity, the blood
shed, the ranking and the bitter spritof the
war for the purposes of stirring up luminosity
between the Southern whites and blacks tor
political purposes They attempted TO do 20
] by seuding emissarles there who, Instead Of
knocking at the front door and asking acqualnt-
ance, stole 10 at the back gate, and at midnight
held their meetings with the colored race and
| told them they would again b. throwo into
slavery if they voted the Democratic ticket.
But now things were changing and the color
| cd men were beginning to find who were their
friends, and they had helped to roll up Demo
cratic majority of $4,000 in Alabama. There
was 90 freud Of the colorad race lru,r or more
honest than their old masters.
| Mr. Smalls, of South Carolina-That is not
| so.
Mr.. Hooker-That is your opinion. | never
expected that any white politician or any col
ored politician would acknowledge it.
| Mr.. Smalls-lf you keep the ku kux back
not one will vote the democratic ticket.
Mr. Hooker-They have voted it in my
State, and will do it again.
Mr. Smalis-[f you withdraw the ku X TX
they will not
| Mr.. Hooker-That is all nonsense, and the
country knows il is uoDs:ose Laughter
| He went on to say that there vas no such
| thing as intimidation anywhere 10 Mississippi,
and that io many counties of that State there
were colorcd democratic clubs When any out
rage did occur, every good citizen 10 the South
reprobated it as clearly aud as uncqnvocaIly
aud as boldly as ary Northern mao. Did gen
ttmcn of the republican side thiuk that there
was no common feeling of humanity 10 the
| South? 1t that were so the mere question Of
| interest would forbid Southern men taking
their shot guns and shooting the co|ored mcu
down 1t was SANDER on both races II
they were LETT alone as in Alabama and Georgia,
the Relations Of ne two races would adjust
themselves on a Just foundation. Any party
which undertook to use one race for the op'
pres .ion OF the other was guilty OF an iDhu
mauity foucr and more stigma'lz!ng than any
which were committed in any Southern com
munity. Applause.