The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-06-28

: are sustained, | here enter nv protes
against any effort to limit the power an,
authority which you have already giveI
10 them, and power and authority which
you have given to the Southern State:
Dy extending the ratio Of representation
! these rights We're maintained so long u:
they could be utilized, so long as carpet
baggers could control them-a class o.
men who came to our country for the
Purpo-e of running the State govern
ments, and who are very pertinentlv de
scrlbed by that coed and phio,ophic man,
Mr.. Greeley when he had been to Texa.
to tell the people what be knew about
farming" When he returned TO New
DIRK they asked him the question if what
was reported about the carpet baggeI
was true. His response was, Eyes,
gentlemen, | regret to say to Won that he
is Il mournful fact, and the attitude in
which L have most generally found him
IS with both arms around the negro's
neck and both hands in his pockets"
/ Laughter.
/ 1t is this class of men who were sent
there, or who went there for the purpose
of organizing the State governments As
have had occasion to say elsewhere, if
the terms Of the surrender made by your
/ great battling generals had baen carried
out in good faith, if a set Of politicians
had not crept into the halls of the national
Legislature and into the halls of the
State Legislatures, who believe in laws
engendered in hate, you could have re-
stored real peace, and the prosperity
which goes with it would have been es-
tablished III those States long ago. But
| this class of men were sent there. | do
not speak my own opinion or speak from
the stand point Of any Democrat On
the contrary, there sits upon this floor
gentlemen whom | regret is not now in
his seat, who at the time the debate was
going on gave a description of the gov
ernments of the Southern States from a
Republican stand point. l allude to the
gentleman from Maine, (Mr. Hale } He
gave description, not exactly as tersp
and dramatic as that which Mr. Greeley
gave, but generally as truthful as that,
and here is what he said in the last Con
gress:
''For the last few years the infamy and
disgrace of certain Southern State govern
ments have been constantly on the increase
There have been corrupt electors and
corrupt elections There have been cor
rupt legislators and corrupt legislation.
There have been double Legislatures,
double Governors, double Representa-
tIves in this House, and double Senators
year by year in many States. There
have been bad men in these States who
have bought power by wholesale bribery
and have enriched themselves at the
expense of the people by peculation or
open-handed robbery. Corruption and
anarchy hare occupied and possessed these
unfortunate tStates"
Now that is the evidence Of Re-
publican as to the character Of the gov
ernments which had grown up under the
rpet-bag administrations in the South.
That is the evidence Of a gentleman iden.
titled in all his political relations with the
Republican party, and yet at that time it
was not considered necessary that either
branch of the Legislature should send
forth committee for the purpose of
inv estigating that very corruption which
was admitted by prominent Republican
member of the House then to exist in the
Southern States. But now that the col
ored man has for ten years exercised the
right Of the ballot; now that the colored
man begins to understand that there is
an identity Of interest between himself
and the white race Of the country now
that they understand that when [ come
here if l make good laws for the white
man | must make good laws for the black
man, and when l make bad laws for the
white man | make bad laws for the black
man; now that they are beginning, in
obedience to the great mandates Of the
Master of the universe, to earn their
bread by the sweat of their face now
that there is quiet and peace, and that
the natural relations between labor and
capital are established, the proposition
comes from Republican President that
he ought in some way be deprived of his
ballot. l enter my protest against it.
He is now beginning to be instructed that
there is no power in the Federal Gov /
eminent to maintain the four millions of
his race. He is beginning to be con
WINGED Of the fact that he must work for
his support and that of his family, and
when he does that he knows the land he
cultivates, the animals TIC plays his land !
with, the meat and bread that keeps body
and souls together, are solely derived
from the Southern people, and the
Southern man has been his real friend,
has understood his character, his neces- /
sites and wants more than any Northern
man, be he Democrat or Republican.
| enter my protest against his advance
ment in physical we'll being being made
political question it is not so and should
not be made so.
In 1873, when the election occurred
in my State, the platform adopted by
the Democratic and Conservative party
declared for perfect equality before the
law in every particular. 1t has been
alleged that in that election the colored
man did not act freely of his own ACCORD
with the Democraticparty. There was but
one general officer voted for in that cleo
ton, and he to Fill vacancy oceasioned
by the resignation Of the Treasurer of the
State, and the Conservative candidate
was elected by 80, 900 majority; in al
most every congressional district the Con
sentative majOrities were very large, but
these are two congressional districts which
have sent Republican members to this
House, and one of them owes his election
and holds his seat by virtue of the fact
that every Democrat in his district voted
for him, and while they sit here they are
living refutations of the SANDER which
is attempted to be put upon the white
people of the State, that they banded
together to prevent Republicans from
being elected 10 the Halls of Congress.
say that this could not have occurred
if the accusations made were true. If
the power to carry it out exists in one
Congressional District it is as emphatic
in another. No such state of things
exists; on the contrary, | remember
very well that on the. 9th Of October,
1876, when the Conservative and Demo-