Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-06-16

President Graut deserves the continued and
hearty gratitude OF the American people for
his patriotism aud his immense service in war
and in peace.
The Speech of Col. Hooker.
The speech of COL Hooker, Of Mississippi,
10 the u. S. House OF r representatives, yester-
day, on the political condition of affairs in his
State, was one of the abcst and most eloquent
that has been delivered this session. 1t was
earnestly listened to by the members and ac-
knowledged to be an effective rciutation of the
calumuies heaped upon the South. He showed
the true relations between the whites and
blacks of the South, and charged that the first
attempts to infringe upon the rights of the col
ored people came from the Republicans. as
foreshadowed in President Grants last annual
message. The speech will doubtless have
great weight. We append brief synopsis:
Mr.. Hooker said he was aware it was not TO-
teresting to speak upon a matter not directly
before the House, but he would avail himself
of this opportunity 10 speak Of The relation OF
| the white race 70 the colorcd race OF the South.
He wanted TO do this now. in order that the
committee Of the Senate was now sitting in the
| capital of his own State and inqulrinE into
these very matters OF the relations OF the races
When the slaves of the South were given their
| freedom, there WAS no question as to the lm
portancs OF properly fixing these relations. lie
! protested against the u'hority Of the Senate
| 10 pursue the invcsti CATION now Ii progress IN
| Mississippi. There had been heavy strains
upon the Constitution the last fifteen years,
but there never was leaVl,r strain than when
| the Senate appointed this committee. and they
are DOW actually i'quiring as TO the electloo of
members on THIS floor, when il was specifically
asserted in the Constitution that each House
b ,uld be the judge Of the election OF its own
mcmb:rs.
Last fall he had predicted 10 the State Of
Mississippi that if aly attempt was made to
place q Limitation upon the colored vote, 10
would come from the Republican party, and
not from the Democrats OF the South. The
Republicans would do this because they found
| they were losi0g their control over the negro
vote, and because by giving them the ballot
they had increased the ratio OF representation
from the S)uh. This prediction had been
slightly verified the moment he took his scat
in Congress, when the President in his m ssagc
rccomm nded the ad pptiou Of an educational
|
iueut parry toward tn South was also shown
in the force bill Of last session, when he Pres
idcnt's organ here avowcd the fact that the Oh
i"ct IF that bill vas 10 keep the Southern States
within the Republican party
| Mr. Ii locker then referred to the conduct OIL
the carpet. baggers in the South, aud quoted
from Mr.. Greeley and Others to show that they
were held in detcstation. These carpet baggcrs
| had gone South to fomcnt discord aud sir up
srife, and they had been placed iu position
where their only policy was to plumber the
States in which they held Office. As to the
charge of the exclus o.! Northern men gen.
orally from he State, Mississippi had a record
on that question of which it need Lot be
ashamed. Fl referred to large number OF
Northern men who had settled i'll the State bc
fore the war, and who were h1urrcd by the
State, because they came there with means,
added to the material Industry, and attempted
to build up the waste places aud had DOT come
for purposes of pluuder, as the carpet bagSers
| had.
Mr. Hooker alluded to Governor Amcs as
the chief OF carpet haggers, who had pluGdered
the State, and who had said 10 the u. 5. Sen.
ate that Southern men would quarter negroes
if by that means they could put L few more dol
lars IN their pockets. When he uttered that
SANDER there was no Senator iram Mississippi
to reply II him, but he sard"r vas rciu;cd BY
Mr.. Thurman whn properly proclaimed that
peace and order could only exist in the South
when there was good government there.
i he co!"rcd people wnrc beginning t"
sec that it was 20 h ir interest to live
CD friendly terms with lh@ir cid masters,
ard all w"rc unied now in an effort TO e,tab-
fish good government. During the whole war
these colurcd people We're subjected TO trial
such as had never bccn presented 10 any PEG
pc. But 10 all the long war hey had stool by
tue Sruth aad by the people among whom they
had been rear d aud since til" war there would
have been 10 difference between them and
their old masters if they had been left free to
act as seemed best.
In conclusion, Mr. Hooker argued that if left
to themselves both races in the South would
speedily adjust their difficulties. and an era of
peace and good order w1u 4 be established. He
denied that the atrocities reported as having
occurred at the last election had occurred and
SAID that large numbers of negroes ADD white
Republicans had voted for the Democratic
nominees because they wanted gotd order re
stored If left to themselves there would be
the greatest harmony between the races.
The ISDIANS.-A telegram from Cheyenne,
| dated yesterday, says: The courier VITO lett
Fcttermau on the Ssh reached Crooks com-
mand on the 9th, or Tongue river. No large
forces of indians have yet been met with. On
| the cvaDing of the 9Th a sklrmlSh occurred al
| the mouth Of Praili. Dg creek. Two soldiers
were slightly wuuudrh by spent balls the ln
| daus firiug from distance Of COO yards. Th"
Crows. whom Crook expected to meet a! Pow
de7 river and use as scouts, not being there,
his chief scout guard, with two others, were
sent to the Crrw agency, distance oil 100
miles to bring them. The scouts have not yer
returned, after an absence of seven days.
Fears Of their safety are entertained. The
Soakes who left Camp Brown have not joined
Crook. Gen. Sheridan left Fort Laramie this
81 orning for Rid Cl1ud agency. The last com
pany OF the Fifth cavalry, making eight 10 all,
arrived here to day.
In the u. S. Court at Charleston, yesterday,
decree was rendered in the Wilmer ct al
A 7