The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-06-28
- PIC Il < II
I0N. CHARLES L. HOOKER
IN THE
House OF Representative
InrESgAE. JUNE Is. ls1b.

4
THURSDAY. JUNE -. 1876.
3 Me-. HJoKEa know, Mr.. Chairman,
~ Difficult. it is Oh topic which is not
.n.lilt.ly before tn House to com
N ,aj its attenti m; ana indeed / am
1sgJal aysr-e ever to speak in this
H. upon any question except the
s IRREGULAR matter which may be under
Dq.jlerlti,n. But | Will avail myself
n h. latitude Of debate which is allowed
II Committee Of the Whole upon any
Il .,l..tiJn which may be under con>id.
81 ion to correct some virws and
|ra1ps which have been expressed in
IN ppbIic press and elsewhere in regard
IL question upon which it was my pur
he To address, some remarks to the
a gse when The committee charged with
IN Investigation of the affairs of the
Fr.eImaas Bank and Trust Company,
III which my friend, Judge Douglas, of
IFviuia, is the chairman, should have
aIe it. report. | do it now because |
|ank it improbable that that report will
Eh made at an early day and in order to
"anect some erroneous impressions which
bya been made by the testimony taken
|k6ra the committee which has been
|agaHzed 10y the co coordinate branch Of
iii National Legislature, and which is
nm in session in the capital Of my
IA State. And | do it, sir, because [
|fkak that the truth Of history needs vim
cation, and that the people VIII nj | have
|R honor to represent here in connec-
b with my colleagues have not been
Aiersto5d IN reference 10 this natter.
/. was q very difficult question 10
|aaermiue, Mr. Chairman, when the war
&C. what should be the relation, the
|anaral, normal aul necessary relation,
Ave. those Of the Southern States who
|hai without any wish. or Will, or thought,
|HJ Iu,t certainly Of their own, been born
nssters, and those who equally without
III vish, Or Will, or Thought, or fault of
|Har oyn had been born slaves. The
|hka.t Of the civil contest changed, rs 1t
'sne, in the twinkIing Of an eye the
|ahtions borne between 100000 OF
|Aspeopla in the South to the Caucasian
|Hee that had inhabited it from the days
fha Revolution down to the present
'hNe And u IS no wonder, sir, that
zhnever that condition Of affairs bad
lea in bly, State-from Massachusetts,
La was the first to manumlt the
e, down to New Jersey, which was
last to mnumit under an apprentice
em-l SAY that ii IS 40 wonder when
condition OF affairs sprung up IN
State that the legislators AMI the
esmaa Of those States felt that they
to deal with question difficult of
sai!on an4 proper adjustment. There
been partly revealed through the
alIe press the evidence taken before
c0mmttee-a committee, by the by,
Chairman, most extraordinarily
shtuted-cgnsttu,ed by one depart
u or the Legislature, not joint
mlt'ee Of this House aud the Senate,
committee Of the Senate, propos-
y slt IN JudgmeH! upon the action OF
EereIgu State as to the election of its
stature and its public officers; and
further, Mr.. Chairman, in violation
night inherent iu this House, and
u until the resolution appointing that
ittee was presented u the other
ga Of the National Legislature, had
been questioned, that each House
lAe judge Of the qualifications Of its
members.
1Rere have been many strains upon the
tuition within the last fifteen years.
nave been many infraetions of its
lsions But it was left, sir, TO the
Eesslon of the Forty-fourth Congress
e'ent to the country the strange and
ing proposition that the Senate
s''a the power to constitute n com
10 determine the competency Of
lTeuons Of the sitting members Of
l0uSe. Suppose We should reverse
'1-aTe, Mr.. Chairman, and eonstl-
committee of the House of
eSentatiyeS TO ascertain whether the
'gF from Delaware or the Senator
'1daha had his seat properly IN the
branch Of the Legislature. 1t is
more startling proposition, so far as
'l'ien&i ATTRACTION is concerned,
\ mat which was embraced in the
ilIoh under which this committee is
''ung at the the capital Of my own
u,e public mind had probably been
ia log measures as extreme as this.
oeea prepared for them because
'''.' oeen strain upon the Constitu
WI II the interests Of the country and
!; y And OF order, but that strain upon
eS''ouon had been in the interest of
~ 'ne domination Of party; and
peas that were made III order TO
'Aese attractions were made, not
pS"ee and law and order and the
- an prosperity which go along
'"e'A should be the legitimate
iauge o. the country after ten
"au elapsed since the close of the
- Tey were made IN order that
gut be continued the domination
party in power.
\ Il the proposition was FIRST present
''e consideration of the country a;
a. should be the status of the
race who had been freed by the
ol the war. and who stood Al
Iauslon by the adoption of thu
nents to the Constitution upoI
- piane ofciyil rights and equal
tv Tue law-Yhen that question
6 = presented there was much de
~ - Shat was the proper course t
n uea; \ distinguished gentleman
i VI the Western States mad