New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-23
THE MISSISSIPPI CASE
speech Of Senator Morton on l-ves:i-
eating the Election Of 1878.
Has There Been Reconstruction in tile
South:

Mr.. P-ef lIeQy-lI Inc lLioI IL - ioL Il" "
received from very many sources IS s.n
s..n-ialIy true. the late pretended election
in Mississippi was an armed Tevo.utlon
characterized by fraud, murder aCd vlo-enc'
IN almost every form. Il was carried On II
scme respects naGer the forms OF law, UI
its real Il Azure was that OF force, me VIOLA
ton Of law, and the rrampliEg uECer 1907 O
the dearest rights OF g:ea: masses OF Men
A Ii.-le less sudden than those revolution;
which Lave distinguished the States @.
Mexico and the countries OF South America
il die noc differ from them n character ana
was equal in a-socl.y..
/. is natter Of the graves. import e
the American people 20 know whether
large majority Of the people OF State have
been Cverrhrown and subjected py me
minority, and also 20 understand upon what
pre-ense or principle srcn lesl.t was
brought ator,. TIE one thing Ike principle
TIA. could be assumed "a Justification o:
such & resrl: would be that polit:ca. and
evil power should belong excIuElvely 70
the white race; or upon the o.her priD be
that .ha. parry, the members OF wAIcc Own
the mes. Of the property n the Sta.e, snoUid
be allowed TO govern to tae exclusion OF tne
majority. who are generally poor an0 the
NOS: CT whom have nothing 70 depend upon
Tor their subsistence bus their LABOR. | ap-
yrehend That an investigation OF the M.ssls-
eipli revolution would show TIA. the Il
umpLan- minority acted upon bo.n OF these
pr ncip,es and IL various ways body pro.
fessed them as its doctrines.
We had hoped that hundred years Of
na.iclal lite nsG definitely settled the 4ues-
ton ira; political and civil rights should
10. depend :,poI race or coInp!ex.on, acd
that equal ;ghts before the law and II the
administration of government should not
depend upon wealth or property, bu- pe-
long alike to every American citizen.
In proposing al investigation - is hardly
reasonable 20 demand that the matters 20
be investigated should be proven in All
vance for that would make the inCes-iya-
.ioL unnecessary, and all that ought &c re
required should be the exhibition OF sucn
probable cause as would justify the Senate,
n tee exercise Of a sound discretion. L or
deTipg an investigation. Investigations
have often been ordered by both houses Of
Congress upon common ruIn0r and upon
general impressions prevailing n the pub
lie mind, derived from the press Or other
sources.
II tie belief which is certainly entertained
By veIJ mary in regard 20 tie character o.
recer. events in Mississippi is not well
founded. it is of the greatest importance 20
he People that an investigation should De
Rad that tie truth mag be shown. as the
material progress and prosperity o. the
STATE e deeply involved n sCch eXorera
ten. can rot, therefore, understand the
opposition 20 this Investigation IN any u.Eec
light than constructive admission OF the
truth of the charges which have been Maie
ia regard 70 the means Employed n the late
Mississippi election, by which the majority
vas overthrow and the government Of the
Sac revolutionized. To shrink from such
An investigation urques-io1ab,y betrays
lear as TO the resnl-.
Before proceeding to what have 70 say
about the Mississippi election, propose TO
indulge n some general observations.
PRoscaIP-IoN OF REPUBLICANS BEFORE TIE
WAE.
Before the war men entertaining adverse
opinions 70 slavery, and whose opinions
went no further than opposing its extension
10 Territories then tree, were, to great ex-
tent. deprived OF TIE freedom Of speech and
Of action in the fifteen slave States. Men
advocating such opinions we're visited with
social accommodation, deprivation OF
business, and threatened and often visited
with personal violence. Numerous personal
cutrages were inflicted in the Southern
States upon men who were charged with
being aUo.!t;onists; and to such an extent
vas this persecution carried, tina. II 1896
and il 1880 the Republican party was not
permitted TO nominate electoral tickets or
:, run candidates for the different Offices in
ten Of the Southern States.
Republicans were not permitted to as
seno!e in convention to nominate candi-
dates. and could not hold public meetings
in Southern cities and towns without danger
Of mob violence. Not only were the Re
puolicans of the South thus deprived OF the
exercise of those rights which are the dear
est 10 A nerican freemen, but the Rep ubli-
cans throughout the North were made to
feel that they were substantially banished
from nearly one.half OF the States in the
Union; that to them those States were 81
most foreign land; and, IN some respects,
worse than foreign land. 1remeInoer the
personal humiliation l felt, which was sg-
grava.ed by the fact that while Republicans
were excluded from fifteen States in the
Union. they were taun.ed with this exclusion
rs if il were a crime on their part. They
were constantly denounced as the sectional
party. I telt, as we all did at that time,
that the hand of slavery was resting heav!-
" mon Us. THIS DENIAL to men Of Repub-
lean sentiments the tree enjoyment of their
ouiui ions and exercise of the ordinary forms
OF political action was . wanton and gross
violation Of the natural and constitutional
rights Of millions Of people, and was bitter
" felt and deeply resented. That this
state of things should have ended IN war
WAS no. to be wondered 81; for that senti'
nent witch denled 20 Republicans the e.