The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-02-25

Mr. ALCORN: | rise for personal eAPla-
nation. | desire to have paragraph reao-
The PRESIDENT pro tenpore The secretary
will read it,
The Chief Clerk read, as follows:
WASHINGTON, February 8.
conclaye of carpet baggers was held
to1nioht in the room of the Senate. spencer
and about sixty of his brethren were IN
council, the purpose OF when was 10 utc tI
on a policy for better presentation OF the
bIoodv shirt and the upholding OF Morton
Ism, Spencer, in behalf OF the committee,
ot which he is the leader, reported that he
waited upon Chief Justic Waite, win
Norev. of Louisiana, and represented to the
Jndoe the necessity of an early and fayora-
bIa decision on the enforcement act. Spen-
Ger related in lueubriOuS tones his dlscom-
fitnre with the Chief Justice. That gentle
man listened to his remarks colby, ana
replied with no evidence of sympathy, thaC
it was not the practice or the supreme oench
to discuss decisions before they are rem
dered. and that, in short, such an appear
from any source was no more or no less than
a contempt of court.
Rebutfed at this point the discOnsolate
carpet-baggers waited on the PRESIDENT ana
informed him of the situation of things, arg
inc his cooperation. They informed hun
that kilograms had been received from hei'
Iooo to the effect that one OF the Judges IN
Mississippi had been impeached, ana wou!d
inevitably be depOsed; that he expected MS
own i'm peachment daily, and that unless
the strou oest clauses of the enforcement act
could be brought to bear the last vestlSe OF
mower would be torn from the hands OF the
Presidents supporters Gen. Grant prom
ised to lend hand, but gave no very DEFINITE
idea rs TO how it would come. A warm
discussion followed on the presentation OF
these reports. Letters were read from GOV.
| Ames. Suggesting plan for campaign for
the recapture of Mississippi, which met with
| Senator AlcOrn's approval. Alcorn, VINO
has heretofore been bitterly opposed to
AmeS. now supports that gentleman, ana Is
| urging the blo0dy-shrt policy.
! Mr. ALcoRN: / should not deem it neces-
| sary to notice this matter but for state
! ment that [ shall make. This article was
| published in the Chicago Times, and pur-
| ports to be a communication from the cor
respondent of that paper at this capital.
! The extract that have had read at the desk
was published in the Memphis Appeal,
which credits the article to the Times. |
am placed by it for the first time, believe,
in the category of carpet Dagger. L had
up to this time escaped at least that lmpu-
tatiOn. That, however, is a small matter.
| That to which desire to direct the atten-
ton of the Senate is that am charged with
having approached. or having belonged TO
| a conspiracy that approached, the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United
States. at the head of the judicial depart
of endeavoripg to influence his action upon
certain case now pending before that
court for its decision. Had | been guilty
of this | should not only be unworthy as
| a LAWYER and deserve to be stricken from
the roll, but | should in truth be unworthy
Of seat in this body. Whether any such
cons piracy or association of gentlemen
ever ssembled in the capitol do not know.
l am sure was not party to it.
While am up, | may as well remark up
on the latter clause of the paragraph, in
which it Is stated that | am in corporation
-, with Gen AmeS, and that | was II accord
before the President with Gen. Ames' sug
geston as to the mean to be used to recap
ture the State of Mississippi, those means
being chiefly by the Use of the army, or
Federal interpOSition. L have had no cor
reSpondence with Governor Ames for the
past five years, and | am not acquainted
with his views touching the recaptUre by
the Republicans, of my State. Governor
Ames defeated me for the office of Cove m
or, in 1873. The leading Democrats of that
State, the Democratic newspapers of that
and other States, who supported his claims
to the office-the paper from which the
paragraph is read being one of these-are
better entitled to the private views of the
Governor than |, who opposed him, can be
supposed to be. L will state EN- phatically
that no such interview was held within my
, knowledge. | have had no meeting upon
any such subject, nor have | communicated
any such ideas as are imputed to me by this
correspondent, since | have been in Con-
gress.
My record touching Federal troops is one
that those in Mississippi and in the country
who desire to know can without trouble as
certain. 1t cannot be forgotten by the peo-
pie of that State that i'm 1862 when candi-
date for governor, L refused to canvass the
State under the protection OF Federal troops
1t cannot be forgotten thst when | was ten
dered in 1869 the position Of military gov
ernor of Mississippi | declined the office up
on the ground that | would not consent to
rule over the people of my State except by
their free and unreStrained wish expressed
at the ballot-box. 1t cannot be forgotten
that in 1870, when dissatisfied members OF
: the Legislature of Mississippi appealed to
the President for troops in order to suppress
Instruction in that state, [ protested
against that appeal that demonstrated with
the President against interfering in the
civil affairs of the State. My kilograms
now OF record were so many protests against
, the policy now imputed to me. 1t cannot
be forgotten by the people there that did
protect both life and property in Missis-
sppi while l was Governor of that State
and without any interpositon upon the
part of the Federal Government. 1t can
not be forgotten that. when resigned the
office of Governor in 1871, L left the State in
repose that it had not enjoyed for ter
f years, and which it has not since that time
a enjoyed. As to who is responsible for the
, condition of things as they now exist in
mississippi L may at some subsequent time
upon the floor of the Senate explain to the
country.
Hh NT~4:~