The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-08

terSbufg Tor any luipfopei pui posSs = hSi y
was no evidence that they Gid anything
wrong.ss KS. > *
Mr.. Thurmany OF Ohio, said the very OBJ
fecs OF the resolution was to find out II
troops were sent to Petersburg Tor lawful
purpose. He read from the Revised Stat
lltes to show the law under which troops
could be ordered, and said the burden OF
nroof rested upon those who sent the troops
to that city to show that their presence was
necessary to fepel armed enemies OF the
United States aor TO keep the peace at the
polls. He denied that the resolution was.
tlisrcspeciSul to the President. The Senate
had perfect right to ask the President his
reasons for sending troops to Petersburg.
Mr. logan denied that the troops in Pc
tersburg were at the polls or inter1ered In
the esection. There bad been no violation
Of any law sending the army there. Sup
pose the country should he engaged to-day
in troublesome war, would the Senate OF
the United States have the right to inquire
81 the President why he made. a movement
Of any branch OF the army?' 1t would have
the same right to make that inquiry that it
had to inquire why troops were encanped
In certain State ,gt s>.a TT -
Mr.. Withers said in drawing the resolti-
ton he was careful not to be disrespectful
to the President. He did not intimate in it
that the troops were there for an unlawful
purpose. He inserted the words 'sif not
incompatible with public interest,"" that the
resolution might be entirely respectful.
His information was to the effect that
troops were ordered there in response to
the application Of the United States mar
shall for the Eastern district Of Virginia, to
remain during the election He (Withers)
had heard Of committees shelving resolu-
tons and never reporting them. He wanted
the resolution passed now because he
wanted the information. Ia %"
Mr.. Logan said the motion he made was
not with view to prevent the information
from coming to the Senate, but he objected
to the passage Of the resolution because it
supposed an unlawful act. a.....
Mr.. Thurman spoke OF the British laws,
and said under act of Parliament no troops
could be stationed within q mile of poll
ing place on election-day. They were
somewhat careful in that old-country mo-
narchy that the military shall not interfere
with the elections. The Senator from Hi
nois (Logan) seemed to think that the Pres
ident OF the United States could fill 4 town
full of troops on an election. day without
any violation OF law. The Senate Of the
United States had the right to know wheth-
er the President had been imposed upon in
ordering troops to Petersburg.
Mr.. Logan said IL the doctriEe OF the SEN
ator from Ohio (Mr. Thurman) was correct,
soldiers could not be quartered in any State
on the day of an election. He CIR. Logan
supposed arrangements must be made to
send them up in Balloon, and leave them
up until after election. Mr.. Logan argued
that the meaning OF the statute read by the
Senator from Ohio (Mr. Thurman) was that
troops should not be held at the polls to in
timidate men. The argument that troops
could not be stationed in town when an
election was being held there was contrary
TO common sense.
At the request Of Dir. Logan Mr.. Withers
then modified his resolution to read as fol-
lows:
Resolved, That the President be and he
is hereby requested to inform the Senate, II
not incompatible with public interest,
stationed at the city OF Petersburg, in the
State OF Virginia, on the 7th Of November,
1876, the day OF the general election; If so,
under what authority and for what purpose.
Mr.. Sargent said the air was full Of reports
and statements Of intimidation and wrongs
towards Republican voters. It was not
we'll to be so sensitive about the use Of the
army when it was known that rifle clubs
had taken possession Of the polls in the
South. He regretted that the strong arm
of the United States was not at Hamburg,
S. c., last spring. He regretted that there
was not some power within striking dis
lance when Eliza Pinkston's husband was
killed in Louisiana before her eyes, her babe
killed, she violated and cut so badly as to
hardly resemble human being. He argued
that Republicans in the South had been pre-
vented from voting, and there had been a
necessity for interference by the army. He
commended the President OF the United
States for the action he had taken, and the
Senate Of the United States should not, by
passing this resolution, throw out the inn
plication that he had acted improperly.
Mr.. Johnston, Of Virginia, said this reso-
luton related to Virginia, not to South Car
DINA or Louisiana. If the Senator from
California or any one else said there had
been intimidation or. fraud in Virginia
which justified interference by United
States troops he labored under a great mis-
take. There had been no kukiuX, no
rifle clubs in Virginia, and the only intimi-
dation practiced there had been by colored
Republicans against colored Democrats. He
denied that there had been any violence at
Petersburg, and no one expected that there
would be trouble there on election-day.
The people OF Virginia regarded the pres
ence of troops there as menace, not as
threat. ....
Mr.. Logan asked if the people of Virginia
were SO hostile to the defenders of the coun-
try that they would not give them a rest
ing-p'ace.
Mr.. Johnston: They are welcome to any
part of the State when they come there for
a lawful purpose.
Mr.. Logan said his friends on the other
side Of the chamber were getting so techni-
cal as to the use Of the army and navy that
they had better drive them into the sea-
Mr.. Johnston: The navy should be at
sea. [Laughter.l
MIR. Logan, resuming, argued that the
President was the judge as TO where troops
should be stationed. This resolution ap-
peared to him uogan) as an eHterlng wedge
against the man to whom the people were
indebted, more than any other, for the pre-
servation OF the Government and its laws.
Applause in the galleries.]
Mr.. Morton said few years ago there
was bloody riot at Petersburg, and lie
presumed the President had good cause to
send troops there on election-day.
Mr.. Withers commented on the opposi-
t.ion shown against the. resolution on the
Republican side of the chamber, and said,
On the presence of existing events, when
we had an army ready, and Senate ready,
apparently, to back up the President, he
thought another step had been taken toward
deprixing the American people Of their lib
critics and opening Of a new era in the his
tory OF the American nation.
kLr. Morton said he at first opposed the
resolution, but he would now withdraw
his opposition. There had been violence
md hIaodshpd in petarab,rp a fau vaarS