National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-08-03
FoRTY-FoURTH CONGRESS.

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her representation in every branch of the Gov
eminent was 80 small that the idea of her
again obtaining the sscendancy in this great
republic was absurd.
ALL QUESTIONS OF SLAVERY
have been eliminated from the political prob
lem, and the South was now fully identified
with the instincts and interests of the whole
country. They look for prosperity only in
that which affects the prosperity of the whole
country. If they are united with the Demo-
cratic party, they are not so for the purpose of
sectional ACKNOWLEDGEMENT or for the purpose
of again getting control of the Government.
They are united from an instinct of self-preser-
walton. Equally wrong is the apprehension
that the success of the Democratic party
would result in the notification of the amend
ments to the Constitution. The people know
that the Democratic party is the party of con-
stitutionality and conservatism, and there is
nothing in the past history of the party that
points to an interference with the Constitu-
ton. With regard to the question of slavery,
Mr.. L. contended that
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE
between the Democrats and Republicans was
that the former had held out longer than the
latter. He instanced the fact that as late as
1860 Republican Congress demanded the
strict enforcement of the fugitive slave law,
and that number of prominent Republican
leaders, including such men as Gov. Morton,
of Indiana, and Gov. Andrew, of Massachu-
sets, had as late as 1865 denounced the propo-
sition to give the right of suffrage to the en-
franchised slaves. With regard to the charge
of alleged outrages in the South, he said that
the white people there had no desire whatever
to abridge the rights of single individual.
The
CAUSES OF THE CONFLICTS
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a new element in the body-politic ofthe South.
In the twinkling of an eye SOC, 600 slaves had
been made voters, and their injection into the
politics of the South was enough to shatter
any system. He alluded to the fact that when
it was proposed to admit New Mexico Repub-
licans objected on the ground that the citizens
of the Territory could not read and write.
The Pacific coast people had objected to the
introduction of the Chinese element, and yet,
in short time and without warning, the
negro element was thrown upon the South as
disturbing force. The fact of investing the
late slaves with the franchise was looked upon
with fear even by Republicans in the North as
well as in the South.
In this connection Mr.. LAMAR quoted at
length from speech delivered by Senator
(then Governor) MORTON, of Indiana, in
which he reprobated the comforting of the suf-
frage upon the late slaves; advocated that
they should be placed in a condition of proba-
tion for fifteen or twenty years; declared that
to establish negro governments would be to
exclude emigration from the South and insisting
that the experiment would be disastrous. If
this was Mr.. MoRToN's opinion, speaking way
up in Indiana, what must have been the shock
to the people of the South when this element
was forced into their body polite! If Mr..
MORTON had lived in the South he would,
with his views, have been one of the most yio-
lent Of the
OPPOSITION TO THE SCHEME.
The people of the South had greater interest
in this question than those of the North, for
they were of necessity compelled to live with
the freedmen, and they wanted to make their
freedom success.
Mr.. LAMAR attributed all the evils that
had been brought upon the South by recon-
struction to the conflict between Congress and
President johnson. His (Johnson's) friend
ship for the South was as damniDg as his hos
tility, and in order to thwart him the recon-
struction policy was adopted. As a result all
manner of governments were placed over the
Southern States. The people were robbed and
plundered. Under the circumstances it was
not at all strange that there should be dis
turbances, but it was not the fault of the
white people of that section.
Mr.. LAMAR here quoted at some length from
the reports of Mr.. FOSTER, of Ohio; Nj. HoAR,
of Mass, and other Republicans who had in
yestigated affairs in different Southern States
to show that they had in many instances con-
demned the action of the Republican authori-
ties there, and that they had failed to find
acts of
INTIMIDATION OF NEGROES.
He also quoted from the last annual message
of the President to show that the latter ad-
mitted that the Southern States had in many
instances been subjected to the most trying
ordea s. In view of all the wrongs to which
they had been subjected, Mr.. LAMAR said he
could not conceive of q more orderly people than
those of the South had been. The people there
had been systematically robbed, and when a
complaint is made the Federal Government is
invoked, not to protect the people there, but to
keep them down under lawless and serviie
governments.
The race question could be settled in twenty
four hours by any two American statesmen but
for the passions and prejudices that were con-
tiDually being aroused and excited. With ref
erence to the Presidential election, Mr.. LAMAR
said that the Southern people would be glad to
WITHDRAW FROM THE CONTEST
and let the North settle it if they could con-
scientiously do so. They do not want to con-
troll the country. All that they ask Is that the
Government may be so administered as to grant
them full amnesty and a restoration to equal
privileges with the people of the other States
OF the Ohlon. All they Will ID equaHtS anu
the permission to govern their own affairs.
Give the South local selfgovernment, and you
would find the fullest prosperity, not only
there, but also revival of industry through
out the North. The South would soon then
arise from her confusion and distress, and peace
and prosperity would return to the whole
country.
When Mr.. LAMAR concluded he was greeted
with applause and congratulations.
Mr.. GARFIELD obtained the floor, and the
committee then rose, and the House, at 5 :25 p.