The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-12-05
The Presidents Message.

The American comments as follows
"From the beginning of the govern
ment to the present time, Includ
ing the illustrious career of Gran
and the message which he certainly
wrote himself, one so weak and ut
terly without point or candid treat
ment of great questions, has no
been sent to Congress. 1t is Ger
tainly not because we have reaches
a period when no statesman ship i:
required. Certainly there are ques
tions pending which might have
called forth all the abilities OF d
great statesman, but from Mr.
Hayes they do not even obtain rec
ogniLion."
But as our readers may be curl
Gus to know what the President
does say about Southern violations
of law, we copy that portion of the
message entire. The remainder OF
tne document is positively not
worth copying;
The permanent pacification OF
the country by the complete protec
ton Of all citizens in every civil and
political right continues to be of
paramount interest with the great
body of our people. Ever step in
this direction is welcomed with
public approval, and every interrup
ton of steady and uniform progress
to the desired consummation ava
kens general uneasiness an0 wide
spread condemnation. The recent
Congressional elections have fur
nished direct and trustworthy test
of the advance thus far made in the
practical establish ment of the right
of suffrage, secured by the Consti
tuition to the liberated race in the
Southern States. All disturbing
influences. real and imaginary, had
been removed from all these States.
The three constitu tioal amend
ments, which conferred freedom
and equality OF civil and political
rights upon the colored people Of
the South, were adopted by the
concurrent action of the great body
of good citizens who maintained
the authority of the National Gov
eminent and the integrity and per-
petuity of the Union at such cost
of treasure and life, as a wise and
necessary embodiment in the organ
ic law of the just results of the war.
The people of the former slave
holding States accepted these re
suits, and gave, in every practicable
form, assurances that the thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments, and the laws passed in pur-
suance thereof, should, in good
faith, be enforced, rigidly and i'm
partially, in letter and spirit, to the
end that the humblest citizen, with
out distinction of race or color,
should, under them, receive full
and equal protection in person and
property, and in political rights and.
privileges. By these constitution
al amendments, the southern sec
ton of the Union obtained a large
increase of political power in Con-
gress and in the Electoral College,
and the country justly expected
that elections would proceed, as to
the enfranchised race, upon the
same circumstan of legal and
freedom and protec
ton which obtained in all the 9th
er States of the Union. The friends
of law and order looked forward to
the conduct of these elections, as
offering to the general judgment of
the country an important opportu-
nifty 10 measure the degree in which
the right of suffrage could be eXer
cised by the colored people, and
would be respected by their fellow
but more general enjoy
ment of freedom of suffrage by the
:oiored people, and more just and
generous protection of that freedom
by the communities of which they |
form a part, were generally antici-
Dated than the record of the cleo
lions dIscloses. In some of those |
States in which the colored people |
nave been unable to make their |
opinions felt in the elections, the /
'esult is mainly due to influences |
lot easily measured or remedied by !
egal protection; but in the States
IF Louisiana and South Carolina at |
arge, and in some particular con
gressional districts outside of those |
states, the records of the elections
seem to compel the conclusion that
he rights of the colored voters
lave been overridden, and their
IN the elections not
permitted to be either general or
rec.
1t will be for the Congress for
which these elections were held, to
make such examinations into their
as may be appropriate TO
determine the validity of the claims
# members to their seats. In the
meanwhile it becomes the duty of
he Executive and Judicial Depart
nents of the Government, each IN
is province, to inquire into and
'unish the violations Of the laws of
he United States which have oc-
urred. l can but repeat what l said
n this connection in my last mes
age, that whatever authority rests
nth me to this end / shall not
estate to put forth, and ! am I'M
yilling to forego a renewed appeal
D the legislatures, the courts, the
authorities, and the peo-
lie of the States where these wrongs
ave been perpetrated, to give their
ssistance towards bringing to jus
ce the offenders aad pre- venting
ppetition of the crimes. No 5
lesns within my power will be
pared to Obtain iull and fair in
estigation of the alleged crimes, :
nd to secure the just conviction
nd just punishment of the guilty.
respectfully urge upon your at
.ntion that the congressional cleo '
ons, in every district, in a very u
nportant sense, are justly a matter !
t political interest and concern L
the whole country. Il
ach State, every political party, is u
ltitled to the share of power which 1
conferred by the legal and eonsti- II
tioal suffrage. 1t is the right of .
-ery citizen, possessing the quail
,ations prescribed by law, TO cast
lie unintimidated ballot, and to
I'VE his ballot honestly counted.
} long as the exercise of this