Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-15
IsPmEch
HON. JAMES r. CHALMERS,
OF AIssIssIPPI,
10 the HoaSs Of Representatives Feb
maKw 26, lRTn.

OF AIssIssIPPI,
In the Houss Of hspEssautativss, PSb.
EuAEy &c, 1875.
Mr.. CHALMRRs-Ar. Speaker, since the
days OF Marx AutOny'S grafton owe the
dead body Of Cesar We have heard moth.
ing 90 skillful and adrOit As the late effort
of the gentleman from Ohio AF. GaTieldl
under the guise OF sorrOWing friend.
ship 10 arouse the bitterness Of human
passions. Il was the voice Of Jacob, but
L wa the hand Of Esau. With professions
OF he greatest kindness for the South and
with the expression OF an ardent and pa
tri0tlc desire for peace and harmony In
The Union, be made an appeal to the pas
siOas OF the North, by q fahcled statement
Of the lngratltude OF the South, that was
calculated 70 move the very stones 10 mu.
TRY. The object OF both the gentleman
from Ohio M. Garfield aud Of the gentle
man from Maine Mr.. Hale 70 my nd
was too plain to be mistaken. II was q
cunning aud careful y prepared assault
upon the Southern policy Of the Presi.
Int. They intend TO reinfame the pas
slons Of the North against the South, aud
either to DIVE Mr.. Hayes from his policy
Of cOncil alton or else drive the Repubii-
can party still further from him. They Ia.
tEuuEu tubN W uEAW HUN fubuEAu bGW0s
cra,s, and especially the LOuisianl mem.
bers, tome declaration OF hos ilIty to the
P~resideIt's title to his seat 10 The hope
that this would not only ALLEVIATE 0im from
them but furnish another Illustration Of
Southern ingratitude. When the gentle.
man from L9ulsian Mr.. GibeOnl spOEe Of
the great fraud OF he Returning Board,
the prompt question VI the gentleman
from Maine as 10 what fraud I Q gentle.
man alluded 10 expnstd this purpose Of
the attack. But, sir, | was glad to see that
my gallant cOmrade, descended as be ls on
\ eide from al h0r;Ored grandfather who
founded the fret church and endowed the
first college In my State, aud from the best
blood Of Kentucky on the other, bore him.
self In that debate worthy Of his illustTi.
u ancestors and did not fall into the trap
set for him By the enemy. We have no In.
tenti0n or desire to build up the RcpubII.
can party by assalllng the President. We
are satisfied With the policy Of Mr.. Hayes
and do not prop se TO be led Into aLy war
with him. He iB In bic seat, aud whether
IL was given to him by fraud, accident. or
mis- AXE we are making no effort TO dis
tuTb his possession. The conviction OF An
dersOn, Wells, Kenner, and C~assanave, all
for crimes In Louisiana, could have no
legal effect upon that possession
The whole country has long SIN Q been
satisfied OF the facts 10 the Louisiana eleI
ton They know that the democracy hal
a 10 & majority Of the votes In the ball 4.
boxes, and that 10 the disputed parishes
the majority " IS thrown out on tine gr0un :
that Il had been 0Dtaintd by intimida atom
and fraud. I recognize the fact that
many ofthe Republican party honestly he.
iieyed thi, n have been rightly done
under the laws Of Louisiana. The De-
mOcracy Oh the other b md just as honest.
ly believe that the charge OF intimidation
and fruud was a mere pTetense. and that
the ball9ts were n uwingly. wilfu ly, ana
cor up'ly thrown In defiance Of justice
anu law. While these differences Of Opln.
ion existed as to tue disputed puishes
there were 9th re 10 which there was no
dispute, and among these was the parish
Of Vernon. When the returns frnm this
parish Were opened, showing hut two
votes for the Republican party, It wac de-
clared 10 be all right 10 the presence OF Mr..
Anderson II 10 admitted now on all
hands that these returns were subsequent
~ altered, and that the Returning Board
certified TO the altered returns as correct
This, under the laws Of Louisiana, c0nStI.
tutes forgery, and for this Mr.. Anderson
has been tried by 4 jury Of bic country.
men, and 4 verdict Of guilty az charged
has been returned against him,
But the gentleman from Naive under
takes to say that there was no testimony
hat would have W.Franted q verdict
against him In the State Of Maine. II the
people OF Maine entertain the same senti.
ments a. those expressed by their Re IRE
sentative on this door, II they believe that
q forged alteration OF election returns IL a
pard0nable political offense, II they would
prejudge q criminal case and telegraph
heir opinion In Advance, then he is per.
haps right In hls judgment as to what
would be the reAult OF such . trial In that
banner State Of the Republican party.
But l do not believe the people OF Maine
any more than the people OF the South
have been fairly represented by the gen.
tleman's speech. Both he and the gentle.
man from Ohio, lMr. Garfield without re-
gard TO the question OF guilt or Innocence,
claimed that II the Returning Board were
all guilty Of the crime OF forgery as al.
legged against them, these we're but pOlltl.
cal Ofenses which not only should b. ron.
doned, but that II was understood aud OK.
pected by the whole country that they
would be condoned. And because they
have not been, the gentleman from Maine
Mr. Hale tells us that the North is pro-
toundly impressed with the belief that the
South 10 not to be trusted. The trouble
with the gentleman 10 that this ~ not true
and be 10 only angry because IL is not true.
l can say 10 him that the country Ia pro-
loundly impressed with the belief that the
Returning Board Of Louisiana wac not 10
be trusted, and some are so i%ncTedulOus OF
the honesty OF those who ConsOrt with
thieves as 10 assert that some at least OF
the visiting statesmen who cOnsOrted with
the Returning Board OF Louisiana were
not more worthy Of trust than their not =
ri0us Associates. But why, cir, should
these men not be prosecu ed II they are
guiltyl
The gentleman from Ohio puts It upon
t~hreeFepaEate grounds: First, because the
lives Of the Confederate soldiers were
spared; second. because Of the cOnclIia.
tory policy Of Mr.. Hayes, aud third, be.
cause Of the implied agreement TO the COR
trary In the res buttons Of the Nichols
Legislature. Because C~OnIederates we're
p%sraOnod for reason be thinks the small
matter OF forging election returns should
have been overlooked. Sir, the man who
boldly takes up arms In defense 20 what
be believes 10 be his con titutlOnG 3, Shts
ls no worse traitor TO Republican ~ rty
than he who by m~achinatiOn, perjury, and
forgery rObs the people Of their elective
franchise, corrupts the sources OF political
power, and gives to fraud the fruiIs Of vic.
tory and virtue II we were traitors we
met you In IN open field, in the light Of
daY, with our principles inscribed on our
banners, and We staked our Iiyes upon the
justice OF our cause, II the Returning
Board OF Louisiana and those who aided
and abetted them are traitors to
HnRWNhINWna 1thaaNw 49, -Ea