The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-12-11


months iI the year. They are til
/ best temperance societies the pc,
g pie Of Tennessee can establish.
e PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
The Presidents annual messag
E was presented to Congress. w
give synopsis of matters of impor
tance to our readers:
THE PERMANENT PAcIFIcATIoN
/. OF the country by the completes pro
!, lection of all citizens in every civi
: and political right continues to b,
, of paramount interest with the grea
body Of our people Every step il
this direction is welcomed with pub
lie approval, and every interruption
Of steady and uniform progress tc
the desired consummation awakens
general uneasiness and excites
speedy condemnation. The recent
Congressional elections have fur
nished direct Trustworthy test of
the advance thus far made ia the
practical establishment Of the right
of suffrage secured by the Constitu-
ton to the liberated race in the
Southern States. All disturbing in
fuences, real or imaginary, had been
removed from all of these States.
! The three constitutional amendments
which conferred freedom and equali.
ty 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 Ma.
tiona Government and the integrity
and perpetuity of the Union, at such
cost of treasure and life as a wise
and necessary embodiment in the
organic law and as ore of the just
results of the war. The people of
the former slave-holding States ac-
ceptee these results and gave. in
every practical form, assurances that
the thirteenth, fourteenth and ff-
teenth amendments, and law passed
in pursuance thereof should, in good
faith, be enforced rigidly and impair
tally, in letter and spirit, to the end,
that the humblest citizen, without
distinction of race or color, should,
under them,
RECEIVE FULL AND EQUAL PROTEC-
TON
in person and property, and in polit-
ical rights and privileges. By these
constitutional amendments t b c
Southern States of the Union OBJ.
tanned a large increase of political
power in Congress and in the Elec-
toral College, and the country justly
expected that elections would pro-
coed, as to the enfranchised race,
upon the same circumstances of le-
gal and constitutional freedom and
protection which were obtained in
all the.other States of the Union.
The friends Of law and order looked
forward to the conduct of these cleo
tions as offering ty the general judg-
ment of the country an i'm portant
opportunity to measure the degree
in which the right of suffrage could
be exercised by colored people, and
would be respected by their fellow
citizens, but more general enjoy
ment Of the freedom of suffrage by
the colored people, and more just
and generous protection OF that free
dom by communities, of which they
form part, were generally anticipa-
ted than the record of elections dis
closes. In some of those States in
which colored people have been IN
able to make their opinions felt in
elections, the result is mainly due to
influences not easily measured or
remedied by legal protection; but
in the State of Louisiana and South |
Carolina at large, and in some par
ticular Congressional Districts out
side of those States, the records of
elections seem TO compel the conclu'
sion that the -s-s4z.-
OF CoLoRED VOTERS HAVE |
BEEN OYERRlDEN
and their participation In elections
not permitted to be either general
or free. II will be for Congress for
which these elections were held, TO
make an examination into their con- |
duct as may be appointed to deter
mine the volidity of claims of men,
hers to their seats. In the mean
gghile it becomes the duty of the
and Judicial Departments
Of the Government, each in its prov
ince, to inquire into and punish vio-
lations of laws of the United States
M bi0h hava Ooaurro1
/ can but repeat what said in
his connection in my last message,
that whatever authority rests with
me to this end, shall not hesitate
10 put forth, and L am unwilling to
forgo a renewed appeal to legIsla-
lures, courts, executive authorities
and people of the States where these
wrongs have been perpetrated to
give me their assistance towards
BRINGING TO JUSTICE THE OFFENDERS,
ind preventing a repetition Of such
crimes. No means within my Pow
n will be spared to obtain full aud
air investigation OF the alleged
crimes and to secure conviction and
ust punishment of the guilty. IL is