The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-12

i cy OF the southern States had violated the
iTigbts OF American citizens, and tt1enkto
find out Whit could be done with them.
There were doubts rs to The propriety OF the
resolution, iDasmuefi as no committee could
! In the time for this session make the proper
investigation IN satisfactory or Just man-
ner He wondered why. this resolution
! WIS introduced, unless 1t was 20 be made q
! string upon which to hang speeches; to
! arouse sectional hatred in one portion OF
the Union against an almost defenceless
people in another portion: Applause IN the
i ga1Ieries.] Z: -.
. Here the Chair said that persons creating
disturbances would be arrested, and Mr.
! Thurman, continuing, said he hoped no in
terruption would occur. he said :! . did
not say anything when the galleries cheered
the peroration Of my friend from Maine,
for love an eloquent thing as much as
ANYBODY can, and have sometimes cheered
/ It when I did not agree with it at ALL"
/ [Laughter.] Continuing his remarks, he
said "This assault Of the Senator
/ from, Maine is moi an assault singly,
however, upon the people Of the South.
| I said five months ago in speech, which
beg pardon for repeating here, that it did
seem to me as clear as anything in American
|politics could be that there was delibe-
rately-formed purpose, under the pretext
that there was solid South, to create solid
North, to rule not only the solid South, but
to rule one half nearly, if not more, OF the
people OF the North. thought so then;
think so yet. / thought then, and think
now, that purpose more unpatriotic, more
unjust, more franght with ruin to this coun-
TRY, never entered the brain OF man.
That is my belief. Why, Mr.. President,
OF what is it that the Senator from Maine
complaints? That there were not enough
IRepublican votes at the South? That is the
amount OF it. And how does he make that
out? He assumes, without one shadow OF
proof produced here, that the negroes OF
the South were prevented from voting, or
forced to vote the Democratic ticket. He
assumes, therefore, that owing to those
causes the negroes of the South are not
Represented by members OF the House OF
Representatives who come from that sec
ton Of the Union, or by senators on this
floor who represent the southern States.
! What right has the Senator from Maine to
say that the negroes of the South are not
represented by the chosen representatives
OF the South and chosen senators Of the
South? What right has he to vote those
negroes himself on one side and say that
the men who bear the credentials OF elec-
ton here do not represent their constitu-
ents? 1t is q bare assumption on his part
that he has no right whatever to make. l
am as much in favor Of respecting rights
OF every man under the Constitution as the
Senator from Maine or any other senator on
this floor, but do know that property, in
teligence, and education will assert their SUI
prcmacy everywhere on the face OF this globe.
Who was it that drew the color-line between
the whites and negroes in the South? Let
me tell you, sir, that millions OF the money
of the people OF the United States were
expended by your agent, the Freedmen's
Bureau agents, in getting every colored
man in the South into loyal leagues, and
swearing him never to vote for Democrat.
That is where the coior-ine began to be
drawn. That institution, which took charge
of the negro at the ballot-boy, took charge
OF him in the cotton-feld; took charge Of
him everywhere; supervised every con-
tract that lie made; allowed no contract to
be made unless approved by the agents OF the
| Freedmen's Bureau, and spent money and
property, called captured and abandoned
property that was surrendered to it, and
many millions OF money directly appropri-
ated oIt Of the Treasury OF the United
States. It was that, the Bureau and its
agents, who first drew the color-lne, and
yet when the whites of the South, when the
men owning the property and having the
Intelligence ut the South. saw their very So
cial system menaced with destruction; saw
their very households threatened with ruin,
under an inundation OF barDarisn, directed
by the most INSCRIPTIONS OF men, and
when they naturally came together when
they naturally united as people menaced
with danger ever will unite, then cry is
raised against the solid South"
Mr.. President, it will not do. This sys-
tenn Of legislation towards the South that
began ten years agois reapinG its fruit, and
it is not by additional penal laws that you
can better the condition OF this country.
What does the Senator want more penal
laws for Let him look into the statute
book on this very subject. Let him read
the statutes in regard to the enforcement OF
the right OF citizens 10 vote, and defy him
| to find in the statute-books of any civilized
country on this globe body OF laws, so
minute, so searching. and bristling all over
with penalties and fines and forfeiture as
do these laws. Mr.. Thurman thought the
danger TO this country was whether the
| longest purse should carry the elections,
and this danger exists more in the North
than in the South.
Mr.. Lamar also addressed the Senate, say
ing he would have something to say upon
the question Of the adoption OF the resolu-
tions when they arc ready for action. AT
present he wished to remark upon single
point submitted by Mr.. Blaine. He regret
! fed that "a statesman so distinguished, in
looking upon this recently dislocated MEM
Der OF this great American empire, instead
of regarding it anXiously for those great in
terests that affect this great country through
the long track of coming years, should have
concentrated his whole gaze upon its simple
attitude of party relationship; that nothing
should have struck the gentleman except
that particular partisan feature which AZ
fects the aScendancy OF this political party,
or the other organizations that arc I'M
known to the Constitution and outside OF
the laws of this land. But, sir. the gentle
mans remarks were directed exclusively to
those parties, and, with no intent whatever
to utter bitter retort, cannot butfcel the
regret that one OF such resolute purpose,
OF such tenacious and such daring ambi-
ton, and such great abilities, should
have so narrowed his mind rs to give to
party what was meant for mankind" De-
nylng positively Mr. Blainc's assertions that
the South has disproportionate power in this
Government, the Senator said that before
the vote was over he would show that 10
negro vote has been suppressed in the
South. 81 will demonstrate that this po-
litical phenomenon, which is the subject OF
so much discussion and misrepresentation,
is phenomenon that would occur in any
free society, and that it has been brought
about by agencies which the intelligence
and virtue and society and the other agen-
cies OF civilization always bring upon the
i classes that are Ignorant and debased."
IN otop Irfh or nc.