The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-12-20
THE SOUTH.
Thurman in Reply to Blaine.

voter was deprived unlawfully of his
right of suffrage in any State at the late
elections, was adopted on the 18th by a
vote of sc to 6. The Senators voting
nay were Messzs. Eaton, Hill, McCreery,
Morgan, Wallace and White. While
the resolution was under discussion
Senator Thurman took occasion to re-
ply to some of the charges made by
Blaine against the South. We copy
the Geographic synopsis of the Senator's
remarks:
Mr.. Thurman submitted as an
amendment to Blaine's resolution that
the committee shall also enquire
whether any citizen of any State has
been dismissed or threatened with dis
nasal from employment or the depri-
walton of any right or privilege by
reason of his vote or intention to vote
at the recent elections, or has been
otherwise interfered with, and to fur
ther enquire whether in 1873 money
was raised by assessment upon Federal
officers for election purposes, and
whether such assessments were or not
in violation of law and shall further
enquire into the conduct OF United
States Supervisors of Elections in the
several States, and as to the number of
the marshals, deputy marshals and
others employed to take part in the
conduct OF said elections.
Addressing the Senate thereon Mr..
Thurman said in now replying to
Blaine he would confine himself to a
few general observations, reserving
the privilege of speaking further
should the debate become prOtracted.
Tho Gonofnr from NJ oino no esoi1 had
two purposes in preparing his carefully
elaborate speech; not to vindicate the
right of suffrage throughout this
whole Union, but to enquire whether
the Democracy of the Southern States
had violated the rights of American
Citizens and then to find out what
could be done. There were doubts as
to the propriety of the resolution, mas
much as no cOmmitte could in time for
this session make a proper investiga-
ton in a satisfactory or just manner.
He wondered why this resolution was
introduced, unless it was to be made a
string upon which to hang speeches
to arouse sectional hatred in one por-
ton of the country against an almost
defenceless people in another portion.
Applause in the galleries.l Here the
Chair said that the persons creating the
disturbance would be arrested, and
Thurman, adding that he hoped no fur
Their interruption would occur, said !:
I did not say anything when the gal
leries cheered tho peroration of my
friend from Maine, for love an elo-
quent thing as much as anybody can,
and have sometimes cheered it when
I did not agree with it at all. laugh
teri
Continuing his remarks, he said:
This assault of the Senator from Maine
is not an assault simply, however,
upon the people of the South. L said
five months ago, in a speech which ]
beg pardon for repeating here, that it
did seem to me as clear as anything in
was deliberately 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, ifnot more, of the
North. thought so then, and 1 think
so yet. thought then, and think
now, that a purpose more unpatriotic,
more unjust, more fraught with ruin
to this country, never entered the brain
of man. That is my belief. Why,
Mr.. President, of what is that the SEN
ator from Maine complains? There
were not enough Republicans 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 the members of
the House of Representatives who
came from that section of the Union,
or by the 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 representa- |
tives of the South and the chosen SEN |
ators 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 election here do not |
represent their constituents? 1t is a |
bare assumption on his part that he
has no right whatever to make. 1 am
as much in favor of respecting the right |
OF every man under the Constitution |
as the Senator from Maine or any other |
Senator on this floor, but do know
that property, intelligence and educa-
ton will assert their supremacy every.
where on the face of this globe.