The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-02-21
A Worse than Russian lDespofism.
W -" 'rtrrom fhe Mobile Register / : r

.s
-. ,LAwLEsS ACTS OF FEDERAL, OFFICIALS
II hon, John Little, Smith has proven him
self q most useful, member of lthe. Legisla-
ture. His reports from the Federal IRela- !
tions Committee are always timely and wise.
The memorial which be presented few
days ago calling the attention Of Congress
to the gross abuses OF power by certain
Federal officials; demands and sh0nld re-
l'cciye the attentions Of the whole country. 1t
reads as follows: fs5} ss .fa."E-
TO the Honorable the. Senate and House'6f
|. Representatives of. the United States II,
| Congress ASSembtedc n@:..tf ar4ii
The Joint memorial Of the Senate and
House of Representatives, composing the
General Assembly Of Alabama, complaint
| ing, respectfully calls the attention Of your
honorable bodies to the injuries inflicted on
the citizens OF Alabama by the misuse and
abuse by certain United States officials In
this State OF the power entrusted TO them.
| It is apparent to all who see them that the
iuries OF the United States courts are not
generally fair representation OF the ycoun-
| try. but that they are manipulated for
| "a purpose, and for the conviction
of petty offences which are not pros.
ecuted in the true interest Of the
United States, but to produce fees for
| those interested in them. 1t has also been
brought to the attention OF your memorial
lists by the representations and petitions Of
large number Of worthy and reputable cti-
izecs, as well as by the statements OF many
members Of this body, and Of the Senate,
that in the Northern and Middle judicial
Districts OF Alabama the internal revenue
officers. marshal's deputies and agents,
along with travelling United States Commits
sioner W. III. Hunter, have practiced the
! o1, n6ap onf onfn
| the internal revenue laws of the United
States. That under this pretence they have
raided over the country with large bodies Of
armed men, and, regardless Of law and de-
cency, have abused and insulted the
people without cause. That they have
unlawfully and without .pretext Lrokcn
open storehouses and private trunks, and
have either taken the contents or have al
lowed others to do so. That they have
foraged on the country without pay, or
| upon q tender of the merest pittances for
subsistence they have taken. That they
have wantonly broken down fences and
turned stock in on the growing crops Of
the people. That they have in mere mis-
chief shot down the cattle and hogs Of pri-,
vate citizens. That they have conducted
themselves in riotous and dsorderly man.
ner, and in mere wantonesS have fired into
the yards and around the dwellings Of de-
fenccless females for the brutal sratifi-
cation Of terrifying them. That they
have arrested persons and carried them
long distances, when they were ut once
discharged without cause, and it has been
common occurrence to arrest and handcutf
and carry citizens before United States COM
missioners at long distances from the homes
OF such persons, for preliminary inyestiga-
tions, where they have no friends to bail
them If bound over, and no means to de-.
fray their expenses back in cases OF dis.
charge, when there were commissioners of
character and standing near to the places
OF arrest That they have repeatedly refused
to take persons SO arrested in the near
peighborhood OF General Joseph ". Burke,
Il commissioner of the United States, re-
siding in Calhoun county, lately OF the
United States army, and holding responsible
positions under the courts OF the United
States, but have taken them to Huntsville
for preliminary hearing, in a distant part of
the State, and that they have in many other
cases travelled circuitous rolltes to avoid
nearer commissioners. And that they have
arrested, and without preliminary trial, con-
fined one John Jackson in Jail for fifty days,
during the severe rigor OF the late cold
weather. Collector Booth, Deputy -Collec-
tor Smith, W. 81. Hunter, commissioner.
Deputy Marshal Randolph and G. w. Col
son, and others, are charged with these
abuses. - - 80 -. :
The information so laid before your me-
moriaiiSts shows that these officials have not
preserved their investigation with any great
. view to serve the true interests OF the United
States, nor as agents of great iusticc-loying
Power. which was seeking to enforce its
laws By necessary but orderly force, but
they have acted as if they were the ruthless
myrnndons Of 4 power at enuity with i,s
people, and whose laws were enacted not to
I Shelter ana protect rs we'll as punish, but
only to hasass and destroy.
| AS the terms OF the courts OF the North
ern judicial District Of Alabama approach,
these statements show that the roads and
the court-yards are thronged with poverty
stricken witnesses in vast numbers, called
term after term, and presents n picture
which is sad to look upon. The historian
| 4ibbon elegantly but icelinSiy porrays the
vengeance visited by Theodosius upon An
| tlocb, and tells us that ':The tribunal OF
Helebrieus and Casarius, encompassed with
armed soldiers, was erected in the midst OF
the forum. The nobiest and most wealthy
OF the citizens of Antioch appeared be-
fore them in cbainss the examination
was assisted by the use Of torture, and
their sentence was announced or sus-
pended, according 60 the Judgment
OF these extraordinary magistrates. The
houses of the citizens were exposed
ito sale. and their wires and children
were suddenly reduced from affluence
land luxury to the most absolute dis
tress.n The abuses OF the United States
| officials In Alabama thus brought to ihej
knowledge of gour memorialists show that
vengeance of officials has lost nothing In
| tho destructive abuses of power since the
davseef TheodGsius, and that tthe history OF
rbe r,iseries ofsZAntioch repeats itself in
modera times Your mefDariallsts pray;I
your honorable bsdies to relieve our people
from repetitieI of these fdisgraceful
scenes, and to let tEenr feel more OF the pro-
fe,.tion which will follow froSa gentler
though il alay bea Stern administration Of
the laws of the United States; aad SO learn
st,em to love. not drive them to late, its adj
ininistratioBl = T,. hi't go II
itrhe memorial was ads spted:, a1se c"i =
qyiEaSil -. 2 s. s5f13 ?
& pTTsBuReH. Pa, February 1S,i 1870. -
Editors Uispatck: Horace Greeiel' SAID
that In 1900 iRichmond would be the MIN
city ii, the United States, and with Tue ssght
railway connections and the proper MANAGE
nent OF the roads Richmond ss compeiRa
TO be large city. 81: :: ! %. ~ q. s
THE MoDERs ROLE OF THREE. rom tl'e
apnn