Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-30

datlOns or contracts with competing OF
/ other companies. and whether through the
Gold and Stock Telegraph Company, OF
otherwise, the Western Union Company
has prescribed rules or regulations for the
transmission of press news. The resOlu-
tiOn authorizes the committee to send for
persons and papers.
Mr.. Sherman objected, and it went over
till tomorrow.
Mr.. voorhees, offered the following reso-
luton. which was agreed to:
ResoIged That the Committee on Post Offices
and Post Roads be instructed TO inquire into
the prOprlety and eXpediency of admitting all
newspapers, periodicals and other printed
reading matter to the United States mails
free Of postage, said committee to report by
bill OF otherwise.
The preamble and resolution Of Mr..
Sherman, relating to the election in Vir-
ginia. were then laid before the Senate, and
Mr.. Sherman spoke in favor of their adOp-
ton. He said that since the beginning
of the present session he had felt that re-
cent events in the States Of Virginia and
Mississippi were Of such Importance as to
demand full and impartial investigation
of the causes which led to them; of the
real facts involved and of the proper CON
stitutional remedy to prevent their Fecur-
renee, and if necessary to further secure
to all American citizens freedom of
speech in open assertion of their
political opinions and in the peaceful eX-
ercise OF their right to vote. Now that
sufficient time had elapsed to allay to
some extent the excitement caused by
these events he hoped that the Senate
would make this investigation so that our
citizens in every State might understand
how far the national government would
protect them in the enjoyment of their
rights ;Or if it was helpless or listless, that,
no longer relying uDOn barren
declarations of the Constitution, each
man for himself might appeal
to the right of self-defense,
or to the boasted American right of mi
grafton to more friendly regions. The al
legations in this resolution as to the Dam
vile riot, or massacre, were, he said
founded on the statements in the public
prints supported by the oaths of witnesses,
and their substantial truth was also veri-
fed by the published statement of men,
Der Of this body, the Senator from the
State Of Virginia. The allegations as to
Mississippi were founded upon copiOus
narratives in the public prints, the pro-
ceedings of pubic meetings and the failure
to act0f the officers Of the State government
including the Governor, judges. courts
and juries. If these statements were true
then in both those States there had been
organized conspirators to subvert the
freedom of elections, accompanied by mur-
der and violence in many forms. The
crimes depicted were not ordinary crimes,
but those of the prevailing majority to
subvert by violence the highest constitu-
tiOnal privileges of citizens, and could
not, from their nature, be inquired of or
punished by ordinary tribunals. of" he
said "they are true, then in those
communities the members of our
party and our race have no
rights which the prevailing majority is
bound to respect. He had no desire to
open up sectional questions or renew old
strifes, still, if these allegations were true,
it would be cowardly shrinking from the
gravest public duty to allow such events
to deepen into precedents which would
subVert the foundation of republican in
stitutiOns and convert our elections into
organized crimes. If the events at Dan
vile were the result of a chance out
break or riot between the opposing
parties or different races of men,
they might properly be left to be
dealt with by the local authorities, but if
the riot and massacre were part of the
machinery devised by one party to deter
another party or a race from the freedom
of elections or free and open expression
of political opinions. then they consti-
tuted q crime against the National Gov
ernment, and the highest duty of the gov
ernment was to maintain, at every hazard
the equal rights and privileges Ofcitizens.
If the events in COpiah county. Missis
sippi, were merely lawless invasiOns of
individual rights, then, though they
involved murder as we'll as
local authority, and if justice could not
be administered by the courts, and a cit
iZen was without remedy from lawless
violence, then he must fall back upOn his
right of selt-defense, or falling in that he
must seek home where his rights would
be respected and observed. But if
these individual crimes involved the
greater one of an organized conspiracy of
one party or race to Odeprive another party
OF race Of citizens Of the
enjoyment of their unquestiOned rights
accompanied with overt acts, with phys-
cal power sufficient to accomplish their
purpose, then it became a national ques-
tiOn which must be dealt with by the Ma
tiOnal Government. He quoted literally
from the Constitution, and argued the
constitutional right of Congress to enact
legislation to correct the evils which were
suggested in these resolutions. He could
pardon the prejudices of race, of caste,
and even of local ties, and the American
people, he thought, had waite with grea
fOrbearance for the time when cOnstitu-
tiOnal rights would be respected without
regard to race or color, creed or party.
If the time had come when members of
the Republican party, through whose
agency, largely, the existence of the gov
ernment had been maintained, could not
enjoy their constitutional rights. were
murdered at the ballOt-bOX without fear
on the part Of their murderers of punish
ment, were driven from their homes by
outrage and terror, that black and white
alike were subjected to ostracism and in
justice, and as party were distranchised,
then indeed were a patient inquiry de-
manded, and the full, open and manly as
sertion of those rights and equaiities
of citizens should be maintained and en-
forced at every hazard. If the COpiah
resolutions were the creed of the Demo-
cratic party in the South, then indeed was
the war failure. They seemed to him
the very germ of deSpOtism and barbarity.
and yet he was assured by a gentleman
friendly to them that they were the creed
OF nine-tenths of the party in power in
Mississippi. 1t was right that the ground
work Of opinions so utterly repugnant to
republican institutions should be known.
''ln this investigation" he said,
81 would seek every palliation
or excuse for the conduct of
the people complained of. 1 would give
to their motives and to the natural feeling
of mankind in their situation the most
charitable construction. / would give to
them all the political power they ever
eniOyed. and without unkindness or pains
or penalties, or even reproaches, l would
extend to them every right, favor or facil-
ity that is enjoyed by any citizen in any
part Of our country; but when this con-
cession is made to them I would demand
that in States undeF their control the
freedom and equality Of Iights aud
privileges guaranteed by the Consti-
tuition and laws TO all citizens,
white or black, native or naturalized,
poor or rich, ignorant or learned, RepUb-
lican or Democrat, shall be secured by
the State government, or if not that,
these rights and privileges shall be as
serted and maintained by the National
Government. Upon this issue ! would
appeal to every generOus-minded man, to
every lover of his country, to every one
who wishes to enjoy his own rights by his
own fireside free from embarrassment, to
stand by those who, yielding TO others the
protection of the laws in the enjoyment
OF equal rights, will demand the same for
themselves and for their associates
MIR. Malone followed Mr.. Sherman in
support of the resolutions. II behOOved
him. he said, in the name of Virginia, to
express regret that there should be found
in the conduct of any portion Of her con-
StltuencY occasion LOT sucn inquiry as
that on which the resolution before the
Senate was in part predicated. But he
protested that for the violent overthrow
of the law and the unprovoked murder of
unarmed citizens at Danville on the Occa-
| sion referred to the real majority of the
people of Virginia were in no way respOn-
sible 1t was due to the fair name
of that State and to the
/ Ioge cf its people for liberty and their
respect GoF law that both actors and con-
spirators in those f0ql deeds, done within