National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-08

| ward OF all interference with the kuklux war
upon southern Republicans, by the familiar
| device ofsubsttuting an investigation offictsa-
/ ready well known, when, as he now loudly rs.
| serts. the blood Of murdered Republicansc cried
aloud from the ground to him and 70 all in
| this wasthe only time he had como down
| RON sitting ION the fence IN the speakers
oh9r to SG%T' himself on public question
| PLUMED KNIGHT "what trick, what device,
| what starting hole cnnst thou now find out. TO
hide thee from this open and apparent
EARLY FISHING FOR THE PRESIDENCY.
IL was supposed that this had broken the
back OF the administration Of Gen. Grant, but
| most dangerously had his enemies prevailed.
| II was defeat, not Of Grant, but of the Repub.
| licnn cause OF justice and order; and triumph,
not of Blaine and his co.conspirators only, but
also ofthe Wild anarchists whom now he do
| nounccs so boldly, and whose ally he then was.
| That Blnlne's friends hoped to sec him Hour.
ish, through the confusion his treachery had
| caused, was soon made clear. On the 22d of
March, Just week after he had betrayed his
rarty, Washington dispatch to tho Ttdun'
discussed the next presidency In Just such a
| way as he would have DONE or had II done, II
| he had been writing the dispatch himself II
was full OF what those who oppose Gen. Grant
ssy," and they argue, . "Sthey maintain
many moro OF the stock phrases with which
one man, II "ajournalIst," eau seem to be q
thopsaphd d Among other things u remarked oi
united upon any candidate, and nonames are
| mentioned except in suggestive way. Some
man OF undoubted strangth Of Character"
| Then folowod-h1lf dozen names, aud lol tho
name ofBlainc led all the rest Tho Tribune cor.
| respondent was the stanchest OF his friends.
But the promoters OF the funeral had omitted
| TO provide corpse, Grant was still President.
THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS.
On the day following the above semioliicial
encouragement Of tho modest hopes and plans
of Mr. Blaine, President Grant sent to Congress
q message March ~, 1871. In which he said
"a condition of affairs now exists In some OF
the southern states Of the Union rendering life
mails and the collection of tho revenues dan.
gerous The. proof that such a condition OF
affairs exists In some localities Il now before
the Senate. That the power to correct these
evils is beyond the control of the state author
tiles do not doubt; that the power of tho
Executive of the United States, acting under
ne limits Of erisg idirS, Is sufficient for present
emergencies is not clear. Therefore urgently
recommend such legislation as in the judg-
liberty, and property and the enforcement OF
law in all parts of the United States. IL may
be expedient g provide that such law as
mendaiion shall expire at the end of the next
These last words clearly suggested that au:
habeas corpus.
CONGRESS RESPONDS.
Bills 10 meet the exigency were already
pending which had been offered three days
| DelOTe Dy MT, SnellHDnTBcr anu buticT.
On the 2sth of March, in the House, a bill
was reported from the judiciary committee by
Mr.. Shellabarger combining some Of both bills,
and providing for the suspension of the writ
Of habeas corpus under conditions named.
The bill was debated until April 6, and then
passed by party vote. Not, however, until
| after q struggle had been made to strike out
the hGbeas Corpus provision The vote on this
stood 101 yeas, 105 nays. Mr.. Hale at first
voted aye. He was regarded as Mr.. Bleine's
vote. OF course Mr.. Blaine himself did not
vote-although he had right TO do so. Hale
changed his vote to mo- during the roll call,
giving as his reason that an amendment yet to
be voted on would somewhat modify IT, (This
amendment related to discharglng arrested
persons within certain time unless formally
I accused and put on trial II was adopted
without q. diyison) II was. very plain
TO be seen that the support Of the immediate
ii they had been strong enough to defeat the
clause referred TO. II was the vital provision
in the bill. The Presidents, message had
q dovecote, he had "1uttered" the obstruo-
the Republicans voted solidly for the vigorous
clan and presidential aspirant OF 1871, and so
wise in the estimation Of Blaine, the historian
and presidential aspirant In 1856. The bill,
law April 20, 1871. After the House had passed
II q discussion took place OH clause In an APP
preparation bill to provide funds for contintl,
| alton Of investigation In the south, by a joint
committee which had been appointed. Judge
, Niblack, Of lRdiana (Democrat said:
l "The pro- osifon 10 fnreaigae, as understand
was got up rs a sort of counter Increment 10 ie1is
lotion at the present session. For time II
seemed TO prevail in this House. Ire
peat my regret that we are now called upon to
legslate for this investigating committee, after
} | having passed bill To punish these very ir
regularities. about which but two or three
, weeks since we pretended to be In quest OF IN
i | men upon the other side said they were moi
sufficiently informed to justify them In voting
! This was fair hit at Mr.. Blaine and hi:
friends, Hale Garfield, and others.
POLITICAL PREsTIDIGITATroN.
So ends the history In Congress of the "ku
I klux act" Mr.. Blaine's account OF 1t wa
G much brefer; Ifhe does me the honor to rcaC
!. my. version, he will concede its correctness
i and perhaps be reminded of things long since
v gone out OF his mind. 1t win be u new revela
ton to many, OF Mr.. Blaine's great skill inpnss
Ing from one side to another In p9ii,iscs
!. gotten. Mrs Bouncer in the play rented tn,
/, same room to Box by night and to Cox by day
TheGE never ms and she t Wss G 10 each Sh mode
+ when compared with the legerdemain b!
5 which ~ at one o5 and the same time
. national prestidigitateur figured as the swori
b friend Of both political parties during the con
It slderatlon OF the burning question involved 4
Il | the kukluX act. His passion for his own part
n was only equalcd by his undying devotion L
,r the other His attempt with the Democrats b
a tie the hands OF Grant so that he could not In
q | ttEleIe WIN lllt llupcECeI
tibly like a dissolyng view as soon as he sal
his forces responding TO the Presidents me'
sage. Like Rip Van Wrinkle, he would onl
/. die game" when he could not run away"
!, My story could not well have been told with
II in shorter limits. submit that II makes goo
If my. promise TO show that .'he had labored har
d to defeat legislation against the kuklux ma
v rauders In 1871 by the familiar trick of subst
& tntng Investigation therefor despite the will Q
i. the joint Republican caucus"
NJ In 1875 this same bill, In modified form, wa
q again before Congress for re.euactment, an
q was defeated. In Its proper order Will eXhib
/. Mr. Blanes share inthat final defeat and oyel
!. throw OF the reconstruction measures OF tn
4. Republican party.
g BLAINE AND THE CARPET BAGGERs"
u Our historians efforts to split the differenc
Y Nf any) between his own opinions and those {
! the Democratic party of the south concernln
n "carpet baggers" and scalawags" is interestin
"a and good as q specimen of mental and politics
u balancing. It seems to be rather the result {
~ force OF habit than of any further hope 70 so
~ his love for the Bourbons requlted. He BIZ
~ moans in secmly and truly Mugwumpla
" tone, the wlckedness of those remnants of tn
. past and pathetically remarks that ''if thes
= mon had In all cases established as good an
" trustworthy governments in the south as tho
~ had been reared under In the north, the
a; ed states a blessing WHEN, as prejudice wot
away. would have caused their names to b
respected and honored." The moraliZings Q
~ Mr., Blaine at the windup of the dozen page
70 into which he congresses the southern que
oi ton during Grants eight years are very touch
er ing, and show him to be- like Joseph Surface
20 "a man ofsontiment."
q RELATIONS WITH GREAT BRITAIN.
The chapter devoted to the history of tn
settlement of our differences with Gro;
Britain Is full of interest, as is also vRluabl
ut chapter on the subject OF the fisheries, giving
10 complete summary Of the several treaties III
"A fecting them, and discussions of question
" arising under them. Due credit is given
10 President Grant and TO the American Gomm
Of sioners who acted under his inspiration rs
general results in obtaining from Great Hritll
O. suitable apology for injuries inflicted, an
Of concessions of principles which should he a
d; sumed as International law in the arbitratio
a. agreed on, This was diplomatic victory
i'm highest Ordnr