The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-01-30
ON THE NEGRO.
SPEECH OF SENATOR wALTHALL OF
MISSISSIPPI ON THE DANGERS
OF NEGRO DOMINATION.
THE OUTRAGE AT ABERDEEl
,erves as a Handle for Chandler and His
Crowd-Senator Reagan in
Defense of the South.


WASHINGTON, January 27.-The resolu-
ton heretofore offered by SenatorChandler
calling upon the attorney general for the
report of the United States marshal for the
northern district of Mississippi concerning
the maltreatment of Henry ]. Faunce at
Aberdeen, Miss, was taken up for consid-
Grafton.
Senator Walthall addressed the esenate. 1t
could not be possibly pretended, he
thought, that congress had any jurisdic-
tion of the subject. 1t had been referred
to by the distinguished senator from
Kansas (Senator Ingalls) last Thursday
in his (Senator WalthalPs) absence but
from reading the report of the senator's
remarks he saw that he had COM
mented on the hanging in efigy of
Secretary Proctor at Aberdeen, and one of
the most brutal and outrageous assaults
committed on the citizen named in the
resolution. From what he (Mr. Walthall)
had heard of the affair he felt warranted in
saving it was simply the wanton conduct
of few persons, and was disapproved by
the community in which it occurred.
He knew that community intimately
but he had never before heard OF the per-
sons concerned in the outrage. Speaking
for himself and representing the sentl-
ment of the people all over Mississippi
and of the South he condemned un1uall-
hedly and unreservedly that outrage on
The secretary of war and on the citizen
named in the resolution. He felt that the
people of the United States would not
hold an entire community responsible for
the action of q few persons.
Passing from that subject, Mr.. Walthall
proceeded to discuss the question OF FED
eral interference in state elections. He
agreed with Mr.. Ingalls, that the race ques-
ton was the most formidable and porten-
tous ever presented to free people for So
luton. He saw no remedy which congress
could apply that promised any practical
result.
He believed that arbitrary enactments
could but increase the difficulty. lie was
unable to divine how the evil could be
mitlgated by any congressional action un-
less the laws of nature could bereversed by
the laws of man. The proposition of Fed
eral control was aimed, he said, at the
Southern states. Its professed purpose was
to secure the fair counting of the negro vote
but the actual object was to count that vote
tor the Republican party on the assump-
tion that all negro voters were Republicans.
The proposition was such menace to the
rights Of the people that it must meet with
the condemnation of all men anxious to
preserve the spirit of the government,
Asa proof that the colored, people o.
Mississippi were not deprived of their
rights, he. said that the negroes of that
state knew that in a single congressional
district of Mississippi there were more o1
that race in office, voted for by white peo'
Pile, than Mr.. Harrison had appointed since
his term began.
But when the negroes were encouraged
Of ct1oI hills nv congress tC
believe that they could rule; when they
were invited to array themselves against
the whites, there would be serious disturb
ances of present conditions, and the trou-
bIes Of the two races would be greatly aug
mented.
an interruption of those relations that
seemed now to promise good to both races
Prosperity would be hindered and business
enterprises crippled. There would be fric'
ton and disquiet. and even bloody STRIFE
which all deplored. But in his opinion
the result of no congressional election II
any Southern state would be controlled Dl
any Federal law that congress could enact
The white people would be driven lnt'
closer cooperation than ever before. 10
their own protection, because the elecuol
of negro judges and officers IN stat
meant negro domination, and meant ueaIi
to every interest and hope and aspiration
of the people, He could not counsel M
peuple TO accept such desolating barbarlsn
without struggle.
Yet he would not counsel them to violat
any public law or any private rlght. bu
he would urge them-not as remedy, pq
asa means of present safety-to unity. ID
would openly and earnestly impress upol
them the value of absolute unity OF pur
nose and action and the necessity 1or tn
closest and most vigilant and constant co
operation for self-protecton. he woui'
appeal to them for their own safety TO SUI
ordinate all party differences anu parry vi
visions TO that end and purpose. -,
There was no safety for them in any oil
Mr. Walthall criticised all proposed rene
dies for the race troubles, Including separa
t ON and disfranchisement as lmpractc iDi
and Impossible. Such coloreu men
Douglas, Bruce and Lynch were, he salG
NOT fypes but prodigies. But some peopl
at the North, Judging the whole Negro rae
by them, did not appreciate the oreau
which the Southern people STOOD ol hesr
rule. -, A., ,,o+ Lno,
The people of the North did not Kno,
that these colored men were pR'Id.,an hp
and that there was as much dlf1erence "
tween them and the average plantaIlo
negro that Southern people had 10 ue'
With ag rule as there was DetWee
Napoleon and the commonest soldier Ill IL
FcUrh army. c,.i,,.;o, ,
renator George spohk;e h;stnry, " Wv of IegIslatio
unparalleled in The history Vi FSisi"'i'
in this country. A., -osol,
Senator Chasdler advocated the resoi'
Senator Reagan condemned tie on
roSe at Aberdeen but denied the right {
ihe government of the United states 10 tat ~
inrisdiction oft. He spoke OF what u
,aonIe of Texas and other Southern statS
pyTed we're doing in the way of education for Il
honeft of the cololei people al
SenIH Soid that If sectional agitatitI
saudi sa1u cease and if the people of the sout
viii be permitted to shape their course ours Se,
the interests of the community "i'uo