Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-12-26

by leaQl9G hepuOllcanS III DOtu uOuscS
against the suspension of habeas corpus
and against allowing the military power
of the United States to be exercised in
the South during the presidency of Gen.
eral Grant. And he asked how, if Presi-
dent Grant had been unable to protect
colored men in their right of suffrage, any
other President could do better.
SOUTHERN OPINION AGAINST IT.
If military power was to be used in the
execution of the pending bill, then the
bill should be defeated, aud if it was to
be dead letter, why pass it Public
opinion at the South was against it. In
stead of protecting the coOred man it
would bring upon him persecution and
misery, If not death. No assumption of
party necessity could justify such an act.
1t was the plain duty Of the Senate, he
held, to trust to natural causes in the
hope that they would remedy the evil.
The bill ought not to pass, because it never
would be enforced because it would con-
solidate the Southern whites; because it
would bring further misery on tue South
ern blacks, and because it would increase
sectional animosities and kindle anew the
dscOrds of the past.
Mr.. Stewart gave brief account of the
supervisors election law aud of the act
for the suspension of the writ of habeas
corpus. lie recalled the speeches in OPP
position to the force bill of 1875 made 10y
Senators George +, Hoar and j. K. Haw-
ley, then representatives in the House.
Among them then voting against the
! force bill Mr.. Stewart recalled Foster,
Garfield, VIM. Walter Phelps, Kasson and
Kellogg. General Hawley, he said, was
very strenuous in his opposition, declar'
ing that there could be no genuine pro-
lection in the South under legislative en-
actment.
BITTERER RACE HATREDe.
1t could no more be enforced by courts
and iures than the laws already upon the
statute book could be, which, if they
could be enforced, would be ample for the
suppression of all the frauds complained
Of. The effect of the b. u, in his opinion,
would be to cause even still bitterer race
hatreds. He suggested that the Petition
ers required under it would become mark
ed men, as would also the supervisors,
and from the reports of investigating
committees and all the knowledge obtain
ed during the past twenty years 1T was
plain what their fate wonld be. Unless
Congress was disposed to proceed to
to the remedy under the constitution
that of denying representation on ac-
count of exclusion from or obstacles to the
exercise of the franchise-the only reme-
dy that ever existed was in the enforce
ment of laws already on the statute book
and 10 the assurance that no pressure
from the outside would be exercised.
WHY THE SOUTH is SOLID.
In his Judgment the solid South was
maintained by reason of its leaders use of
the CRY that 1t was intended on the part
of those who controlled the general gov
eminent to interfere with their local af-
fairs. The moment such a cry was effect
ually proved to be without foundation
the South could not any longer be kept
solid. The sectional party there would
divide into iactional. 1t had already
begun to disintegrate. That dlsintergra-
ton must necessarily bring about protec.
ton to the negrO's vote. The organization
now irresistible in some States in sup
pressing that vote would be among the ear
lest to bid for its power when they found It
necessary for their own existence. The
colored man needed education. The white
man down South needed the same. If an
ohgarchy existed in any OF those States,
it was the duty of the United States
government to suppress IT, under the con-
stitution. The general government was
required to MAINTAIN republican forms of
government in each of the States OF tho
Union.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT WILL NOT TOLERATE
1T.
If such a state of things did not exist,
then force could not be justified. This
country was governed by public sent
ment. Public sentiment would not toler-
ate such a state of affairs. The general
opinion of the land was In favor OF Civ
ing all legal opportunities to the colored
man. In the North that opinion was
growing keener and more active. Such
a public opinion would be more potential
as time went on. If the Senate passed
the bill it should be executed. If the
Senate did not intend to enforce it, be
asked the Senate, in the name of human
ity, not to pass it. If it were passed the
white man would be still further CONSOLE
dated, and the trained power and organ
izatIon Of the late Confederate States
would he brought to insure the destruc-
ton of the cOlored race 10 the South
he cOlored man was yearly improv=
ing. He could not he removed from
this country. No one compared him, in
mental capacity as a race, with the white
man, in whose midst he lived. But it
was the glory of the white race that In
Justice could not long exist in its midst.
This was the age of justice and the death
of privilege. There was no room for slaves
and no room tor caste. The white people
of the South must be taught to see that,
and it was the only way in which the
colOred voter could finally be protected.
The fact that this was the first OppO-
sition TO the bill on the part of Repub-
lican Senator caused the closest attention
to be paid 10 Mr.. Stewards speech on
both sides of the chamber. Republican
and Democratic Senators were In about
aud all turned towards Mr.. Stewart and
appeared to be most interested listeners.
MR. HOAR HAS HIS SAY.
At the close of the speech Mr.. Hoar
rose and said that he would not now re
ply to It, bnt he wished to have put upon
the record the provisions of tue force bill
TO which reference had been made, and
which bad passed the House in 1875. He
had its provisions read for the purpose of
iustifying the opposition made to ID by
himself and other Republicans, and to
show that there was no inconsistency in
their opposition to that measure and in
their support of the pending measure.
Mr.. STEWART AGAIN.
Mr.. Stewart repeated that he opposed
the pending bill because IL proposed to do |
a thing which could not he done without
force, The Senate should not attempt to
deceive the country. The country should
be informed Of what was necessary 10 en-
force the bill, and should be called upon
10 sustain 1t. He did not want to enter
upon such campaign as was entered ups
,n fifteen years ago and again to meet
With defeat, as on that occasion, when
he bill had to be dropped. II the time
lad to come when the Republican party
vas willing to pass the bill and to put