New-York tribune., 1890-01-29
THE ABERDEEN OUTRAGE,
suNAroR GEORGE, OF MISSISSIPPI. Ex-
FOUNDING THE CONSTITUTION.
o.xnrgo THE CHANDLER RESOLUTION AN IN.
smr 10 his sTATE-MR. sPooNER's EFF.
yaor1vE REPLY TO Mr.. GEORGES

rr no AIS sTATE-MR. sPooNER'S EFF.
rzorIyE REPLY TO Mr.. GEORGES
EULoGY OF JEFFERSON DAVIS.
rsY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBJNRI
~..n,neton Jan. oS.-The Aberdeen outrage is in a
., ,rav TO become historical Senator Chsndler's
,,ution. calling upon the Attorney General for the
80, made by the United States Marshal on the
hsnriug Of secretary Proctor In egy, and the bru'a
A.. ,ueicted upon the unfortunate Indiana timer who
s.,aentaIly slipped the cable which held the stuffed
- IN mid.air, has been invested by the Mississippi
,ors with the character OF portentous assault
80 their states sovereign rights under the consul
,on and the echoes of their indignant eloquence are
~ ,ss,y TO die away, from present appearances for
~.r,, nv. days to If Senator George is right no
~. ,nsdious attack the fundamental law OF the
,~a has been made in many years, ana no graver
,, ' offered to a sovereign Commonwealth than the
hss ,a order on the Department Of Justice for the
su'po u'ps,on 10 the Senate OF a document which many
w. senator's have already obtained privately and
o. - has been used In debate fhe floor of the
senate itself -.
=, wssssippi to-day, with perfectly sober ana
,.rar.lke argument 10 prove that the Senate had
- oven the shadow Of legal right TO investigate the
~,ssed outrage upon citizen Of another State by
w. ,rto,ersnt mob of Aberdeen. The incident lay
.,or, its jurisdiction, and beyond the scope OF
80 nroper or legitimate examination For two hours
~ A,ret upon the definition of state rights, and Its
.--ant in tho Constitution; and, after eulogizing
,Ussippi and its part in the history of the country,
hs sppealed in almost broken tones, to his fellow
senators not 10 put this crownlng insult upon inc
commonwealth he represented
:, was feared that the resolution might pass, and
,h.. Mississippi would thereupon secede. But the
debate was prolonged, and the whole matter went
aver again. Senator Spooner made spirited reply
10 senator George, showing that the demand for
nrnted document printed by the Department OF JUS
cs was altogether legitimate and that the Mississippi
senator had wholly misdrected the greater part OF
his formidable constitutional exposition Mr. spooncr's
repy 10 the charge that the passions and anmosites
Of the war were still alive and active in the North was
forcble and eloquent; and he gave full play 10 MS
senerous power of sarcastic description in his picture
Of the feeling still latent in Mississippi as evnced
in the occurrences at Aberdeen.
Mr.. George took up the clause of the Constitution
section . Article 4 which Mr.. Wilson, Of Iowa, ana
other Republican Senators referred to yesterday as
authorizing the resolution, and argued that no de-
eision of the Supreme Court and no act OF Congress
had ever given such construction to 1t; quoting
various decisions Of the Supreme Court IN suppors
of his contention. Mr.. George went on to say tha'
NOT only did he condemn the hanging in efhgy OF any
respectable officer of the United States, under any
circumstances or under any provocaiion but that IN
the case of secretary Proctor there was no provocaon
for the insult
The pending proposition he described as an annex
or adjunct of the original oenceanother violation OF
the law of Mississippi The only end to be obtained
was 10 blacken the name and reputation OF state
whose sons had honored and served the country.
Among the distinguished sons Of Mississippi Mr.
George referred TO Jefferson Davis as man who had
never betrayed his trust failed in the discharge OF
his full duty whether he served the United States or
the Confederacy. If the Senate, said Mr.. George In
conclusion, was to 60 with this crusade against
the white people of Mississippi for an alleged viola
lion of law and of the Constitution, would II not be
well the Senate to set an example to thas despair
ing people of an observance OF the Constitution.
Mr. spooner said that, so far as the resolution ap-
peared on its face. it not an assumption by the
senate TO deal with crimes, isolated or general IN the
state of Mississippi AS to the course OF the Attorney
General in the matter Mr.. spooner SAID ne was giau
that the day had when the United states hdu dill
Attorney General that would take notice OF an outrase
on an American citizen. He denied that there eAS'eu
in the North any feeling of animosity toward te peopo
of the south. The hanging in effgy OF secretary
Proctor had not only brought out the feeling OF bitter
mess that existed in the South feeling which had no
counterpart in any village of the North but 1t had also
hroueht into the sunlight that recklessness' tha'
cruelty that brutality that indifference TO law and 10
decency which the country had had, Tor many years.
occasion 10 complain of.
Referring to the accidental letting fah OF 'he roPo
which held the Proctor efy in Aberdeen, Mr. spooher
declared that if FAM had old Indiana soldier
that effgy would have fallen into the street. not oS
accident hut with rush and whirlwind OF luolgna-
ton. He then pictured FAM, whom he described as
mere boy being led down the street OF Aber6een no
slave in the Olden day, surrounded of ~ him VI OS
neonle with a brawny man marching behlnd MN anu
yne on his defenceIess head, and body ana race Io
nearly 200 times, lash which, with every DION ouo %
his face and head until he was SO olsnsuieu '""' N
could hardly be recognized A.. ~, c.ooroe
Mir. Spooner expressed his regret that MI: George
a
son Davis IL was have been expected ulat homdeS
woud be paid TO Jefferson Davis throughout the eout
ON the occasion of his death. But the speaker ndu
Ioned that no one would deem il necessary 10 pro
noxnce a eulogy of Jefferson Davis in the senate
6h nbnrd in the breasts Of millions of all
through the North The people had not regarded hlm
although the Chief OF the COnfederacy-as aiser 10
the Union and to its flag, and 10 his oat than thou7
sands of his confreres. But the people had not be,
eved what Mr. George sad to1Sy anoi nr the
Confederacy, he had never betrayed trqst; Inc ne
people believed, on the contrary that ne haG sat IN IN
the senate Chamber betraying daily ana d nOry' aio
nightly, the highest trust ever rep0sed IN man. A.
But it was not for that that they eXecrated ms
memory 1t was because they had held him respon-
sibie for the atrocities, the unspeakable devillsh,
horrible crueIties visited Union prisoners at Libby
was because they charged him with the responsibility
of holding prisoners of war TO starve them. Mr.
spoOner did not know what the resolution wOulu ac-
romplsh in the Of legislation, or Of COnstltu-
tional amendment but it would subserye one pur,
pose. IL nothing else. 1t would turn the light on
that transaction al Aberdeen 1t would prove the eA'
istencc Of spirit Of bitterness and hlutalty there
II would show that there was community claiming
10 be intelligent and law-abiding where the love of
jefferson Davis's memory is stronger than respect
for the law stronger than love Of liberty stronger
than the impulses OF humanity in the law OF God,
written In every human heart II the resolution would
accomplish nothing else it would su0serve that one
good purpose. .
Mr. GRAY remarked that greater compliment
conId have been paid to the argument OF Mr.. George
than the fact that Mr. SpOoner had evaded the issue
rendered by the Senator from Mississippi, and had
replied 10 II only in an eloquent datrbc. He moved
10 amend the resolution by adding the words " and
also the letter instruction to the said Marshal 20
which the report OF the said Marshal a response
and also 70 add il the following "And that he be
requested 10 inform the Senate whether in the alleged
assault on FAM, any right secured TO him by the
constitution or laws Of the United states invaded
or violated
The dictate was further continued by Senators Plat,