The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-25

ioSes one OI Hef aDIest statesmen, IOE DIT.
Lamar will be longest remembered by his
political career; he was not among the
great jurists OF he South; his professional
life had been broken UP too often by war,
politics and teaching to permit Mr.. Lamar
10 become very learned or accomplished
jurist. Lamar was an exceedingly astute,
adroit and accomplished politician, and
his career was brilliant, but not free from
serious errors of judgment and conduct.
Lamar in 1850 followed the teachings of
Calhoun, whom he never failed in the
latest public utterances Of his life to
warmly euiogize. Lamar from 1860 to
lsoS was one OF those who strove to under
mine and destroy, on Cahoun's prin-
clples, that consti tuition of which, as
late as April, 1887, at Charleston, S.
c., Lamar declared Calhoun to have been
the aolest and best expounder This was
the view of Lamar, uttered bur a few
months before Cleveland appointed him to
the supreme bench. On the oath of De-
cember. 1860, Lamar wrote from oxford,
Miss, to Jefferson Davis, then at Wash
ington City, congratuiating him upon the
fact that the scheme Of disunion was max
ing rapid progress in Mississippi. 1.-THE
result Of the election" he wrote lis what
the most sanguine among US expected;
that Is. its general result is so. Upon the
whole, you have great cause for gratifica-
ton in the action of your state" Again:
IL have often rejoiced that we have you to
| rest and confide in. do not know what
we could do without you" And the let
ter of this patriot to Jefferson Davis, which
now lies among the rebellion records in
Washington, closes with: Il am ever and
Joreper your supporter, ally and friend"
Up to the date of Mr.. Lamar's appoint
ment to the supreme bench he never lost
public opportunity to assert that the
rebellion was right in philosophy and fact,
or to point to its principles as the hope Of
the country. Nevertheless, Lamar's nom
| ination to the United States supreme court
was not objected to chiefly because he was
Confederate from 1861 TO 1866 and blat-
| ant public evangelist of Cslhounism as late
as April, 1887, but because he broke both
| the letter and spirit Of his new oath to the
| constitution which he took when elected
| to the Forty-third congress, by his open
| sympathy and connivance with the plan
! of campaign which carried the Mississippi
| elections in 1875. In this campaign of
| blood and fraud the new amendments to
| the Federal constitution were desecrated
| and violated SO completely that the Repub
lcan majority of 10000 in Mississippi was
| absolutely wiped out. The white leaders
in cold blood: the negroes driven into the
| swamps and shot down like dogs; they
| were called out of their cabins at night
| and murdered; they were shot down from
! ambush; they were horribly whipped, tor
tured and terrorized in every possible way
| by the Mississippi might rider" who cor
/ responded to the Kuklux OF North Caro-
| lima and the 'red shirts" of South Caro-
| lima, who anticipated Mississippi in the
! commission of murder and ali manner
| of crimes to deprive the colored and white
Republicans of their right of voting and of
| every other right conferred upon them by
| the constitution.
Congress sent q committee down TO Mis-
sissippi to take testimony. at the head of
| well, of Massachusetts. 1t was shown by
the cearest possible testimony before that
| committee that all these allegations were
| true. During this awful season Of murder
and fraud from 1874 10 1876. by which the
| ballot box was dismanted and the new
| amendments nulIihed. Mr. Lamar made
| no protest in speech or print against this
Mississippi armed instruction upon these
amendments of whose binding force he
| said on the floor OF congress in 1874:
The people OF the south regard the nsw amend
| uleuis OF the constitution, wl!ch secure to the
black g Tree tow, citizenship and suffrage, 70
be not es. sacrei aud nav .oisble than the orig.
| iu4l charter as II came from tbs hands OF tie
| fathers
Lamar was the beneficiary Of this Missis-
| sippi campaign OF blood and fraud. for he
| was sen, TO the United States senate and
| took his seat March 5. 1877. having been
! elected to succeed Aicorn by the Demo-
| cratic legislature whose majority was Sc
| cured by the political band.tti who cap
| tured MISSES ppI by murder in 1875
| Mr.. Lamar was \ member Of congress
| when this mississippi plan" was organ
| ICED and executed. Neither then nor sub
! sequently did he ever condemn il, either in
| congress or al home, although the adop-
tion Of this plan by al the states of the
| South absolutely nai!!ded the const:tu-
| tionai amendments that in 1874 Lamar de-
| cared '',he South held sacred aud inv.
| olaIle." During all this terrible shotgun
| canvass OF 80. when Lamar was aiding
| ny ms influence and counsel 10 consu,a-
| mate this Mississippi pan, he was mem
! be- ci the lower house Of congress; he
| never used the opportunity OF his position
| - condemn this canvass, but spoke i'm
| favor 1t; he approved Of 1t by acceptineit,
results in share Of his seat in the United
| states senate.
Lamar displayed the cunning of g
| political Mephistopheies; he never
used his great influence 70 proven.
| tie blood and traQd canvas. @;
| 1875 because he knew il would mas.
| him senator. His words Of 1s-l sogaa
| Ike amockery when We remember ;hai .,
| defended. assentei 10 anu approved IT,,
| trishtful bUrcsque of the ballot bsx i-
Mississippi II 1900, which sent Lama
| a. the United States senate. This she,.
| gan canvass Of is75 which sent lamar