Evening star., 1916-01-02
FIFTY YEARS Ago
IN THE STAR


andria in 1868. riot occurred there
bet young
Chrisfmae Rio< white men and ne
=, groes, in which the
beaten. and for several hours pande
monium reigned in the quiet Virginia
city. The news did not get to Wash
ington until the next day. so poor were
the facilities for communication. even
at that short range. The Star of De-
cember 26. 1865. printed a brief item in
it's late edition stating that six negroes
had been killed in the Alexandria riot
ing, but this number was later found
to be excessive. Indeed. only one of the
victims of the mob was mortally
wounded. The issue of, December 81
contained a full account of the dis
turbance, which had been started in
consequence of the overindulgence of
number of young men in Christmas
cheer and their undue demonstration of
disregard for the new liberties of the
colored people. Military forces were
ordered to the scene and after some
sharp fighting the riot was suppressed.
The question of woman suffrage was
not as much in evidence in 1865 as it is
today. None of the Amer
Woman's lean states had voted to
give women the franchise,
AsiSAts. and to a large extent the
issue was considered by most people as
rather academic In The Star of De-
cemher 81 1865. is the following article
on the subject:
I'VE have before US a petition now in
circulation throughout the country
started by the National Woman's s
Rights Association. headed by E. Cady
Stanton, Lucy Stone and Susan B. An
thony. asking Congress to SO amend
the Constitution as to prohibit the sew
eral states from disfranchising any of
their citizens on the ground of sex. The
fair petitioners claim that they repre-
sent 100000 people-one-half the en-
tire population of the country-intel
lgent, virtuous. native-born American
citizens, and yet they are the only class
that stand outside the pale Of political
recognition. The Constitution classes
them as free people and accounts
them whole persons in the basis of
representations: and yet, they say. they
are governed WITHOUT lneir cohSeht.
compelled to pay taxes without appeal
and punished for violations of law
without choice of Judge or juror. AS
Congress is now amending the Constl-
tuition, and, in harmony with adVanc-
ing civilization. placing new safe
guards around the individual rights OF
four millions of emancipated slaves. the
petitioners ask that Congress extend
the right of suffrage to women-the
only remaining class of disfranchised
citizens-and thus fulfill their constf-
tutional obligation to guarantee to
every state in the Union a republican
form of government AS all partial
application of republican principles
must ever breed complicated legfsla-
tion, as well as a discontented people,
the petitioners ask that in order to
simplify the machinery Of government.
and insure domestic tranquility Con-
gress legislate hereafter for persons.
citizens, taxpayers and not for class or
caste.
"These petitions will, it is stated. be
sent in to Congress Immediately after
the holiday recess. We trust there will
be a good many of them. Their re-
quests are perfectly reasonable. and in
the new order of progress we don't see
how Congress can possibly aVolo
granting them. 1t would certainly be
most illogical proceeding to give the
right of suffrage to the ignorant corn
field negro and deny 1t to the millions
of Intelligent. virtuous and patriotic
women of the country. The passage OF
such measure would give US IN tnis
city an addition Of from eight to twelve
thousa nd most agreeable voters. We go In
for it, The effect would be most whole
some in reforming the present low
condition of election morals. The cour-
tesies and proprieties of the ballroom
and the church would prevail at the
polls. The brutalities of low drunken
ness, fighting, profanity. rude chal-
lenging, jostling. brad-awl jabbing and
other reprehensible election practices
will disappear as II by magic IN tne
presence of the lady voters. Husband
and wife, brother and sister. lover and
sweetheart will walk up to the polls.
arm in arm, as II to church. Ana TINS
is only one of the many attractive as
poets in which female suffrage presents
itself. The ladies have shown good
Judgment in selecting this as the op-
portune time to strike for their rights.
Congress-, while granting everything TO
cannot well reject the just
demand of the oppressed women of
America"
An important and interesting pris-
oner was brought to Washington at
this time half a century
p.nhoal ago, the commander of the
confederate cruiser Ald-
oemmeS. bama. The Star of Decem-
Der 90, 1865. has the following account
of his arrival here:
Raphael Semmes. late commander of
the Alabama, arrived here in the New
York train last night in charge OF
Lieut.. Lyman p. French and Sergts
Cassidy and Jones, United States Ma
rines and was at once taken to the
navy yard, where he was placed In
room hastily fitted up in the dispen-
sary building over which a guard was
placed He will, however, be moved to-
day to more commodious quarters ad-
Joining the chapel This chapel has
heretofore been used for court martial
purposes and may be used for the trlal
of Semmes. He was arrested at ms
place, Spring Hill, about four miles
from Mobile Ala. the evening OF the
18th instant. about o'clock, D! Lieut.
French and the sergeants above named,
on an order from the Navy Department.
as he was sitting quietly In his parlor
reading a paper. Lieut.. French. on en-
tering the house, at once informed him
of the object of his visit, at which
Semmes expressed great astonishment
and claimed that he had been paroieo
and that his arrest was in violation
of the parole. .
Lieut. French made the circum-
stances attending the arrest as pleas
ant as possible, and Informed his pris-
oner that he would allow him until IL
o'clock the following day to arrange
matters with his family, which priv
ilege he accepted. and at noon the l6tn
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