Year: 1877

In the House of Representatives last


week. the army bill being under consider


alton, the following debate took place:


Mr.. Hooker (Dem., Mise effered an
amendment providing that no money shall


be expended for the transportation or sup
port of any troops to be used in any State


for the purpose OF expressing ineurrection,
| maintaining order, or supporting any gov
| ernment or pretended government in such
State, unless such force shall have been
! fret applied for by the Legislature OF such
State only or by the Executive thereof
when the Legislature cannot be convered.
Mr. Garfield asked the consideration of
| the House to what would have been our
condition if in 1861 just such a law had
been laid as sbackle on the Pre- sideBt of
the United States, and if he had had no
army to pat down rebellion and ineurrec-
ton in any State. The awful example in
our history through which we had passed
made it important that they should not
shackfe orr Government as to any future
that may lie before it in the protection of
its life.y It was not enough that our poor,
unpaid starved army had been held up
there for these many days to further starv
alton, to be cut down by death in Indian
warfare, and given to understand that
merciful Congress proposed to cnt it still
deeper, but that at last its Commander-in-
Chief should be shackled and the army
itself should he shackled, and that finally
the House of Representatives should take
command of toe army aud post four cavalry
regiments where it pleased.


MIR. Goode (Dem., Va was opposed to
the amendment. The circumstances were
entirely different from what they were last
year. The people whom he represented
were unwilling to refuse to take the right
hand of fellowship when it was held oat to
them by the President.


Mr.. Hooker believed that the amendment
q fO hn ah Tod n
the Presidential chair. 1t was because the
army had been used for the purpose of
influencing the elections in tine South that
it bad been found necessary last year to
put q similar provision on the Army Ap-
preparation bill, and he would remind Ills
friend from Virginia that the price of lib
erty was eternal vigilance.


MIR. Reagan Dem, Tex.) opposed the
amendment. The President had shown
that he didn't intend to use the army for
any such purpose as it had been used for
the last year. and he (Mr. Reagan) did not
wish that the President should think that
the Democratic party desired 20 reopen
Pandora's box OF evils for the purpose of
political agitation.


Mr.. Ellis (Dem., Lay felt obliged to
disagree with his friend from Mississippi
(Mr. Hooker). When the olive branch
was extended and the voice of trust went
out to the South, should she reply that che
would have no confidence in that voice
He extolled the President for the course
which he had pursued during the recent
strikes. He would vote against the amend.
ment because under the present crcum-
stances be thought it would be impolitic
aud unwise; it would be a refusal to truet
when they were asked to trust and when
they had prayed 80 earnestly to DO trusted


Mr.. Young (Dem., Tenn.) said that he
thought the South could trust the Preei-
dent when they considered what his con-
duct had been in the past. It.had no fear
that the present Executive would override
the Consultation.


MIR. Mills admired the position which the
President had taken and honoIed him for
it, but confidence should be placed in no
one in high positions. The people should
look with Jealous eye upon whomever they
had intrusted with power. the Democratic
party had had that confidence but one short
year ago. Gould they not trust the Supreme
Court of the United States ard the tistiu-
guehed gentlemen who composed it Z They
did trust it aud what " as tho result They
lost and a man was placed in the Presi-
Dental chair who was not elected by the
people, but who was the best man wh1 had
occupied 1T for twenty five years.