Year: 1875

HOW the Force DW Was Ki1ted.


The Chicago Tribune says "the ad-


journment cf Congress without action


on the Force bill in the Senate is Dem


ocratic defeat as complete and disas-


trons to their hopes as the defeat of


November was to the Republicans !"


that the Democrats wanted the bill


passed. and their disappointment in its


failure il of the keenest description.


There is q marvellous coolness about


these assertions, but the climax is reach


ed when it proceeds 10 show how the


bill met its death by suaocatio in the


Senate" "Ihere were few crazy Re-


pubhcans headed by Ben. Butlci," says


the Chicago paper. who wanted it


passed and who were ready to join


hands with the Democrat in raising d


commotion and having another war, but


the bill was never even seriously. con-.


sidered in the Senate II it had ever


come to vote in that body. Il would


have met with a more disastrous defeat


than Wards Arkansas carpct-Lag bilr-
did in the House." The few crazy Re


publicans headed by Ben Butler" con-


prised, as is tolerlbly we'll known, ma
Jorfty Of the House. The number Of
sane Republicans who opposed it may
almost be counted on the fingers. The
reason why "the bill was never even Sc
rious1y considered i'll the Senate" was
simply because the Democrats, whc ae-
cordlng to this authority wanted the
bill passed" opposed it at every stage,
and announced their determination to
occupy the last twenty-four or forty
eight hours Of the session with speeches
rather than allow the vote to be taken.
Had it been taken no one acquainted
with the facts had any doubt what the
result would be. All the administration
leaders in the Senate favored its pas
sage, and every effort was made to get it
up for the purpose of passing il. This
was and is notorious. Nothing prevent
ed the contamination of tho purpose of
the crazy headed Republicans" except
the determination of the Opposition to
resist it at every stage and by all means
available" There is every reason to
believe the comments above, which are
from the New York Tribune, contain the
true cause Of the failure of the Radicals
in their attempt to force upon the coun-
try the most tyrannical measure that


was ever conceived by o Congress- of the
United States in time of peace; and
had the Democrats of the Senate not
met and adopted the policy they did Of
putting at their head man of unques-
toned ability and calmness in debate
and Senator of unequalled physical
and proclaimed their deter
mination, with the help of the Liberals,
to defeat all measures and abide the re-
suit rather than the land should be
cursed with such an infamous enact
ment, there would have been no thought
of abandoning the Force bill, and Gen.
Grant to-day would have been as COM
pletely dictator to the South and the |
thereof as ever Cromwell
was to the Long Parliament. 1t is true
that the bill named but four States; but
with an army under the command of
such men as Sheridan and Merrill State |
lines would have been but feeble barri- |
ers and there would have been power |
and potency in the threats of negroes
and carpet-baggers in all the Southern
States which they never witnessed be- |
fore. If resistance ut last followed, il |
would have been only what some Re.
publican journals now say Grant and
Butler desired. They would plunge the |
country into war tomorrow If thereby |
they could extend their power and in
crease their wealth with a guarantee
that their necks would not suffer from
the use Of hemp. To no man in the na.
ton is due 80 much for having saved the |
country from the fate which might have
flowed from the passage of the Force |
Bill as to Senator BAYARD. Had it not
been for his presence and his we'll un.
derstood knowledge Of the rules of the
Senate and the fact that he had canvas
sed and organized determined opposi-
tion, with the physical ability to endure
more himself than one-half the most
able Radical Senators, the plotters of |
the Force Bill would never have given
up their well digested scheme for pelf |
and power.