Year: 1876

Friday, August 4th, IS76.


The House being in Committee of the
Whole on the bill (H. r. No. 2,592) tc
transfer the conduct of Indian affairs from
the Interior Department to the War De.
partment-


Mr.. GARFIELD said:


Mr.. CHAIRMAN: / regret that the
speech of the gentleman from Mississippi
(Mr. Lamar) has not yet appeared in the
RECORD, so that might have had its full
and authentic text before offering my own
remarks in reply. But his propositions
were so clearly and so very ably stated,
the doctrines that run through it were so
logically connected, it will be my own
fault if | fail to understand and appre.
ciate the general scope and purpose of
his speech.


In the outset, l desire for myself and
for majority, at least, of those for whom
[ speak, to express my gratitude to the
gentleman for all that portion of his
speech which had for its object the re-
moval Of the prejudices and unkindly feel
ings that have arisenfamong citizens of
the Republic, in consequence of the late
war. Whatever faults the speech may
have, its author expresses an earnest de-
sire to make progress in the direction of
better understanding between the North
and South; and in that it meets my most
hearty concurrence and approval.


| will attempt to state briefly what |
understand to be the logic of the gentle
mans speech. He sets out with deplor-
ing the evils of party, and expressing the
belief that the great mass of the Ameri-
can people are tired of much that be-
longs to party; and looking beyond and
above mere party prejudices and passions,
they greatly desire to remove public cor.
ruptiors, and reform the manifold errors
and evils of administration and legislation:
that those errors and evils consist mainly
of two things; First, of generally cor
rupt state of public administrations; and
second, of deplorable state of civil ser
vice; that this state of affairs is buttress-
ed and maintained by an enormous army
of lOO, 900 civil viloffice-holders and 100000
more expectants for Office; and that be-
cause of this vast force the people have
hitherto been unable to make the reforms
they desire. This is his major premise.


The next point, his minor premise, is
that the Republican party is incapable of
effecting the great reforms which the peo-
pie desire; and his conclusion from these
premises is that the Democratic party
ought to be brought into power in the
coming election.


This was the summary, and may say,
abrupt conclusion of his reasoning The
gentleman seemed to be aware that there
might be some apprehensions in the
minds of the people that it would not,
quite yet, be safe to recall the Democratic
parry to power; and he endeavored to
to quiet these apprehensions by
stating in the first place that
there need be no fear that the South
lately in rebellion, would again control the
Government; that they were prostrated;
that their institutions had been over
thrown; that their industries had been
broken up; that in their weak and bro
ken condition there need be no fear that
they would again be placed at the head
Of public appairs; and finally, that the
South has united with the Democratic
party not from choice, but forced to it by
inexorable necessity as their only means
of protection.


In the second place, there was appre-
tensions he said that the Democracy, it
they cameiinto power, would not preserve
the benefcent results of the war. But
he assures us that this fear is groundless;
that the people of the South have no as
pirations which are not bounded by the
horizon of the Union; that they as well
as the Democracy of the North accept,
honestly and sincerely, the great results of
the war; and that they can be trusted to
preserve all the good that has been gain
ed.


Again he says it is feared, on the part
of many, that the colored race, lately en-
slaved, will not be safe in the full en-
joyment of all the rights resulting from
the war and guaranteed by the amend
ments of the constitution This he also
assures us is groundless fear, because
the people of the South understand the
colored race, appreciate their qualities,
and are on such footing of friendship
and regard that they are in fact better
fitted TO meet the wants of that people
and help them along in the way of civil
zation, enlightenment, and peace, than
those who are further removed from such
knowledge.


He emphasizes the statement that the
South cheerfully accepts the results of
the war; and admits that much good has
been achieved by the Republican party
which ought to be preserved. l was
gratifed to hear the gentleman speak Of
Lincoln as ''the illustrous author of the
great act of emancipation" That admis-
sion will be welcomed everywhere by
those who believe in the justice and wis
dom of that great act While speaking
of the condition of the South and its
wants he deplores two evils which afflict
that portion of our country: First, Fed
eral supervision; and second negro ascen-
dency in its political affairs. In that
connection, it will be remembered, he
quoted from John Stuart Mill and Glib
bon; the one to show that the most de-
plorable form Of government is where the
slave governs; and from the other to
show the'evils of government which is in
alien hands The gentleman represented
the South as suffering the composite
evils depicted by both these great writer's.
That l may be sure do to him justice |
quote paragraph from the Associated
Press report of his speech:


''The inevitable effect of that reconstruc-
| ton policy had been to draw one race to
its support and drive the other race its OPP
position" He quoted Gibbon, the histo-
rian, as saying that the most absurd and
oppressive system of government which
could be conceived of is that which sub
jects the native of country to the do
! minion of his slave. He also quoted from
John Stuart Mill to the effect that when q
government is administered by rulers not
responsible to the people governed, but to
some other community, it is one of the
worst of conceivable governments, and he
said that the hideous system established
in the South is composite of those two
vicious systems. The people are subject
ed to the dominion of their former slaves,
and are ruled over by people whose con.
stituents were not the people for whom
they should act, but the Federal Govern
ment.


Now | have stated-of course very
briefly but hope with entire fairness
the scope of the very able speech to
which we listened. In word it is this
the Republican party is expressing the
South; negro suffrage is grieyous evil
there are serious corruptions in public
affairs in the national legislation and ad
q Il