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The "reconstructed" South

The "reconstructed" South image
Parent Issue
Day
2
Month
February
Year
1872
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

In tho House, on Monday, a resolution being under discussion nppropriating funds to pay the expenses of a Committee of Invesligation to New Orleans : Mr. Yoorhees said no membor liad exnggerated the ingportaaceoJ; ovents transpiring in New Orleans. .Mr. Duwe?, in his judgment, was entitled to the thanks of tho country for the iade'pendenoe of his conduot in asking in invostigution that woulrl fall upon his own political friends. He deserijjed the sf-ate of afrairs existing in Ñew Orleans. Ho aaid if sucli a stato of things did uot cali for Lnvostigation at the hands of Congress he did not know what would do so. Mr. Farnsworth asked Mr. Yoorluvs ■what Congress was to do when it found out the fiicts to be as stittcd. Mr. Voorhiios (cxcitedly) - " Oh, don't ask me what Congress will do." Mr. Farnsworth - "What ought it do?" Mr. Voorhees - "In my judgiuont it ought to do a great maiiy things con nected with Southern afiairs, which the gentleman front Illinois, with oven his strong eenso of justice, which I rocognize, would not agree with roe in. I have boen in tiie South this sumnici', and my judgmeilt is that the Southern govemnients are the worst in the world, without any exoeption. Tliere is nothing comparablo to them anywhere else. Xhey are anparalloled for theit iniquity, inftimy and ignorance. Tho law makers aro incompetent to make laws. When you show me a Legislature four-fifths of whoso members can neither rcad nor '.vrite, who do not pay even a poll tax, and s?t them to the duty of levying taxes for untold millions on tho property and intelligence of tho community, I will. show you, as I havo saul.a governmoüt that is the worst beneath the sun." 5tr. Voo''hees went on to depict tho terrible condition of thinge not ouly in Louisiana, but in ;il 1 Southern States, attributing the condition to tho reconütruoüon laws of Congres. It ma'.tered vcry little wliat beoatne of the factions now warring in Louisin:i, but it did matter much to thn oharactor of tfce American Government (liat a Síftte ahonld litorally disorganjo itself and dissolve into the elciuents of anarchy. As well iniglit they allow B&selaria pintes t , raise their flag once moro in tlic Guit" of Mexico as to ;llow thcs poople to go on as they aro going. In his delibéralo judgmeut tho governmcnt of the Houth had been built on the wrong end. The pyramid stood not upon its baso, but upon its apex. They had built those govenimcnts on vice, on ignorance, on irrcBponsibility - not on stability, not on intelligence, not on tho classes who are retponsible for tho poace and order and welfare of the connnunity. At the end of six and a half years of Republican rule and govornment ut the. South this was the result. AVero llepublican memben of tho House content with thisV Would they go boforo the country and say as bonest jnen thnt their pliun had borne fruits of peace, prosperity and integrity 'r

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus