The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-22

ed Is much more important. We hav,
a message from the President which |,
like the whitewashing of Frank
lin Pierce with regard TO the atrocitie,
in Kansas. think the Senate had bet
ter listen to the reportof General Schur.
on this important subject.
Mr.. Johnson said he was surprised 1,
hear the Senator from Massachusetts
characterize the message as an attcmp
to whtewash There was no white
washing about it. It was n fair ant
clear statement OF facts called for by th,
Senate. He thought the report of Gen
| eral Schurz had better be printed TO- eth
er with the other documents.
The reading of General Schurz's re
port was commenced, but the Clerk hat
not proceeded far when
Mr.. Sherman moved that the further
reading be dispensed with, and that the
report be printed.
Mr.. Sumner. ] shall not object to
that If the Senator from Ohio thinks il
is proper that we should on this imp0r-
tant occasion dispense with the reading.
think the Senate could not listen to
anything of more Importance than that
accurate and authentic report regarding
the actual condition of things in these
states. Here. Is an eminent citizen, late
ly major general in the army of the
United States, sent OH special mission
by the President to visit these states and
report upon their condition. He has
made his visit, not hastily like General
Grant, for instance, and some other alli-
GERS or citizens, but visit occupying
time and extending through the differ
al I., n
suits in an elaborate document Now,
sir IL the question were Il trivial one, il
it were II transitory question, would
think with the Senator from Ohio that
IL had better not be read. If the Senator
insists upon his motion | shall not OBJ
ject.
Mr.. Sherman had no doubt that the
report of General Schurz was elaborate,
able, and interesting. He would much
prefer to read II, however, rather than
hear 1t read where there was confusion
and noise as in the Senate Chamber. lie
would say also, il was unusual 10 read
such documents. No document was
usually read 10 the Senate except the
message of the President of the United
States. Even the report of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, full of information
of paramount Importance to the country,
giving views affecting the great finan-
cial interests of the country, was not
read, but ordered to be printed. If the
practice of reading all documents sent
10 the Senate were to prevail there would
be no time for business. fa
Mr.. DOOlittle. The Senator from
Massachusetts gave expression to one re-
mark which he ought IL seems 10 me,
in justice to himself, To qualify, il not
altogether to retract. Speaking of this
message just received from the presi-
dent, he said il was like the whitewash-
ing message of Franklin Pierce to cover
up the transactions in Kansas, and that
affairs in these states sought to he COW
cred up and whitcwashed by the mes
sage of the President were much more
than the affairs in Kansas Now, Mr..
President, j think the Senator from
Massachusetts must have let fall that
expression without giving il sufficient
thought ! cannot believe that the Sem
ator, occupying the high position he
does, representing the great state lie
does, wishes to be understood as stating
here in the Senate and TO the country
that this message just received from the
President is whitewashing message,
seeking to cover up and conceal certain
worse than the transactions in Kansas
that terrible affair which was the begin
ming of all our wars-a civil war itself,
the prelude to the great war from which
we have just emerged. ! believe, sir,
that the honorable Senator from Massa-
will at least qualify, if he does
not wholly retract this strong express
sion.
Mr. Sumner. have nothing to quail
ify, nothing to modify, nothing to re-
tract. In former days there was but one |
Kansas to suffer under illegal power.
Now there are eleven Kansasses suffer |
ing only as one suffered. Therefore,
sir, as eleven are more than one, so il |
the enOrmity of the present time more |
than the enormity of the days of Frank
lin Pierce.
Mr.. Dixon. The Senator from Mas
saclusetts says the enormtes in the |
states lately in rebellion are greaterthan
those of Kansas in former days. ! beg |
leave to remind that Senator that that |
is not precisely the question raised by |
the Senator from Wisconsin. There il |
no question here as to the misconduct |
of anybody i'm Kansas or in the southern
states. The charge has been directly
made in the Senate that the President
of the United States has sent in white
washed report with regard to these
Now. sir, | cannot pass
that in silence. What is a whitewashed |
report? Ii is report intended to cover
up by falsehOod and msstatements GER
tain facts. That is Il whitewaslied re-
port. Now, sir, as friend of the Pres
ident-and | profess no exclusive or
peculiar friendship for him cannot
sit quietly and listen i'm silence to such
charges. | sustain the policy of the
President, as | understand it, not be
cause it is the Presidents policy, but
because il is right. | believe i'm the
truth of tho statements he has made
and although he needs no defence. |
cannot suffer such charges to 90 to The
country without a protest.
Mr.. D00little. Whether the presi-
dents policy be right or not, the charge
Of the Senator from Massachusetts does
not go to that question at all. If the
Senator from Massachusetts differs from
him and believes him To he wrong. that
IS one thing. lie has perfect right to
TO SO. But, Mr.. President. he goes
larther, lie charges upon the President
III the United States falsehood in sub
stance, 10y saying his message is a white
report. He charges him with
want OF truth-a want of patriotism
w nat else can we infer from his re-
marks? is that which panied me.
was not panied because the honorable
Senator differed from the President. j
knew he differed from the President OH
this question. But | was much cha
grined To hear that Senator, rs / should
be to hear any other senator on the |