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

f
remark that il was whitewashing
message intended to cover up some in
fanny behind. That, | confess, sir,
panied me exceedingly. And | was
none the less panied that after having
| called his attention To ii, he should rise
| and say that he had nothing to modify.
nothing to qualify, nothing To eiract. L
have said all, perhaps more than ought
| 10 have said. ! shall not go into any
discussion of these matters ut the present
| time.
| MIR. Sumner. ! am sorry that l have
| given pain to my honorable friends.
certainly did not intend to do so. They
| suggest that the question has been
raised as to the policy of the President.
have raised no such question, and have
expressed no opinion in regard to 1t.
The Senator from Wisconsin dwells on
that point, and reminds the Senate that
the policy of the President was not i'm
question. know il was not in ques-
ton, and therefore expressed no opin-
ion on it, for when | speak In this body
| try to speak directly to the question.
There was, then, no question directly
before the Senate on the policy of the
President. Had there been, ] should
have been ready to meet it, as mt the
proper time shall meet IL fully, frank
ly, and unequivocalIy, | trust, as be-
comes member Of this body. The only
question was i'm the character of the
document read; aud that characterized
compendiously as n withdrawing doc
ument. Then, my honorable friends
rose one after the other, and like two
photographers, proceeded to give do
finiiion Of the word whitewash. ! do
not accept the definition. | intended
al ,s.,.s
from Connecticut or the Senator from
Wisconsin has attempted togive. have
no reflection To make Oh the patriotism
or the truth of the President of the
United States. Never in public or pri-
waite have | made any such reflection,
and ] do not begin now. When ]
spoke, I spoke of u document that had
been read at the desk, and character
lied il ms thought il ought to be char
actcrized. My memary goes back in
this chamber further than thai Of many
| see about me. ] remember that other
scene when II withdrawing message
did come into this body from Franklin
Pierce. We all mt that time called it =
whitewashing report, and am not
aware that any one then 0h the other
side undertook what my honorable
friends from Wisconsin and from Con-
We all felt then that Mr.. Pierce's mes
sage was Il whitewashing document. I
simply undertook to-day, after hearing
the document read ut the desk, to char
acterizc it as the patriotic party of 1856
the message of Franklin
Pierce.
Mr.. Dixon. ] am glad 10 hear the
disclosures now made by the Senator
from Massachusetts,, although he de-
clared he had no explanation to make,
and nothing to retract. He now says
he did not use the word in the sense in
what IL IL always understood. Very
well. IL lie thinks the word white
proper word to apply TO the
message from the President, and means
nothing by II, 7 am content to allow
him to give his own definition. I had
the word TO mean what l
have indicated, and what the common
sense of most men understands by il.
But as the Senator Is skilled i'm lexcog-
raphy, 1 will not object to his applying
his own definition to the term generally
considered SO offensive.
Mr.. TrumbulI rose to ask that This de-
bate cease. 1t was not his province to
criticise or remark upon the expression
Of opinion which Senators had thought
proper to indulge in, but IL did seem to
him that n controversy had arisen
which was not calculated for the pub
ic interest or welfare.
The question was then stated by tho
hair TO he on the motion of Mr.. Sher-
nan to print the report of Gen. Shurz.
With the other documents. IL was car
led