, 1866-10-20
JOAANSON AMI TIE irish

we published some time aco the fac,s or
vonhsone heartiess refusal to vote bread IN
Tue starving people Of ireland and Scotland
curing 1he famine. We now propose to rlv,
the official record in the case. '''''
All inc congressional GloGe for the second sea.
sion OF the TTcnty-ninth Congress. 1s4G.7
lase o!2, dated February &c, 1871, 1t appears
tnal Ar- John J. Critttndcn asked and oh,
'alnca leave to introduce "a bill to provide
some fellei for the suffering people of Irc-
land and Scot1and.'' The Bill was as I'll.
lows: @'' A'''
s y thoctfd, d., That tha President Of the
cnllcd states be, md he hereby Is, authorized ~
dee 20 sa such may
10 be transported and tcnderc In thc .laae Of she
GEosGIpmcnt Ee of lhe United Suites, to that OF
land and Scotland, suffering from tbc " ot.a; 1ea
cn:amity or scarcity and Cln1lnc. @'~S''
mat the snm Of i've hundred thousand
out Of any money In The Treasury not % otherwisc
afpssapf'sse4 sqa f 70 easry BIO eject this at
States be, and be Is hcfeny authorized. at bis dis
Tinted statcs Transportation Of H. - pro sae
atsioIs to be purchased as nforcsaid."
This bill was supported by Mcssrs. Critten-
den, cass and Clayton. and opposed BY Mr.,
Niles, and was then postponed until the ncrt
day.
on tie 9Th 1t was again taken up, and Mr.,
Calhoun declared there could not be the
slightest constitutional objection to the bill.
lie had voted years before iora similar do
nation for the suffering people Of Caracas.
Mcssrs. Butler. Bagby and Mason, Of yircin.
Ia opposed the bill. Mason offered an amend
ment, which was yote1i down, and the hill
passed the Scnatc-ycas, 81, nays 49, On
Monday, March 1st, the Senate bill reached
the House, and was read twice. Mr.. Hunt
OF New York, urged that it be nut on its
passage. Mr.. G. W. Jones, Of Tennessee
moved that the bill be laid on the table. the
effect Of which motion, ut that stage of the
session, there being only three dars left.
was to place the bill where it would require
vote Of two.thirds to take it up. and on
this motion, the record Of which is at maze
'.1t OF the same volume Of the GEobc. AN
DREW JoHssoS voted aye. Tie motion
failed; but motion to refer to the Commit.
tee on Ways and Means prevailed. This
committee refused to report tile bill, aud as
it itrcquircd two"thirt1s vote to pass al, order
compelling them to do so, Andrew johnson
and his friends succeeded in defeating the
great act OF humanity.
The circumstances were remarkable. The
people Of ireland were dying by hundreds
for the want Of food. They had neither
bread nor potatoes. They had no money.
The crops had all failed, and for two seasons
in succession. The price Of breadstuffy in
England placed them beyond the reach of
the people. Families wandered about the
fields contcnding with the beasts for the
heritage md for the bark Of trees. Hundreds
OF Instances were found Of babes hanging
upon the breasts Of mothers dead from actual
starvation. The world was appalled, by the
spectacle ofa whole people dying for the
want Of bread. The mother appealed 10 her
fellow beings for the crusts that, in other
lands, were thrown 10 the swine, and fathers
ard sons lay dead together for the want of 4
cup OF meal, loaf Of bread or a potato.
The Senate of the United States, by two-
third vote, ordered the purchase of food to
the amount Of half million OF dollars to be
sent to the rescue Of the people from famine.
Andrew johnson arrested the girt on
its way, He struck down tho arm that
was giving food TO tho starving. uc
struck the cup from the lips of the thirsty,
! aud took the Loaf from the hands Of the men
Pc1islllng from hunger. That was Andrew
Johnson's policy then. lie appeals to the
survivors Of that iaminc, and their friends
and kindred, TO vote for lin now: to vote
with him to keep this Government In the
hands OF the slave aristocracy, who, will,
! him, refused to succor the victims of c,nin.
and want.