The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-07-01
spEE,.. SENATOR DooLITTLE
\ Thorough Exposure of the CRIMES and
Rlunders of the Radical .Party-The
Issues Of the Coming Campaign Dis
cussed, &c. &c. 60.
rcosTlsuEp FROM FIRST PAGE. !

rere granted upon oaths and bonds being
sled for good behavior. In these Southern
statss the question seriously arises, what
Il the effect of these pardons upon these
oentIemen9 Although they have been en-
raced in rebellion, they have ceased to be
rebels, >laid down their arms and taken
this oath of new allegiance to the Govern.
meut of the United States. What is the
effect of it2 / maintain, fellow-citizens,
that the effect of these pardons, which
have been granted by the President of the
United States, is absolute to restore man
who accepts the pardon to his full rights
of citizenship, and that it is not in the
power of Congress to take these rights
ayay; that the President exercises the
pardoning power, and in the exercise Of
that pardoning power Congress has no
right to control him. nor to limit him, nor
to qualify him. And, on that subject, fell
]ow-citizens, as l am stating it very strong
~, wish not to rest upon my own author
ity, but I will give you the authority OF
the Supreme Court of the United States,
speaking upon this very subject. AS this
is very important, hope every person will
bear in mind the words which am to
read They are the opiuion of the Supreme
Court. Every young man ought to COM
NIT them to memory, and they ought to be
so craven upon his memory that they new
er could be efaced. Listen:
oThe Constitution provides that the
President shall have power to grant re-
prieves and pardons for offences against
the United States except in cases Of i'm
parchment The power thus conferred lis
unlimited, with the exception stated. 1t
extends to every offence known to the law,
and may be exercised at any time after it's
commission, either before legal proceed
ings are taken or during their tendency,
or after conviction and judgment"
So you will bear that in mind. and if you
hear any of these Radicals say that Presi-
dent Lincoln and President johnson had
no power to pardon, that nobody can par
don but Congress, you just remember what
the Supreme Court says about it. Gap
piause.) Now listen again:
zine power of the President is not sub
ject to legislative control. Congress can
neither limit the effect of this pardon nor
exclude from its exercise any class of Of
Tenders. The benign prerogative of mercy
reposed in him cannot be fettered by any
legislative restrictions. Such be-
ing the case, the inquiry arises as to the
effect and operation of u pardon, and on
this point all the authorities concur. A
pardon reaches both that punishment pre-
scribed for the offence and the guilt of the
oifenderi and when the pardon is full it re-
leases the punishment and blots ont of ex-
istence the guilt, so that in the eye of the
law the offender is as innncent as if he had
never committed the offence. If granted
before conviction, it prevents any of the
penalties and disabilities consequent upon
conviction from attaching if granted after
conviction, it removes the penalties and
disabilities, and restores him to all his civ
il rights; it makes him. as it were, new
man, and gives him q new credit and ca
pacity."
This is what the Supreme Court says
about it. Now, what / contend is this,
that Mr.. Lincoln's and Mr.. Johnson's pro.
CARNATIONS of amnesty to these men of the
South who i.ad been engaged in rebellion
II contend that they renewed. their allie
glance to the Government of the United
States, and these men, in good faith, did
take the oath, renewing their allegiance
From that moment they ceased to be
rebels, and, therefore, they ceased to have
upon them any of the disabilities which
would otherwise rest upon them in conse
quence of their having been rebels. Gap
plause.)s The pardoned man stands, in the
eye of the law, as innocent as though he
had never been guilty. (Applause) There
fore, maintain that the proposed disfran
chisement is entirely unjust in his case as
the principle of reconciliation must be per
feet IN all governments, whether it is the
case OF man who has offended against his
Maker, and has sued for pardon and been
forgiven, or the case of child who has of
tended against his parents and sued fol
pardon and been forgiven, or the case OF a
citizen who has offended against the law
of the country and has sued for pardon and
been forgiven. If forgiven, his allegiance
is once more renewed be ceases to be 8
rebel, and he has the rights of Citizen
(Applause.) Therefore I maintain that
this disfranchi sement which Congress in
their Reconstruction bills have placed up
on hundreds aud thousands of the most in
telligeut citizens of the South has beer
and is in direct violation of the Constitu
tion of the United States in letter and il
spirit, and is also in violation of all soot
and wise policy for the restoration of peac,
to the country. The truth is, fellow-citi
zens, if we would have peace, reac,
which is to be lasting and enduring. W,
must have an amnesty to that mass of PEG
pie who have engaged in the rebellion ani
repent Of it. (Applause.) For rs to pu
them under the ban of everlasting exclu
sion, forbidding them to vote, or to hole
office, or to vote in an election Tor officers
is to make them eternal enemies of til,
government, and prevent peace from com
ing in such manner as that it shall h.
secure-secure forever (Applause.)