The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-02-29
SENATOR DoOLITTLE's SPEECH.

to consideration of the apologies offered by
its advocates for the system of reconstruction
now proposed be enforced in the Southern
States He promised by saying that two
schemes of restoration" or reconstruction had
been tried by Congress
The first assumed that peace had come; that
the States were in the Union with governments
organized, with Legislatures having power to
ratify to reject constitutional amendments; and
furthermore, that those governments were in the
hands of white men. with power as in all the
other States to admit or to exclude negroes from
suffrage. And, in case the amendments were
adopted by thrce-fourths of the States, the only
effect of admitting or excluding negroes from
the ballot, in any state, would be to change its
number of votes in the other House of Congress,
and in the Electoral College
This was Mr.. Lincons scheme. first promul-
gated in December 1868, strictly adhered to
during the whole of his administration, en-
grated in the Constitutional amen dment of
1865, and rigidly followed by President John
son and Congress until about January, 1866.
Then Congress, under the influence of the Ill
ira radicals, abandoned that scheme and ad-
opted the second, which is thus described:
The second assumes that we are still at war
that the southern States not States in the
Union at all, but conquered provinces with no
Legislatures which can either ratify or reject a
constitutional amendment; that the whole peo-
pie of these States shall no longer have any
power over the question Of suffrage that Con-
gress by the bayonet will disfranchise the whites
and enfranchise the blacks; and thus by militia
Empower and negro votes compel the adoption of
a new Union and new Constitution. Because
they rejected the constitutional amendment Com
gress now resorts to the bayonet and negro SUI
frage to compel its adoption.
Mr.. Doolittle proceeded to consider the rca-
sons given for abandoning the former scheme
adopting the second. These he said were and
three:
First. Because the States of the South rejected
the constitutional amendment submitted by
Congress;
Second. Because the negroes are loyal and the
whites disloyal; and
Third. Because it will secure party ascend
anoy.
He answers the first as follows:
I admit the Legislatures of all the southern
States rejected that amendment with great una
nimity; but is that any sufficient reason for the
adoption of this harsh policy? think not In
provision which made its adoption impossible bv
the southern people, at least until you change
the human heart and destroy the sense of per-
sonal honor. 1t DISTINGUISHES from holding
office all the men of the South in whom they had
ever placed any public controversial who had
ever held any Office, State or Federal And dis
franchises them for what? For simply doing
what they themselves had done.
| can understand how one may say in argu-
ho 4 lief, .,l
But how any man of common sense, or common
manhood, could ever suppose it possible for the
people of the South to vote to disfranchi.e men
esteemed by them as equal to, if not better than
themselves, for an offence of which. they them
selves were equally guilty, is beyond my COM
prehension. You ask the southern people to be-
tray the men whom they trylst You ask them
the affection of years ffbin their hearts. You
ask them to strike with a serpent's tooth the bo-
som OF q friend. Until. human nature shall
cease to be what God has made it, honorable men
could not do it; honorable men, to save them
selves, to save even their lives would not incur
the guilt OF such unnatural treachery by voting
for such provision. When it was pending be-
fore the Senate June s, 1866, urged and i'm
plored Senator's to allow the several provisions of
that amendment to be separately submitted and
voted upon, and | warned the friends of the
measure that this provision would inevitably de-
feat Its adoption by every southern State But,
sir the majority were deaf to all appeals. The
caucus had resolved the deed was to be done
and 1t was done. On account, mainly, of that
provision the amendment was rejected almost
unanimously by every southern State.
Again. when examined more closely we find
that provision required them to vote to disfran-
chise thousands who had received pardon and
amnesty, and restoration to all their rights as
citizens under the proclamations of President
Lincoln and President johnson, by virtue of
law OF Congress, which you yourselves enacted,
which expressly authorized them to grant such
pardon and amnesty upon just such terms as
they thought proper. An amendment offered by
me In the Senate the 3st of May 1866 to ex-
cept those men who had duly received pardon
and amnesty under the Constitution and laws"
was voted down by an unyiedng majority.
can never view this provision in any other light
than most palpabo violation of the pliphted
ialth OF tins Government given to those persons
in the most solemn form.
If the emperor of Russia, by proclamation.
were to grant full pardon to such Foes as would
take an oath OF allegiance to his crown, and if
he should afterwards deliberately break his word.
what denunciations would be, and ought 10 be-
heaped upon his head by the civilized world
The perhdy Of such an action would only be
eqnaled by its folly as measure of pacification
to Poland. Congress authorized the President
TO give pardon and amnesty to thousands whom
Congress now calls upon the people of the South
to vote 70 disfranchise