The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-01-31

ted the constitutional amendment submitted
by congress
| Q. Because the negroes are loyal, and
the whites disloyal and
! 8. Because it will secure party ascend
ancy.
Let us consider the FIRST answer, that the
states Of the south have rejected the consti-
tutional amendment submitted by the last
congress as basis of reconstruction.
1 admit the legislatures of the southern
states rejected that amendment with great
unanimity but is that any sufficient reason
for the adoption of this harsh policy? l
think not. In the first place, that amend
ment contains one provision which made its
adoption impossible by the southern people,
at least until you change the human heart,
and destroy all sense of personal honor. 1t
DISTINGUISHES from holding office all the men
of the south in whom they had ever placed
any CONTROVERSIAL who had ever held any
office, state or federal. And DISTINGUISHES
them for what? For simply doing what they
| themselves had done.
| l can understand how one may say in ar
| gument that the leaders should be disfran
| chised. But how any man of common sense,
OF common manhood, could ever suppose it
possible for the people of the south to vote
TO disfranchise men esteemed by them as
equal to, if not better than themselves, for
an offence of which they themselves were
equally guilty, is beyond my comprehension.
You ask the southern people to betray the
men whom they trust You ask them TO
dishonor those whom they honor, to uproot
the affection of years from their heart. You
ask them to strike with serpents tooth
| the bosom ola friend. But. until human ma
| ture shall cease to be what God has made it,
| honorable men, TO save themselves, to save
| even their lives, would not incur the guilt
of such unnatural treachery by voting for
such a provision. When it was pending be-
fore the senate, June s, 1866, / urged and
| implored senators to allow the several pro-
| visions of that amendment to be separately
submitted and voted upon, and l warned
| the friends of the measure that this provis-
would inevitably defeat its adoption by every
southern state. But, sir, the majority were
deaf to all appeals. The caucus had resolv-
| ed the deed was to be done and it was
done. On account, mainly, of that provis-
ion, the amendment was rejected, almost
unanimously, BY every southern state.
Again, when examine more closely, we
find that provision required them to vote to
disfranchise thousands who had received
pardon and amnesty, and restoration to all
their rights as citizens, under the proclama-
tons of President Lincoln and President
Johnson, by virtue of law of congress
| which you yourselves enacted, which cX.
| pressly authorized them to grant such par
don aud amnesty upon Just such terms as
they thought proper. An amendment, offer
ed by me in the senate the 3lst of Nav,
| 1866, to except these men who had "duly
received pardon and amnesty under
the constitution and laws" was voted down
| by an unyielding ma ority. | can never
view this provision in any other light than
most palpable violation of the pighted faith
OF this government given those persons in
| the most solemn form.
If the emperor of Russia, by proclamation,
were to grant full pardon to such poles as
would take an oath of allegiance TO his
crown, and il he should afterward deliberate
ly break his word, wha, denunciation would
be, and ought to be, heaped opon his head
by the civilized world The perfidy of such
an action would only be equaled by it. folly
as a measure Of pacihcation to Poland
Congress authorized the President 20 give
pardon and amnesty to thousands whom
| congress now calls upon the people of the
south to vote TO disfranchise.
Again, sir, there is another feature of tn at
| provision which no sentiment of Justice
| should tolerate or excuse. In that sweep
| ing disfran chisement no distinction whatever
| is made between those who voluntarily en-.
gagged, and those who were compelled to en-
gage in the rebellion no distinction what
ever between the innocent and the guilty.
The senate will remember that, when this
amendment was pending, ! offered an amend
ment to restrict that Acknowledgement to
those who had voluntarily engaged in the
rebellion and it was voted down by the
same unyielding majority.
/ Partisan zeal and nartr nerassitv mar
count for many things. But when the his
| tory of these times shall be written, it will
| seem incredible to our posterity that learned
| men and able senators could ever, for one
moment, bring themselves TO believe il posi-
| bic that the people of the south should vote
| for such an amendment.
| 1t contains still another Objectionable fea-
| ture, in violation of an important principle
in every good government, confounding ex
ecutive with Legislative duties. If there be
| any prerogative which more than another
pertains to the executive in all governments,
ancient and modern, that prerogative is in
the power of pardon.
This amendment proposes to change the
| constitution to take that power away
from the executive and confer it upon the
two houses of congress. 1t is revolutionary,
and worse than that, it vetoes the power of
| clernency in advance. 1t not only takes that
power from the president, but it takes il away
| from a majority of congress, and requires
| two-thirds of both houses in order 10 exer-
else the power of pardon, the same majority
which is necessary to pass n law over the
presidential veto. In what civilized govern
ment upon earth was there ever such re-
striction upon the power of pardon Can it
be found even among the savage tribes?
| Sir, this amendment makes it impossible
for a majority of the people Of the United
States by the choice of president, or by
the election of the houses of congress, to
grant pardon and amnesty.
| / speak with all becoming respect for the
| opinions of others, and for the sincerity of
their motives. know it never could have
been intended, but, Judging this provision
| by its own words, standing in its own light
1t seems to be born of distrust in the intelli-
gence and magnanimity of the people the
offspring of cowardice and revenge, of unfor
CRYING hate and lust for political power.
| And is it because the Legislatures of the
south rejected such proposition that con-
gress should now enforce this policy and es-
| tablish combined negro and military des
| potlsm in all the states of the south, and,
under its iron heel, trample in the dust our
own race, and kindred, and people?
ITO be continued.)