The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-17

;v the senate ON Removing
pi.sotu'ics and on Allowing Mill
tne south.
TUESDAY, December Is, 1868.

s,~An
Z e. STEWART yesterday to punish the
4 ,;mp Of holding Office in violation of the
4 s'',Trteen;h amendment,
Al a.. FERRY lRsdical) said that the in
a H ,,,tion Of this bill made it proper for
80" y, saw something in advocacy of the
-. .,n,:ou and the bill introduced by him
a -,r in the session-the resolution de-
- I'D 20 remove the political disabilities
SOD upon citizens Of the southern
a ~..s hv the fourteenth amendment, and
y, b;,l to remove the restrictions upon
q 1..ge. imposed by the reconstruction
4 -, He had introduced them early in
- session, hoping tina, they would be well
"'.s;iercd, and would meet the approval of
,,,-ress. The first reason why those dis
.l,';ties imposed by the fourteenth amend
4 ,rt should be removed was, that they
eve intended originally to be only tempo
..-r The necessity for them at all arose
~. If the fact that at that time the COM
mites TO which they applied were con-
r,,lei BY the old slayeholding and land
4 Ling classes, who had been leaders in
i he rebellion but now that necessity had
,,,.ci away, and had been succeeded
r the organization of loyal State gov
.rments, therefore the disabilities should
= removed. The restrictions upon stuff
.,ce, too, should be removed for the
sne reason-that the necessity which had
Ii,ted for them when they were imposed
s; aow passed away, and the continuance
}! them could only irritate and gall those
yso were the subjects Of them.
D,,t csr bnyy
oval was the fact that the loyal people of
lose communities have manifested dis
,sition to disregard them and sweep them
,4av. Why should they not be swept
,vay Because it would be dangerous?
ap did not believe that there was in all that
.mthern region man so mad as, in view OF
80 result OF the late Presidential election,
= even wish to struggle longer against the
,s-ional supremacy and even If the people
IA not entertain that wish, what other wish
and they entertain but to accept the stu
,,;op. and to help build up great, harmo-
Mons, and prosperous nation? These disa-
fiTties did not affect merely the individuals
:, whom they applicability injured the
Whole community by creating and keeping
:, existence class Of political outlaws,
.r,len, disconnected, and, from the neces-
.i,y Of the case, promoters Of conspiracy
.,s;pst the Government. The bill of the
senator from Nevada, creating new crime
and new penalties, was striking common
,srv upon the existence of these disa-
t3ities as it was logical necessity upon
their continuance. If they were to
sand. then of course they must be
enforced by some such measure; otherwise
the law imposing them, and all law, would
be brought into contempt in those commu-
mites. If any one feared that the admis-
sion of this class to equal political rights
snd privileges would be dangerous, he
s1culi remember that the same fear had
been entertained in regard to the admission
Of men without property, foreigners, and
negroes. and had in each case proved to be
gr0undlesS, as he felt sure it would be IN
this case. The great watchword OF the last
Presidential campaign, which resulted 30
g.oriously, was "peace"; and the desire OF
tie people was peace. The passage of these
Ieasures would, he was convinced, do much
70 produce q true and lasting peace through
ulthe land, and make ours Government
.gch as Jefferson contemplated when he
t-sned the Declaration-a Government
wherein the rich and the poor, the native
and foreign-born citizen, the black man
and the white, shall all stand equal before
the law, and constitute elements of de-
nocracy as broad as the continent and as
enduring as the national life.
Mr.. STEWART said there was no one
more willing or more anxious to remove
disabilities than he, but as condition OF
doing so he would require reciprocity on the
Dart OF those from whom they were to be
removed. If they wanted to be restored to
the rights and privileges of citizenship
they must show a willingness to extend
them 10 others and this they had never
done, but, on the contrary, had exercised
what power they had in q most arbitrary
manner, as in the late expulsion Of the
loyal minority of the Georgia Legislature,
ani the frightening away from the polls
the loyal Republican voters In New Or
leans. lie was willing to remove their dis
abilities as soon as he could see that they
we're willing to do justice to others, but not
sooner.
The bill was then referred to the Judi
GARY Committee.
On motion Of Mr.. WILSON, the Senate
look Up his bill to repeal the law prohibit
ing the organization and arming of the mi
Iitia in the States lately in rebellion; and
lie advocated it briefly.
Mr. EDMUNDS (Radical) asked whether
J, would be wise to allow the unrecon-
structed States Of Virginia, Texas, and Mis-
sissippi, yet in rebellion-to
organize militia.
Mr.. WILSON replied that as those States
had constitutions already framed, which
would probably be adopted within few
months, and as they could not have any
local legislation for the organization of the
militia until their Legislature should meet
under such constitutions, he thought there
would be no danger in making the repeal
apply to them as we'll as to the other States
but if the Senate wished to except them he
would agree TO do so.
Mr.. EDMUNDS moved to amend by
excepting Virginia, Texas, and Mississippi.
Mr.. HENDRICKS said that if the actlon
Of Congress in enacting the prohibition had
been wise he was at loss to know what
had occurred since then to make the pro-
posed repeal proper at this time. The re-
cen, transactions in some of the southern
states had not, he thought, shown the local
militia TO be very wise instrument OF 60
'ernment. On the contrary, much evidence
vas before the country that great wrongs
and outrages had been perpetrated by the
!ocs! militia and for his part, If this coun-
try were to be governed by military power
81 oil, he preferred that it should be by that
Kind Of military power which was best
regulated and under most control-the regu
lar army.
Mr.. FESSENDEN thought that the rea-
Bon for the making the prohibition was
mat at the time it was made the loyal peo-
PIE Of the country and their representa-
yves distrusted the State governments set
up by the President, and were not willing