The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-14

/ A message from the President, transmit
/ ting the report of the Secretary OF State OF
I the states that have ratified the Fifteenth
Amendment. The report euuul crates the
/ following States as. those from which off,
| clal EOtlce OF such ratification had been
/ Teee1vsd q up to December: Missouri, defect
| i've; Kansas. defective; North Carolina
/ West Virginia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin,
/ Maine, Lou isjaDa, Michigan, South Caro-
Ina. Penasyivants, Arkansas. ~COnnectt-
cut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New YorF
New Hampshire, Nevada, Vermont and
Virginia.
The Secretary States that In the rattflca.
tion by Missouri, the second section of the
Amendment IS omitted, and in the ratffi-
cation by Kansas the phraseoIOgy of the
second section is changed. The message
ana report we're referred to the judiciary
Committee.
moving political disabilities from E. r.
Hawkins, OF North Carolina MOWbray of
Tamps, Fla and D. III. Mccall, of Union
Springs, Ala, was Eext in order
BrookS said he had hoped the gentleman
from Massachusetts would have redee ned
the promise made to the last Congress, TO
bring in q general DILL removing ali these
disabilities. he hoped to hear no more OF
this peddllng amnesty of the Governmen
but that general amnesty law would be
passed, worthy OF the charity and geneFos-
ity OF this great Government, and that the
statute boJk would be no longer tneum-
! bered with these pardons in detail.
Butler was happy to inform the gentle
nan from New York that the cousIdera-
ton OF the bill to provide for the removal
e1 the country by their rebellion, was now
before the Committee, and he doubted not
that as soon as other and more pressing
duties could be attended to IN that Conn
nlittee, such bill Will be reported, at
least he knew it would be considered by
the COMMITTEES. This bill was put forward
pending the necessary delay in the con
sideration of such a general bill. and to
meet the exigencies of The case.
Cox said he had objected the other day
TO this bill when the gentleman from Mas
sachusetts Introduced ii substantially In
his own mind. Although he did not press
nom the same reason glvea by his COL
league (Brooks), it looked like small busi-
ness to De peddIIng out ann esty of fGovern-
ment in this sort OF wf,v. He believed It
was recognized by all parties: IL had been
recognized always In all free Governments
and IA all ages, that when civil war was
over, amnesty should be given; ans now
after five years, since the conclusion of the
late civil war, this Government had still
their personal amneSties.
He ave notice to the gentleman from
Mississippi that hereafter, whenever a bill
came on granting amnesties TO personal
tndIviduais, he should interpose his OBJ
this occasion, for the reason that The men
named IN this Dill had been cnt ntertained to
necessarily Federal offices: It was neces-
saty they should have their pardon, IN
order that they might fill their funcs ions,
Butler said he could not agree with the
gentleman from New FORK IN saying this
was a small business. There was more
joy in Heaven over one sinner that re-
pented than over ninety.nine just persous
who need no repentance.
Cox remarked that he understood from
that that the sinners pardoned by this bill
belonged TO the Republican party. If they
were Democratic sinners they would not
be Included Ia this amnesty, but the
Democrats would forgive them freely If
the gentlemen on the other side would
forgive them. Generally these amnesties
were given as The cOnstd Grafton for treach-
cry and Tor the purpose Of adding recruits
to the Radical party, ami not out or that
abundant generosity of which the gentle
man from Massachusetts was himself so
brilliant an example. Laughter
Maynard asked the gentleman from New
YORK II that was not proper motive for
paruOn 10 bring recruits from the rebel
ranks into the ranks of loyalty.
Cox referred to the fact that the other
day Louis Napoleon, six weeks after an
attempted 1nSurrection, when men were
after his life, gave an amnesty to the
whole realm and made himself strong by
the act.
Butter desired to cay, once for all, that
he did not think a great Republic needed
TO take lesson from an Emperor how To
make itself strong.
Tue bill was passed and the House then
Went into Committee of the Whole, with
Dawes In The Chair, and resumed the con-
sideEation of the Census bill.
Amendments offered by Judd and Co
burn, looking to an earlier appointment of
Representative Than cOntemp plated in the
OH, led TO q long and animated discussion.
with 9ut dlspOsing of the question thus
raised, the Committee rose, and the House
adJoul ned at o'clock.