Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-23
PARDoNS,
T'he way the Thing is Managed
by congress.
From the PhiIaasIphia Age.l

From the PhiladsIphia Ase.l
The monthly batch OF parions, which
furnish now the grist for the Radical
pardon brokers, passed both House and
Senate on Tuesday. Wnen the Janu9ry
bach was seted on, we took occasion TO
point cut the patent, obvious rascaiity OF
the whole business.
The pretext for all this psrdoning is
found in the Fourteenth Amendment,
said To be part, now, of the Federal
Constitution. That amendment provides
that Congress, by a two-thirds vote, may
remove the disabilities imposed on those
gho, having taken an oath TO support
the Constitution OF the United States,
a. shall have engaged in insgrrectI0n or
rebellion against the same, or given
" aid or elmfOrt to the enemies Thereof"
II Jscuary Congress, as is seen above,
d sclared this description TO include any
oae who bad fed q hungry soldier or at
tended to the wants of the sick.
We need scarcely ssy that this Ii
a moustFeusly false Interpretation of tie
sanss OF that amendment, as 1t was un-
dsrstood by nine hundred and ninety
nine in q thousand of those who favored
ils adoption. We think 1t would have
ussn killed dead in this State, Ii sny
single Radiesl organ had avOWed that IL
meant the disfraBehissd of those who
had only performed the common offices
OF humsniiy, Ga tina contrary, it was
constantly said that it was aimed at the
great promoters of the rebellion, aud the
DeoDie OF the Southern States were abused
Tor nos being willing TO set this mark Of
condemnation on those who had misled
then, The interprstatiOn now put on il
is, we believe, an after-thought, to make
il = means snd Instrument OF extorEioD.
II The February batch Of two hundred
and thirty five, acted upon on TUESDAY,
last, the credentials o. Two criminals"
were called forth rs specimens For,
though Mr.. Paine said that really there
WAS no objection to R8y of these men,
yet MF. Schenck wanted 10 seq the
vouchers, ar lesst Of some of them.
Ln deferepcs to the curiosity OF Mr.
5ehenek, the case of RoDert CsNthon
was taken up specially.
NJW We, Of course, are not arguing
that tbis old man Is not worthy Of par
don for ths Ot1ense, so called, OF getting
nis bread by sorting letters in postof
fee. We say he needs no pardon. We
are directing attention to ths impudence
and knAvery Of ths men who prssen1
tha+ that there is anything ia the Con
stiiution and laws Of our eouOtry that
requires these humble, harmless people
10 come up, paying toll through long
liDe OF Ra tic Al certifiers, to get q pardon
from the Radical msj Irily In the Cln.
gress Of tue United STATES. We deny
mat such is the law OF our country. l.
is AL impudent fiction, got up IS meals
OF extoIton.
There was q short wrsngis over one
case, of a Mr.. John w. Wright. Butler
had not been concilisted and he picked
this man out for exception. He, it vas
stated. hsd been q private in the Con-
{, d srate army. Bus the fatality that st-
tends ali BuLler's movements was seen
even here-he made another failure
aud the only man against whom an a.
legation Of any weight vas made, re-
ceived his pardon by a vote OF seventy
SIX to fOrty-six, upon Buffers motion 10
strike his name out Of the bill. Among
the humors OF the day was the fact that
ia the list the name OF Michael Hahn
appeared. He, during the war, mad
ac Cally been y member OF the Federal
House Of representatives., Snd vOfet for
aiILne Radical measures Of Jne Thirty
seventh Congress. Il was one Of the
loyal u men sent up ~ Gen. Banks to
represent Louisiana. How be gave
aiu HHu GIN y ~ VIC rnS II AteS "a tAc
CoDsiitui ion," and 30 came TO need
peId1D, we cannot say, unless, indeed,
il was by voting for ths r adiesi meas
ures aforesaid. Bot this, the r doAi
party mas not, We fear, the honesty TO
admit,
So slight an inkIiug OF this infamous
j1bOeFy resehes the public through tue
Abridged report daily published OF the
proceedings in Congress, that We are
sometimes surprised, on reading the full
record, to see how grossly, how ambush
ingly the foul pardon trade is eaTrid on.
To-day, we can give our readers bat
small sample Of Il. If any msn CT in
telligercs tails 20 see the gross villaiDy
with which the thigg is FedOient, let him
follow it As We do, with infinite disgust
in the pages Of the Congressional Gtsbe.