Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-04-13
q. T. ButJer's Ri11

A few weeks since, it was announced. says the
make an effort to conciliate the people he had
so often outraged and plundered. He was a
bout, it was said, to bring bill into Congress
to relieve the ex-Confederates of their political
disabilities 1t was to be just and generous In
its terms, and of general application. But peo-
pie who expected kindness from Butler forgot
the truth of the old maxim that 'men always
hate those whom ''they have injured, and that
the intensity of their malignity is in proportion
to the wrongs they have inflicted, or the crimes
they have perpetrated The instincts of But
Ter are essentially devilish, and any act betray-
ing even CLEAN of nobility of soul would be as
foreign to his nature as tenderness was to that
of Barabbas
His bill for the restoration of the disfranchls-
ed Southern people to their political rights and
privileges is characteristic of the man. Under
the provisions of the bill, every Southerner,
who seeks relief from his political disabilities,
must first prefer petition to that end before
the District Court of the United States in the
State where he lived during the war. He must
confess to the minutest particular, in what
manner he had given aid, comfort, or assist
ance to the rebellion, either voluntary or IN
voluntary"
He must further declare ''that he believes,
| and confesses, such acts were wrongs, rebelllous
and wicked" and that the State, and Con
| federate Governments, established by, and dur
ing the rebellion were, in his belief, treason
able, and fought not to have been sustained,
and, finally, he must say ''that he truly repents
of all FACTS done by him in maintenance there
of, and heartily desires to atone for any part hi
took in the same, by hereafter acting and con
Quoting himself as true and loyal citizen O
the United States.
But the measure of elfdegradation does moi
end here The applicant has next to affirm thai
his loyalty has been perfect and Immaculate
since the LIST of June, 1865; that subsequent tt
| that date he has done no hostile act, or com
| mitted any crime against the laws ofthe Unlteo
States, OF of any individual State; that h'
has not endeavored, by force or fraud, to In
terfere with the civil rights of any citizen ofth'
United States" or to prevent the freedom
election or of speech; but that The has behaved
himself as man of good moral character,
&C., &c.
Having thus abjectly humbled himself will
his face to the ground, and his mouth In tn
dust. he has then to undergo another ordeal
His petition setting forth all these things, is tt
be published in newspaper, SO that his ute
ignominy may be made known to all his forme
friends and acquaintance When this penitentla
act has been accomplished, the next thing re
uuired of him is that he shall get two Unlol
men to stand his sponsors, and who shall dc
clare 'that they verify believe each and ever!
fact stated in the petition to be true. But tn
process of purgation is not yet complete. Atte
all these steps have been taken, any citizen
whether black or white, may appear on tn
day appointed for the return of the notice, ant
if he object ''that anything set forth In sail
petition is not true in fact thereupon an issu
shall be framed by the Court, y and the case Sc
for trial.
Such is the bill brought forward by this NAL
Butler, ostensibly for the purpose of relieving
from their political disabilities large number
of Southerners who are now DISTINGUISHED. 1t
true title should be "a bill to render the South
ern people infamous forever"