The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-12-16
!. The Disability Question.


After the bill relieving the Virginians and
others had passed the Senate Wednesday, the
joint resolution for the relief Of persons enga-y
ged in the late rebellion, providing that upon
the final adoption Of the Fifteenth Amend
ment all disabilities shall cease, was taken' up
Mr. Stewart said that he believed the time
had arrived to make the declaration here pro-
posed no danger need be apprehcnded in the
immediate removal of these disabilities, but
on the contrary, continued imposition would
have the effect which Congress desired to pre-
vent, that of throwing the former rebel States
into rebel hands. That such was the effect
was evidenced from day to day, because, be-
sides themselve having the power to vote, they
were enabled to excite the sympathy of their
neighbors, by appealing to them to aid in re-
moving their disabilities Now that univer-
sal suffrage had been secured, it would be po
little to close the universal amnesty In the
matter of individual cases of relief there was
much room for imposition upon the generosity
of Congress. and the disabilities of many per-
sons had been removed upon unfair and in
correct representations to members Of Con-
gross. Necessarily it was impossible for Con-
grcss to exercise an intelligent discrimination
in passing upon these cases in detail, and the
more advisable course was to deal with them
as class. By means of this declaration.
that the adoption Of the fifteenth amendment
would relieve the disabilities now imposed,
the cause of reconstruction would be strength
ened, and the adoption of the amendment it.
self materially fastened.
At the close of Mr.. Stewards remarks the
Senate went into executive session.
In the Senate the same day Mr.. Ferry, Of
Connecticut, introduced bill to repeal all
laws requiring what was known as the admin
istration of the test-oath. He said that the
proposition to remove the disabilities imposed
under the fourteenth amendment would fall
short Of the accomplishment of the object de-
signcd unless accompanied by the repeal Of
the test-oath. The necessity for legislation Of
this character, he believed, had now gone by.
The policy of the removal Of those disabilities
was one which the experience of last summer,
and the universal experience of all parties in
the Southern States, had decided to be
policy that ought to be adopted by Congress;
and as the Republican party originally enacted
those laws for the security of the government,
and the preservation of the life of the nation,
50 now, when the necessity had gone by, it
seemed to the speaker best that the same par
ty should remove them. The bill was referred.
Forney's Philadelphia Press says:
Senator Ferry's proposition to repeal test
oaths meets with approval in both houses, and
will undoubtedly become law.
In regard to the bill relieving some few
hundred persons of their disabilities, the New
York Times Washington correspondent says
The measure was Of no great consequence
to anybody, except, possibly, those immedi-
ately interested, but its prompt passage and
the general tone Of the speeches would seem
to indicate that the bill failed last session only
for want Of time and this circumstance may
in some measure account for its passage to-day
without the usual committee reference, But
however that may be, the temper of the Sen
ate was much calmer and milder than it has
been for years, and there seemed to be gen
eral disposition to forget and forgive. Hot
words fell from Mr. Sumner, but the majority
interested in the subject
The Times says editorially:
| When Virginia, Mississippi and Texas art
restored the Union, and when Georgia shall
have complied in good faith with conditions
which her Democratic Legislators have shame.
lessly violated, the removal of all disabilities
will be in order. That, indeed, will be re
quired as the final touch of reconstruction
as the crowning evidence of the nations de
sire for peace and good fellowship. Special
exceptions there may be, but they should be
defined, and all others who now suffer should
be reinvestcd with the attributes Of citizen
ship.