New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-03
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1870

given to all His people. When the children
Of Isreal were prosecuted by the hosts OF
Pharoah, God hardened the hearts of the
Egyptians against the people Of Moses, that
he might lead them to victory and to deliver
ance. And rs it was in those old days, so l be-
lieve it was when the people arose against the
Federal government. l believe it was the
will OF the great Jehovah to harden the
hearts of the ave owners; and when they
fired on Fort Sumter / believe it was the
voice of the great God proclaiming freedom
to the whole people of America. But now
the war is over; the American flag has been
wreathed with victory; from ocean to ocean
the people are free, prosperous. and happy;
the colored man has all his rights; the fif'
teenth amendment has become part of the
written law of the land, and now let us bury
the past in one common grave-never to be
resurrected.
As have said, the black man has all his
rights under the law, and now his future is
altogether in his own hands and he must
work out his own salvation. 1t was said that
when the black man would get into power
he would Cypress and enslave those who OPP
pressed ard enslaved him; but let us show
these people that we can forget, that we can
forgive. Let US show by this vote that we
can be magpanimous; that we are in favor
of burying the past by voting down this
amendment
Spt aker Carr: The Chair will now put
the vote on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Bienville. Lost; yeas, 70;
nays, I.
Mr.. Kent: object to The precedent this
resolution will establish, and think it is n
bad precedent to ask the people of Louis
lana to establish or maintain a cemetery IN
another and distant State. 1t will be no
honor to the brave men who fell at Frede
ricksburg to have a marble, iron or brass
monument erected to their memory. His
tory will vindlcate their fame, aud in the
hearts Of sOrrowing people their names
are enshrined beyond the power OF any
earthly mandate to efface. Az the national
government has forbid the people of the
Confederacy to honor their dead, | move
the Joint resolution be Indefinitely post
poned.
Mr.. McMillen: Mr.. Speaker. I rise for the
purpose of making q few remarks, which
thought and had hoped would not have been
necessary.
I had hoped that this resolution would
not have needed any advocacy, that 1t
would have recommended itself.
One OF the benefits incidental to its pass
age was, I thought, to give the mem bers an
opportunity to express those finer fee 'ings
which are supposed to have p ace in every
Christians heart, and I am surprised rs
well as panied to find 1t has opponents Oh
the floor of this House.
1t appears to me that if member had q
disposition to oppose it he would not have
given utterance to that disposition that
he would rather have maintained respect
full silence.
This is not an appeal to either condemn
or restore that cause which, under the cloud
Of battle, persisted forever.
When it is intended to make provision tor
the dust of the children of this
State who have fallen in battle when it is
proposed TO provide for their remains de-
cent sepulchre, it is not for US to ask how
or in what manner they came by their
death.
1 only know that these men went
ont to 90 battle at the call
of the State; that those who went out re-
presented the best blood of the state, and as
. citizen OF the State, as n representative of
the people of The State, and as soldier of
the Federal army, who. perhaps, met these
same men in battle. vote for this appro
priation. After man has fallen in battle
he ceases to be an enemy, and he appeals to
Il common humanity and asks that his bones
shall be carefully gathered and becomingly
and respectfully inferred. 1t is expected
that we will do that which we expect to
have done us, when we have passed away,
by those who are left behind. 1t is one of
the sacred duties of the soldier that, when
The crash and thunder of battle is over and
ne finds himself a victor, to gather the
nalmed and the dead, be they friends or be
hey foes, and be.tow upon them that
ARE which Christianity aud civilization
Alike dictate. These ladies of Vir-
yinia-a State that shall be immortal
or the great struggles that have taken
place there during the last war, ask Us to
i'd them in gathering the remains of these |
allen soldiers III order that they may re.
;eive decent burial. hope the motion |
If the gentleman from st. Helena will be |
,oted down, as it should be.
MIR. Noble: I would simply second the |
entimenrs expressed by General McMillen |
nd it gives me regret that | can not coin |
de with the motion of my friend from 1t. |
Helena, although he speaks truly when he |
avs that these fallen heroes are enshrined |
D the hearts and in the memories of the |
,eople they died tor. Yet l believe that |
one outward symbol of peoples gratitude |
hould mark the spot their blood has sanc- |
flied. In Virginia is the proper place. in |
'irginia where their valor aud endurance |
halieDged the admiration of the world; |
o Virginia, where the tracks of the shoe
-ss feet blooded the route from Richmond |
0 the Rappahanock. l am glad to see by |
be vote recently taken, and by the express
ion of sentiment, that this question has |
allied out, that the time is not far distant |
1hen we can strike hands together and |
FORK together for the common veal. For /
he past five years the CoDfederacy has
cen TO me sealed book. and have re-
aimed from mentioning anything leu
tied to awaken its memories upon the floor |
f this House, but the sentiments expressed |
pom this floor to-day has touched my
eart,strings ard weakened any feelings Of |
might lave cherished. Although |
every Southern household there is va
ant chair; although every family mourns
q absent member; although a shadow rests
a every hear hstone, / believe there is
o feeliI & eXtant, that would uufurl again |
le Confederate flag, which, tive years ago, |
ent down in q sea Of blood.
| say, as an expression of sentiment, that |
ne vote in the Senate and the words of
eneral McMilIen, himself a Federal army
thcer is very gratifying to me, and l hope
lst the motion to postpone will be voted
own.
The resolution was finally adopted by
ote of sixty-eight TO nine.
The House thu II resolved itself into Com
littee Of the Whole, and proceeded to the |
n peachment trial of the Auditor Of Public
ccOunts.
FRIDAY, February %, 1870.
House met promptly at eleven O'Clock.
Speaker Carr in the chair.
House had under consideration bill to
elieve certain life insurance companies
ON taxation.
Mr.. Morey: have never been in favor Of
Chewing any company from taxation, and |
m, therefore, opposed to this bill We're l
! favor of ext mpting any of these compa-
les, would be in favor of eXemptlEg all.
hey should all stand on an equal footing
mere are number of life insurance compa.
les doing business in this State, the capital
. which is owned in New York and other
astern cities. Now, hold it is improper