The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1870-12-30
AMNESTY AND ITS RELh TION
To PARTIES.

SuDJect Vi hulicsty
Message has caused much comment,
as this subject is just now attracting a
great deal OF attention In both branches
Of Congress. The Marysville Appeal
apologies for it by assigning as u sup
posed reason that Gen. Grant forgot
oil about 1t. This is a very easy and
convenient way OF explaining the
mystery, but 1t is not exactly satisfac-
tory. Official messages OF the Execu-
tive are not usually prepared in thai
way; and we see 10 reason TO attrib-
ute to the President the carelessness
or indifference implied by the Appeals
explanation. Had Gen. Grant beer
favorable to the proposition we should
| likely have seen some evidence OF tie
fact in this important State paper.
There is moro probability that the
| President just now feels a little sore
over the result of the elections in GER
tain Southern States, including Mis-
souri, and Georgia, and is therefore not
in exactly the proper mood to carry
out practically the sentiment upon
which he came into office, LET us
| have peace.r He will never find "a
better opportunity than that which he
has thrown away, to make a practical
| exhibition OF that sentiment which did
more to enhance his popularity than
any net of his civil career.
1t is noticeable that though General
Grant went into Office so strongly in
clined to conservative ideas a. TO be
obnoxious to the veteran Radical wing
Of his own party, that he has steadily
progressed in the opposite direction;
while men like Trumbull and Shurz,
who regarded him Us a weak brother
then, have become more and more
liberal and national in their views;
80 much so a. to become obnoxious to
the administration. Even Butler
leads off in favor of a general amnesty
while the President remains silent.
The Republicans in Congress made
n fatal mistake in the beginning in
their treatment of the South. Had
this measure been brought forward
and passed in the first years after the
close of the war;, instead OF the coer-
sive legislation which was adopted, II
would have placed the Republican
organization in a very different posi-
ton in the South. 1t would have
taken the attitude of a friend instead
of coming as an enemy, and might
have given q foothold which would
have been hard to loosen. The meas
ures of prescription and ~disfranchise-
ment placed the Republican party In a
position of hostility to the great body
of the people of that section. After
six years struggle, in which every re
source known TO INSCRIPTIONS politi-
clans has been freely used to obtain
and retain the supremacy, the Repub-
lican party % finds itself in a mi
nority in nearly every State south of
Mason and Dixon's line. The Radical
policy has proved a failure in the
South. There is nothing now to be
gained by an adhesion to that line of
legislation; and coming at this late
day, we doubt much whether the Re-
publican party will gain any partisan
advantage by this act of tardy legisla-
ton, IL it be now adopted, and a policy
of Cancellation adhered TO hereafter.
1t has lost the prestige of success, and
engendered needless a~nti2athies, diff
iicult to be allayod. As an act Of just
ice and mercy, however, amnesty ought
to meet with no opposition. 1t would
even light up with a transitory glow
the last days of that organization, and
give a slight coloring to the numerous
protestations of regard which have
served as a preamble for many acts of
intolerable wrong and oppression done
in the name of Liberty and Justice.
rh. a,ta trtI 49, .f-t-s~t A.. A.. Il