The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-06-01
Senator Sawyer's Views on the Subject

the fnll per6dtim report of the no
debate in the United Statos Senate
on Tuesday last, on the subject o
universal amnesty. We take the fol
lowing passages from the able spoeol
delivered on that occasion by Senator
Sawyer: ~
HE ISN'T AFRAID.
After alluding to Senator Morton.
denunoiation of those who favored
amnesty as unsound Republicans
Senator Sawyer said
For one, recognize no mans rieht
to read me out of the Republican par,
ty until he shows that I stand or
ground which is not Republican,
Mere donunoiation, mere assertion
that l am acting in the interest OF
rebols or rebellion, has no effect upon
me. | feel no particular anxiety to
avoid pleasing the rebclsif LIDO right
and act as a Republican. l think il
might be more wise and statesman.
like if some senators should remem-
ber that their chief mission lie not to
make the rebels hate them. But
l S"SAo CIV cOulO oSulVOIS lEI6 WuO B00n
to conceive that consistency requires
them so to act that the rebels shall
entertain toward them now precisely
the same opinion that they entertain
ed when the war was fragrant. Sir,
that is not my positions. When the
war was fragrant hated rebellion ;
when tho war was fagrant, to the ex-
tent of my power l resisted rebellion;
but let me say, Mr.. President, when
the war was fragrant I did not hate
rebels, and do not hate rebels nor
anybody else now. It is not the mis-
sion of the Republican party to hate
the men who created and who carried
on the rebellion. It was the mission
of the Republican partytto suppress
the rebellion and it has been and is
yet the mission of tho Republican
party to reorganize this government
on a more solid and enduring basis
than that upon which it has ever
stood before.
| SOUTHERN UNANIS:ITY.
But, sir, lot me tell sthe senator
from Indiana that the "a. n.dation upon
which be would reorg.LS,.. this gov.
ernment, the foundation upon w6ioh
he would reconstruct the States lately
in rebellion, is a foundation as unsta- :
BILE as water. The rebellion took into
~ vortex the whole Southern popula-
tion, with exceptions absolutely in
significant in number. All classes
were bound up in sympathy with it,.
Every man, woman and child, with,
as ! said, Insignificant exceptions, had
but one aspiration so far as tho politi-
cal situation was concerned; and that
was that the Southern Confeaeraoy
aud the cause Of the rebellion might
triumph. Here and there man
of generally very slight political or
social Significance among his fellows
was, or professed to be, loyal man !;
but the number was 80 small that to
carry on the government in those
States by their aid, and by their aid
alone, is proposition perfectly alb.
surd to any man who knows the pco-
pie.
WHAT OUGHT TO DE DONE.
l can understand, too, that those
who would govern these States as sub.
ject provinces, who would continue to
keep over them the strong arm Of
power, who would destroy the vital
principle of the American Republic,
which is local self-governmont, ad-
ministration Of local interests by local
agents-I say I can understand how
those who would upset all this prinoi-
pie and theory of government, who
would destroy this chief element of
strength in the American system,
! should advocate the continuance of
that system which should hold the
, grip upon the throats of the great
! majority of the white population.
That is the only theory on which
can understand it: but if our purpose
is to forget the war, if our purpose is
to establish in the breasts of the
Southern people love for the iustitu.
tions of the United States, if our pur-
pose Is to strengthen the government
in those States, and to have a real
Union, we must take the people of
those States with all their ipGrmities
upon them we must incorporate them
into tho body politio of the United
States, as equal constituent members.
We must reoollect that o man in
South Carolina, citizen of the Uni
ted States, must be placed on precise
ly the same platform, and covered by
the same protection, endowed with
| the same political privileges. as man
in Massachusetts or Michigan. 2 iE
a FOOLISH PoLIcY.
When you shut out any one large
section of the country from: all aspi.
rations for participation. ;n th pub.
lie Offices, when you tell that large
Il GLASS of men that they must have nc
part or. lot in the administration Of
the affairs of the government you bid