Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-12-28

4
vor any amnesty bill at this session, and
those laboring under disabilities will there
fore have to wait, for the most part, until
the next Ceugresb, when the increased Dem
ocratie Strength in the House will, doubtless,
contribute to the necessary majority to pass
bill.
1t should be borne in mind that the disa-
bilities under which rebels are now left are
from holding Office, and not from voting In
some states, possibly, restrictive statutes, and
possibly, constitutional prohibitions are yet
in force, but the federal constitution only af-
fleets ofiee-hOlding. Those from the south
favoring amnesty now urge thst This restric-
tion has a most enfavorable effect upon the
Republican party, as it really makes the best
class of the southern whites ineligible to Office,
and practically drives them into the Demo-
cratic party. Even the Republican party in
many places in the south have nominated
and elected men under these disabilities, and
Republican members of Congress are now
asking that these persons may have their dis
abilities removed in order that they may take
]
A majority Of the Republican representatives
and senators from the Late rebel states favor
the policy Of general amnesty.
The House has passed the pension appro-
priatiOn bill, and is thus making some pro-
gress in the necessary business of the session.
Very little was done Wednesday, and Thurs
day was devoted wholly to experimenting,
and now most Of the representatives are out
of tho city either at their homes or elsewhere
! for the holidays.
DohISGo TIE sE-NTE.
The great excitement of the week has been
the debate on San Domingo in the Senate
Senator Morton's resolution providing that
| the President may appoint a commission of
| three persons to visit the Republic of Do
minica and get a variety of information
about its soil, climate, productions, people,
&c. This resolution came up for action
Wednesday, those having it in charge be-
ing determined to force vote upon it before
the holiday recess Senator Sumner opened
the debate by very able speech, occupying
nearly two hours, in opposition TO the acqui-
sition Of San Domingo, and in sharp criti-
cism of the course thus far pursued in press
ing the annexation Of that Republic. lie
spoke with great force and earnestness and
his language was not probably made milder,
by the fact which he knew, and which he
alluded to in his remarks, that the President
had expressed desire to see him removed
from the committee on foreign relations He
charged the President with using, to force
through Congress this annexation scheme.
means similar to those used by Pierce. Blu
chanan, and johnson to force their policy
upon Congress and the country. He charged
that the navy had been used in manner IN
warranted by the constitution to keep Baez
in power in san Domingo until annexation
could be contaminated and thar the neigh
boring Republic of Hayti had been threat
ened with violence If it interfered to prevent
the accomplishment Of this project. The en-
tire speech was regarded, as it undoubtedly
Is, as very severe arraignment of the course
pursued by - the administration that is
by President Grant and his immediate ad- I
vlsers-in respect to the acquisition Of San /
Domingo. In the evening session, Senator's /
Morton, Nye, Chandler, Conkling. Edmunds. 1
and others replied 70 Senator Sumner and I
their speeches were severe upon the Senator
from Massachusetts,. Substantially thew all /
told him that he had no business To criticiso
she Presidents course but more especially.
shey ondcarored e. make sent sOr sumter re 4
sponsible for many of the newspaper reports /
OF conversations and remarks made about I
the President by the Senator. I'VE tried to
make fun of him Chandler, in his brutal 4
fashion, charged him with having deserted 4
the Republican party and gone over To the I
Democrats ConklIng, with p1mpOus decla- 4
nation, said the Committee Foreign Re I
lations must have a chairman in accord with .
the President Morton charged Sumner with .
making groundless charges against the Pres 4
ident, (althOugh he was careful not 10 DENY I
the facts Senator Sumner had stated) Ed .
munds told Sumner that he had forgotten .
what was due 20 the President, and that the .
Senator from Massachusetts was his own
worst enemy. And 50 the bitterly personal .
debate ran on, until nearly seven O'Clock .
Thursday morning, when the resolution was 4
passed by a vote OF 81 to 9. Senators Pat 1
tersOn, Morrill, of Vermont, Upton, Schurz, /
and Sumner were the only Republicans vot- /
ing against the resolution Many Republi- /
cans who voted for it claim that they are I
still opposed 10 the annexation scheme, but I
that they were willing TO have c0mmi ssion 4
20 out to San Domingo to investigate mat 4
tiers. Senator Morrill, of Vermont opposed I
the resolution on the ground that it could /
get no information not now accessible to /
every Senator, but was only intended practi- /
,ally TO commit Congress and the country to /
the scheme of annexation. Senator EdmuBds /
Of Vermont supported the resolution, but /
said he did not expect it would change his /
opposition to the proposition to annex the /
Republic Of Dominica.
The resolution will probably pass the /
House, whenever it can be reached for action, /
perhaps in week or ten days after the re-
assembling of Congress.
SENATOR SUMNER AND THE PRESIDENT
If the FREEMAN prints Mr.. Sumner speech |
your readers will see just what he did say of /
the President, and how far be sustained the |
charges he made in respect to the annexation |
project. The difference between the two is 4
now the general theme Of discourse here. 1t 1
is probably true that Mr.. Sumner was not /
pleased with the fact that the President ne
gotiated the treaty without any previous
with him the negotiation being ,
not only kept from the Senator but from the .
country, until the terms of the treaty were
agreed upon. Mr. Sumner regarded this -
4 slight undoubtedly, and was quite ready, !
On that account, TO oppose treaty which
did not commend itself to his judgment.
have also been busy in re-
porting to both the Senator and the Presi-
dent whatever either has said of the other 4;
and when the truth would not serve their
turn, lies have been resorted to. The exag
gerated and often false statements of newspa-
per reporters and " interviewers " have only
served to fan the flame of unpleasant feeling
and the President has about him smart Off
cials who have very freely used insulting Ian
guage respecting the Senator from Massa-
chnsetts. Finally, both the President and
the Senator are mad. 1t is currently re-