The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-31
REPEAL OF TEsT-oATH.
SPEECH OF HON. CHARLES H. PORTE

FEBRUARY l, 1911.
The House having under consideration the
Joint resolution Is. r. No. 2ls) prescribing
an oath Of Office to be taken by persons who
participated in the late rebellion, but who are
not disqualified from holding Office by the
fourteenth amendment to the constitution OF
the United States
Mr.. Porter said;
Mr.. Speaker-Yesterday the member
from New York, Mr.. Cox) in discussing
this bill, said:
"The gentleman from Massachusetts, shows
himself, on the march toward a general spirit
of kindnts 50 and amnesty when be becomes the
organ of the committee to present this bill
here. But do not believe, from what have
heard from him, that he has that ungentle
spirit this afternoon exhibited by this member
from Richmond, Virginia"
No one can fail to observe the discourte-
sly implied in this remark by the member
from the sixth district of the State of New
York. He may properly refer to me as
the member from Virginia, but he over
steps the parliamentary rules which OBJ
tain hero when he designates me as ''this
member from Richmond, Virginia" He
may continue, however, in thus designating
me on this floor. It will tend to uniform
ity, for it will certainly be more consonant
to my feelings to refer to him as this mem
Der from New York city, if not as this
member from the sixth district, than in
the form which has usually obtained here.
But | say to the member from the sixth
district of New York; trust it is not the
"bloody sixth ward"--that, if he wishes to
keep up this kind of warfare, | will simply
remind him that there are blows to give as
we'll as TO receive.
Now, in regard to the subject generally,
the member from New York said
"The gentleman from Massachusetts, shows
himself on the march toward q general spirit
of kindness and amnesty when he becomes the
organ of the committee to present this bill
here"
Those who carelessly listened to this
statement would infer that the gentleman
from Massachusetts, Mr.. Butler] was 10
favor of this bill and yet in presenting it
be said, upon it l express no opinion"
The member from New York says:
s'Let US crush out this multiplication of
oaths, especially as bills like this are calcu-
lated to bring into official positions better
class of men who will act more in harmony
with the spirit of our government"
Il ask gentlemen on this side of the House
to note this remark. Being translated"
it means 'slct lis get rid of the law Of 1862,
SO we can drive Republicans from the South
out of this House, aud from all other Off
cial positions, and put in their places the
unrepentant Democratic rebels of the
South" Yet he undertakes, in his patron
izing way, to guard you against partisan
feeling. If any gentleman has seen the
time when gentlemen on the other side of
the House did not make party feeling the
basis of their action on all occasions,
would like to have him make it known.
He says further
"Why, Mr.. Speaker, is it not time we should
stop talking about outrages, when they are the
very consequence of our lack of tranquility
in the North and South, and among the people
of the country? Good government brings
disqualification of the people,"
The member from the sixth district
shows that he knows but little, If any
thing, about the subject in reference to
which he so freely proffers advice and
instruction to this side of the House. If
he at all comprehended the matter, he
would understand that the object of these
s.outrages" is to destroy the right of suf-
frage and other political rights belonging
to the loyal people Of the South.
And we are asked, without any legisla-
ton, to suppress or check these outrages,
to extend universal amnesty to their per-
petrators, or political friends, and it is
painful to be obliged to add that some of
our friends on this side, as if there were
not obstacles enough already in the way
of our great party, which saved the coun-
Try and lifted it up from slavery to the
plane of liberty and equal rights, must
now, forsooth, put their wits to work to
provide means which will further strength
en- the Democratic party of the country.
Leaving this member from New York,
l come now to pay my respects to my
colleague, mr. Platt,l who undertakes to
speak for the Republican party of Vir-
ginia, who undertakes to say on the floor
of this House, without any apparent COM
junction, that the Republican party of
I deny it. On the contrary, assert that
ninety hundredths of the Republican
party of Virginia are against universal
amnesty until they are secure in their own
rights, until they obtain exemption from
the hand of violence, and their civil and
political rights are respected in the courts
of the State 1t is true that in April last,
in conference of the Republican party
of Virginia, we were willing to believe
that at last the time had come, or was be-
ginning to Gomez when justice would be
done us, when we might trust the rebels
with their disabilities off, and therefore we
placed in our platform the following reso-
luton, which ] was not only in favor OF,
IS stated by my colleague, but of which l |
was the author 1t reads in these words:
"The fifteenth amendment having become a |
part of the constitution of the United States, |
universal suffrage has been secured |
10 the masses of our people, we pronounce in |
avor OF universal amnesty, subject, of course, |
70 the legislation of Congress-"
Will my colleague undertake to say that
we meant universal amnesty for the men
who had endeavored to overturn the gov
'rnment ift they should prevent the men who
ried to save it, or who sympathized with
he effort to save it, from exercising to the
light of suffrage, by force, or in other I'M
awful way? No, sir. But we made the
Usual presumption which obtains in favor
# the execution of law by the "powers
hat be-" We presumed that the Demo-
ratio party of Virginia would carry out
he fifteenth amendment. We were will
ng to try them, at least. But we find
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