The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-03-30
General Amnesty.

We make the following extracts from the
proceedings of the United States Senate on
Tuesday, 21st of March, in which both Of the
Senators from this State advocate most earnest
ly the passage of bill securing general am
nesty for past political offences
Without further debate Mr.. Sawyer then took
the floor and moved, as an amendment to the
pending resolution, to include the consideration
at the present session of the General Amnesty
bill, lately reported from the Committee on
Disabilities. He argued that the passage of
this bill would do much to restore harmony and
contentment in the South. He regretted that
the enfranchisement of the negroes in the re-
construction laws had not been accompanied by
general amnesty to the white people. The in
Huence of this policy, he believed, would be
powerfully felt in removing bitterness and con-
ciliating and harmonizing all the people,
Much had been said here and elsewhere as to
the inclination of the Southern people to enter
into another rebellion but he would assure
Senators there was not one word of truth in
such representations. The remembrance Of
their MANNED sons, desolated hearth stones, and
devastated fields precluded the possibility of
their ever again entertaining the idea of re-
bellion for moment. He did not think the
disturbances in the South originated from hos
tility to the general government, but that they
were inspired by disafection to the local gov
ernments. The reason for this was, that the
men most fitted by education and position to
take part in the affairs of the State were exclu-
ded from all participation therein. Owing to
this cause men of an inferior moral and intel
lectual stamp had been elevated to public po
sition. If it was true that the colored members
in the Southern Legislatures did occasionally
give way to inducements to vote in aparticular
way for consideration, they should not be too
harshly condemned. Their former helpless ig-
norance should not be forgotten, nor the fact
that the more intelligent and experienced leg
islators of the Northern States were not free
from similar charges. But sound policy i'm
peratively dictated that all public places should
be thrown open to all citizens alike, and all
political disabilities and discriminative legisla-
tion wiped from the statute book. With re-
spect to the Ku Klux organizations, which, he
said, were dominant in some OF the counties OF
the Carolinas, Mr.. Sawyer urged that the most
complete and thorough measures be instantly
adopted to repress their lawless deeds. But
the remedial legislation must not be drawn by
tyro but should be wise, salutary and eff
cient.
Mr.. Robertson Rad, S. C.) advocated gen.
eral amnesty, because he wished to see peace
and harmony restored to his country. Moth
ing was to be gained by the continuance of le-
gal and political disabilities He had been a
consistent upholder of the Union and friend
to the colored man, and he now desired to con-
fer upon the white men of the South all the
rights of citizenship now enjoyed by the COL
ored citizen. He appealed to his political asso-
ciates in the Senate to prove to the white men
of the South that the Republican party was
not opposed to the white people there, but was
their friend. He would restore to our erring
Southern brethren all their rights. He ear
nestly pressed the passage of this general am
nestys bill as calculated to do more to pacify
the South than any coercive act that could be
passed this session.