The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-02-03
Interesting Debate in the U.S.Senate
General Amnesty, Civil Rights, State
Rights and Party Politics Discussed.

| General Amnesty, Civil Rights, STATE
Rights and Party Politics Discussed.
Mr.. Morton remarked that much
misrepresentation prevailed as to the
status of the participants in the rebel
lion under the fourteenth amendment
AS that amendment stood, it deprived
| no man Of the right to vote. Jefferson
Davis or General Forrest are no more
| debarred by the Constitution of the
| United States from voting than any
| man who served in the Union army.
When the fourteenth amendment was
adopted it was conceded that the time
| had passed when any criminal punish
ment should be visited upon the au-
thOrs of the rebellion, and it was then
thought proper that they should at
least be restrained from again taking
part in controlling the Government.
He believed with the Senator from
New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen) that
it was a violation of the spirit of that
amendment for Congress to pass gen.
eral amnesty bill. He had always
voted for amnesty to any man who had
asked for it in good faith, and would
always do so, but all the debate on the
fourteenth amendment showed that it
was not intended that Congress should
throw open the door to all, high and
low, who participated in the rebellion.
The disabilities under which the lea
ders of the rebellion now rest are the
only marks Of diSfaVOr which rest upon
them-the only evidence that they
have committed any crime--and if
these disabilities are removed, twenty
years from now the children of these
men will not know that. they ever
committed any crime.
He then argued at some length that
the granting of universal amnesty
would not be Il measure of eXpediency
as has been claimed. Suppose univer-
sal amnesty was granted and Davis
and Breckenridge and Toombs return
ed to their places in this Senate, what
a spectacle of qualification would we
present before the world! Remove
the ban from these men, aud they
would most assuredly be elected to
high places, Governors, Senators, &c.
We stand then in the position of ac-
knowledging that we We're all wrong,
and they were all right. He painted
IN striking colors the enormity of the
crime of the rebellion, and the fact
that by universal amnesty oblivion
would be thrown over that crime lie
then went on to argue that the logical
results that would flow from amnesty
would be the pensioning of the rebel
soldiers, the payment of the rebel debt,
payment for all property taken by our
armies during the war, and finally pay
ment for the slaves. The Democratic
party is already committed to the pay
ment for property taken, the Senator
from California (Mr. Casserly) having
already moved to place on footing
with loyal citizens all persons who have
received a Presidential pardon, or have
had their disabilities removed.
A CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION.
Mr.. Thurman asked Mr.. Morton
if he regarded the fourteenth amend-
ment as part of the Constitution and
if 50, how did he expect these things
were to be done which that amend
ment expressly prohibited
Mr.. Morton replied that he did
acknowledge the fourteenth amcnd-
mcnt as valid, but the Democratic par
ty does not, and never has. If ever
any concession that either the four
teenth or fifteenth amendments are a
part Of the Constitution has been made
by the Democratic party of the South
he had never heard of it.
Mr.. Thurman said the Senator,
Crctic party gets into power it will re-
peal these amendments. lie would
ask the Senator when he expected
that event to happen? (Laughtcr.)
Mr.. Morton. hope never in this
generation. Laughter.1 1t would be
the greatest national calamity. He
believed that the supremacy of this
nation was involved in the cOntinu-
ance of the Republican party in power,
but great plaguos ho+'o "",nno upon uo,
Chicago was burned, and it is among
the possibilities that the Democratic
party may come into power. Laugh
ter The late Mr.. Nallandigham es-
sayed to lead his party into a new de-
parture on these amendments, but he
did not succeed, and his new departure
was buried in the same grave with
him. The Democratic party was a
Kangaroo party its great strength was
in the South, and the South would con-
troll it. Now, suppose there should be
a Democratic majority in. the House,
that majority would two-thirds Of it
come from the South, and it would
represent the people of the South. That
people would claim that amnesty was
an acknowledgement that they had
done nothing wrong, and they would
not be willing that pensions should be