Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-01-24
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TO THE
Daily Kennebec Journal.
FOrty.SecOnd Congressional Session
WAsuISGToN, %.

Mr.. Pomeroy from committee on public
lands, reported bill setting apart certain
lands near the head waters of Yellow Stone
river as a public park. This valley he said
was about forty by forty-four miles in extent
and full of natural curiosities, but without
any good agricultural lands, and he thought
it important to pass the bill before parties
should go in and establish claims as they had
done in Yosemite Valley.
MIR. Sherman from committee on finance,
reported bill to allow importation free of
duty of certain machinery designed for ex-
perments in mining in Louisiana, which was
passed.
The expiration of the morning hour brought
as unfinished business the amnesty bill.
Mr.. Morton declared himself opposed to
universal suffrage, and characterized the
argument in its favor as based upon sicklv
sentimentalism and spurious. He thought
there was good deal of misrepresentation
throughout the country in regard to the dsa
bllities now resting upon those who engaged
in the rebellion. 1t was, perhaps, not gen
orally known that Jefferson Davis and all his
followers had as much right to vote as any
man who served in the Union army. He re-
viewed the history of the fourteenth amend
mcnt and argued that the provision in it al,-
thorizing Congress to remove disabilities by
two-thirds vote, was not designed to au-
thoriZe the removal of disabilities from
classes, but only from individuals. 1t seemed
therefore straning the l4th amendment to pass
the amnesty bill as it came from the House
He was willing however to vote for that bill
but he never would vote for it with the ex-
ceptions stricken out. The disabilities pro-
posed by that amendment upon Southern
leaders was the last remaining work of dis
appreciation of the rebellion, and he could
would be to acknowledge that the rebellion
was not wrong, that it was merely differ
ence Of opinion, and that the leaders have
the same right as loyal men to hold the high
est offices of the government 1t was ar
gued that amnesty would conciliate the peo-
pie of the South, but he believed that the
leaders could no more be conciliated in that
way than rattlesnakes could be conciliated by
restoring their extracted fangs. They would
be as they had lived-rebels. If universal
amnesty were to be granted now it would be
impossible to convince the next generation
that there was anything wrong in the rebel
lion and the republican party could not con-
cede the guiltessness of the rebellion with
cut falsifying its whole record and disgrace
ing itself before the whole world.
Mr. Morton further said that he would vote
for Summers supplementary civil rights bill
as an amendment to the amnesty bill.
Mr.. Thurman replied. He said that Mr..
Morton's tears and predictions were too pre-
posterous to be shared or believed by any in
telligent man in his senses, and expressed
surprise that Mr.. Morton as a leader of the
| republican party should denounce amnesty
SO fercely when the President had recon-
mended it in his message.
Mr.. Morton replied that the Senator had
ust said that he could not understand this
administration. That was true. The whole
democratic party were unable to understand
this administration, or the times in which
they lived. They were ike man riding in
car backwards, who never sees anything
until he is clear past it. As to the dangers
that would result from their coming into
power, he would ask whether the democrats
were not committed to pay for the rebels
slaves. To show that they were he sent
Frank Blair's broadhead letter to the desk to
be read, and said it was because of the senti-
ments expressed in that letter Blair was Civ
en- the second place on the democratic ticket.
MIR. Blair-lt you had not backed out of
your speech in 1865 in favor of President
johnson, you might have got my place.
Mr.. Morton thought Mr.. Blair was igno-
rant Of what he had really said in that speech.
He had expressly declared that he was in
favor of universal suffrage, but had favored
period of probation for the colored people
of ten or fifteen years. The Southern whites
however, following the road of the democrats,
had made 1t necessary to enfranchise the
colored people at once in order to get loyal
basis on which to reconstruct the State gov
ernments. The Senator from Missouri,
(Blair) had once been . member of the re-
publican party, but had left it.
Mr.. Blair-I left it because of its usurpa-
| tions. l Joined it when the whole party
| could have sat down at a dinner table, and
| left it when it was in power all over the coun-
| try, to join party that was out of power.
| As TO the Senator's speech, remember that
when he delivered it he was thought to be a
very fit person for Mr.. Johnsons cabinet,
and if the people of the South were misled
by any one, it was the Senator himself in that
speech.
| Mr.. Morton-The Senator attaches more
Importance to that speech than l ever did.
As to being thought a fit person for Mr..
Johnson's cabinet l know nothing about but
can say this much, that there never was an
Office in the gift of Mr.. johnson | would
have accepted. l say without disrespect ~
him, that have heard it said that sought a
place in his cabinet. That is false. The re
never was an hour in which / would have re-
signed the governorship of Indiana for any
| place except a seat in the United States SEN
ate.
Mr.. Morton said further that this was the
most important question before Congress, far
more important than the civil service reform
or tariff revision.
Mr.. Scott followed with an argument in
favor of the amnesty bill as it came from the
House, but said he was not prepared to vote
| for universal amnesty.
Mr. Robertson gave notice that he would
endeavor to bring the bill to vote to-mor-
row.
Mr.. Window presented a petition signed
| by General Sheridan and other officers, rep
resenting 100000 soldiers in the army of the
Cumberland, praying that the time they serv-
ed in the army be allowed in the Ave year.
required by the homestead laws, after two
years of actual residence.
At 4 o'clock the Senate adjourned.
HoUsR.
MIR. Pierce from committee on education
and labor reported bill to establish an edu
cational fund and to apply the proceeds Of
the sale of public lands to education of the PEG
pie, and asked that it be put upon its passage
The bill sets apart and consecrates forever
the proceeds of public lands for the educa