Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-26
Forty-Second Congressional Session
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. Is.
SENATE.

W AsHiNGIoN, u. u, jan 70.
At the expiration of the morning hour, the
regular order, the amnesty bill, was taken M
Mr. Morrill, said the government having pros
ecutcd the war upon principle which assumed
the absolute political disability of twelve mil
| lion people, and the absolute overthrow of the
| legitimate government of ten states, the very
| first step in the process of reconsh uction was
| necessarily amnesty, in order to qualify those
| who were to take part in the reorganized gov
| ernments. The assumed disqualification made
amnesty great civil, political and moral neces-
| sitv at the end of the war, and in accordance
| with that principle the question of general am
| nesty had been long ago settled. The question
now before the senate was whether it pass
| granting amnesty, not quite universal, but so
nearly so as to put an end TO special legislation
on the subject de was convinced that il would
| be wise to pass this bill. He had been brought
to that conviction by the presidents recommen-
| dalton, by the recommendation of the kuklux
| committee, and by his own Judgment AS TO
| the amendment proposed by Mr.. Sumner, he
| was not only opposed TO its adoption, but be-
lieYed it never ought to have been entertained as
| an amendment to this bill. First because il in
| voyed a different rule of legislation, requir-
| ing only majority, and second, because,
| although it involved very delicate con-
| stitutional questions, it had not been con-
| sidered by committee: but there was still
| more conclusive reason why it ought to be re-
| iected. 1t was unconstitutional. Senator Sum-
| ner had invoked the declaration of independence
| and many high considerations in favor of his
BILL but had failed TO point out any provision of
| the constitution which authorizes congress to
pass it, and until he could show that such legiS-
| lation was authorized by this constitutions it
| was idle TO invoke the memory of great deeds of
| other times, or doctrine of equal rights as a
| justification for it. The senator had attempted
| to place this bill upon the same ground with the
civil rights bill, but there really no analogy
| between them. Tie constitutional amendment
| upon which the senator attempted to base his
| bill did not assert anything; it was simply
| grand negaton, but the bill itself was an asser-
| ton of equal civil political, and social rights of
| all men in hotels, churches, schools, theaters
| and everywhere else This was all well and he
hoped the day would come when we should be
| all so thoroughly imbued with the principles of
justice, humanity, and christianity, as to take all
men, without distinction OF color, to our fresdes
and bosoms, but certainly it was not within the
| province of congress to enforce them by direct
| legislation.
Mr.. Morrill, criticised in detail the provisions
| of Mr.. Summers BILL and argued that congress
| had no power to enact them into law, except so
| far as they applied to common carriers, and he
| warned the senate against disregarding the
constitutional line of separation between federal
| and state governments, upon the preservation
of which the stability of the republic de-
pended.
MIR. flanagan followed: he was in favor of
the amnesty bill, also of the amendment, but
there were men at the south. for whose relief he
u
| There were also other persons i'm his own state
| all democrats, who were conducting themselves
| very badly, to prove which he sent several let
| tiers and kilograms to the desk, TO be read. On
| the other hand, there was one man who had
been member of Il secession convention for
| whose relief he would ask, after the passage of
| this bill. He criticised Horace Greeley for going
| bail for Davis, culOgized Henry Clay and Gen
| jackson, and announced his own belief in the
good old doctrine that Americans should rule
| America.
The bill was then postponed to Monday. A
resolution to adjourn to Monday was lost. The
apporonment bill was taken up for short
| time when the senate went into executive SEES.
| sion and soon after adjourned.
HOUSE.
The house in the morning hour further con-
| sidered the bill granting proceeds of sale of
| lands for school purposes.
Mr. IlOar addressed the house in favor of the
| bill, arguing that to educate was the best and
surest way to develop the ndustes of the coun-
| try AMI he proceeded TO show the advantages of
| general education.
Mr. Hoar continued at some length, giving
statistics from the census, showing iliteracv i'm
| certain states, and, in response to a statement
made last session by Mr.. McNeelly, that the
| percentage of illiteracy in Mas ,achusetts was
| on an increase, said the census showed that
| such a thing as illiteracy among the native horn
| children OF Massachusetts, is unknown. He ure-
| ed gentlemen from states which are shown by
| the census to be Unfortunate in ilteracy to look
the facts in the face and join in an attempt to
remedy the evil.
Mr. Burchard supported the bill
Pending further discussion the morning hour
expired.
Mr. Poland reported. from the joint commit
| tee on southern Outrages. The report recom- |
| mends the adoption of Il resolution and shows |
| the information on which he acted in EXERCISING
in South Carolina, the powers conferred upon |
| him in the kuklux act, with names of persons |
arrested and imprisoned, with all the particu- |
lars; also such other information as will convey |
correct IDEA OF the state of society and the Sc
curty of life and property in that state and in |
North Carolina, particularly as to the 'Iowry |
gang" in Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas and |
Louisiana, including the recent legislative CON |
1ict there.
Mr.. Beck offered a substitute, combining the
information asked to South Carolina, inasmuch |
as that was the only state where martial law ex- |
listed, as it would require months TO give all the
Information required in the original resolution.
He alluded to the fact that many persons who
had been arrested in South Carolina had been
discharged by the army officers arrestine them.
on payment of money; in fact, they had been
blackmailed, and he referred, as authority. to n
letter in the New York Herald of the 18th of
November, giving the names of officers. and
challenging a denial.
Mr. Stevenson opposed Mr.. Beck's substitute
because il contained statement NOT trne name |
ly; That the president declared martial law in
South Carolina; martial law suspended civil
|
trials in Columbia, S. g., would not have been
held, where two of the abest lawyers in the
land were paid largely to defend The kuklux
wretches, and actually left the court room in
shame. For his own part, he had no objection
to seeing hundreds or thousands OF these ku.
kluX wretches tried by drum head court mar
tial and swinging to the highest trees.
Mr.. Van Trump questioned the statement as
to the counsel for kuklux prisoners having been
driven out of the court by shame at the develop.
ments made.
Mr.. Stevenson replied that one of them, Mr.
Stanbery Of Ohio, left the court house while one
of his clients was on trial, because he was
sickened Dy the facts developed; and the other,
Reyerdy Johnson, left Columbia while the cases
were still on.
Mr.. Van Trump said Mr. Stanbery left only
when his duty, that of arguing law points, was
performed.
Mr.. Maynard asked Mr.. Van Trump IL he
said that MIR. Stanbery was not ashamed Of the
developments.
MIR. Van Trump did not know anything
about that, but he knew he had not deserted his
clients.
Mr., Stevenson would undertake TO soy that