The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-31


velope the resources Of the country and
protect the people from the evils brought
upon the country by Republican rule. lie
charged the Republican party with hav.
Ing inflicted upon the country an ir.
redecmable and deprecated paper cur.
rency, u ruined commerce, deterioralcd
navy and many other evils, and in con.
clusion denounced Mr.. SUMMERS civil
rights amendment US I'm attempt TO de.
grade the white man 10 the level Of an in.
lerior race.
Mr. sCnuRz followed in an elaborate
speech In favor of universal amnesty. He
said he had at first intended 10 vote for
the House bill without the amendment,
expecting thatit would be promptly pass.
ed, but the bill having been amended in
one particular, II must now 20 back to
the House, and therefore there was no
longer any reason for relraining from an
attempt TO make it apply to all classes
laboring under political disabilities at the
South. The Senator from South Carroll.
no, Mr.. IoDERTsoN, had given notice that
he would move to strike out this excep.
ton to the the bill, and but Tor this,
he (ScHuRz) would make that mo.
tion, believing that tho reasons which
make 1t desirable that there should be an
amnesty granted at all. make 1t desirable
that the amnesty should be universal. The
wickedness and terrible consequences Of
rebellion had been abused by MORTON
and Others rs o reason against amnesty,
but II the rebellion had been still more
wicked and its consequences still more
terrible, he (ScnURz) could not permit
himself to forget in dealing with this
question that Congress had 10 deal, not
with the past, but the present and future
interests OF the South and of the whole
country. However Senators might dilIer
as to the means, he assumed that they
whre agreed as to the supreme end and
aim they should have in view, to secure to
oil States the blessings Of good and free
government, and the highest degree of
prosperity and well being they can attain,
and revive in oil citizens oi the Republic
that love for the nation and lis institu.
tions, and that inspiring consciousness of
common nationality which should bind
all Americans together. This being the
end no one would say that II had been at.
taiued or even the policy pursued hitherto
had tendency to its attainment. Some
OF the Southern States are governed by
combination of rascality and ignoronce,
and were in condition bordering on
anarchy as the result 10 some extent at
least OF that unwise policy. The first step
at the close OF the war was necessarily to
secure freedom and the rights OF the
emancipated blacks, but the next step
should have been tosecure guarantees TOR
good and honest government at the
South. lie would be the last To cast a
siur upon the colored people in the South.
Their moderation and general good con.
duct was unexampled in history, but it
was not reasonable to expect that lust
after emerging from slavery they should
step into the political arena armed with
the intelligence and experience necessary
Tor the management Of political affairs,
When ignorance and experience were
admitted to so large an inau.
ence, think they ought to have
been regulated by the admission of coun.
terbalancing results. Experience had
shown that the system Of disabilities did
not serve In any way or measure to pro.
tect anybody in his rights of life, liberty
or property, and, therefore, it was the
duty ot Congress to acknowledge the
mistake, and place men Of character and
ability at the South in position where
they could again take part in the man.
agement of affairs. He had heard II said
that many OF the late rebels did not de.
sire amnesty. Perhaps not; but was not
the welfare Of the country of more
Importance and consideration. AL
Senator had asked whether delaulters
should be punished and traitors
allowed to go free, and whether cmbezzle.
ment was greater crime than treason.
That was notthe question. The question
was whether general amnesty TO the
rebels was not more demanded for the pub.
lie good than the general punishment Of
thieves. A broad distinction was always
drawn between the violations of law, in
which political opinion was controlling
element, and the crimes implying a moral
depravlty. There were men now sitting
in the German Parliament who "a few years
ago were fugitives from justice. They
had been admitted, TOO, without
being asked to adjure their former opin.
ions and most Of them now belonged to
the liberal opposition. The Count An.
drassy, condemned to death in 1S49, was
now at the head OF the Austrian ministry,
and 1t was well known that the liberal
amnesty granted to him had done much
to attach Hungary to tic Imperial Crown.
Again 1t was argued that certain men
should be exempted from amnesty be.
cause they had been educated by the U.
5. Government and had deserted It's ser
vice. But the rule had been violated.
by the appointment to office oil one Of the
most conspicuous Of that class-General
Longstreet. In the discussion oil this
question In the Senate, so much had been
heard about the wickedness of the re.
Delllon, as reason against amnesty, that
the question was suggested whether the
argument comprised the whole political
wisdom and virtue Of those who used 1t,
and whether we were TO keep the South.
ern States In their present condition,
solely for the purpose OF demonstrating
again and again our disapprobation Of
rebellion. The people were fast becom-
ing aware that, great as tho crime oi
rebellion is, there are other villainies
which imperatively demand correction;
they were beginning to look behind these
vocilerous assertions Of austere and ex.
elusive patriotism TO sec what abuses they
are intended to disguise, and to discover
that good and honest government in the
South, as well as all over the country,
would do infinitely more to revive true
loyalty and healthy national spirit than
laws calculated to keep alive the preiu-
dices and resentments of the past.
Mr: NYE replied. He said it had been
easy for MIR. SCHuRz to discover sove-
reign panacea-a sort Of q political cundu.
range which was to cure all the ills oi the
body polite. The Senator (SIr. scuuRz)