Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-31
CONGRESSIONAL.
Continued Debate on Amnesty
Elaborate Speech of Carl Schurz.
SENATE

WASHINGTON, Jan. 90.-On motion OF
Cole the House bill appropriating $4,000
; for the expenses Of the Japanese Embassy
passed.
Bills were introduced by Mr.. Stevenson
for the improvement of the falls of the Ohio
river and the Louisville canal.
To Investigate Grant.
Mr.. Davis gave notice that he would call
up on Friday his resolution. relative to Ex-
ecutive dereliction.
Ante-WaF Claims.
On motion Mr.. Kellogg's resolution was
adopted directing the Postmaster General to
send the names of the Louisiana claimants
for mail service prior to 1861, also calling
on the Secretary of War for information in
regard to the distractions of Red river.
On motion of Mr.. Pomeroy the bill set
ting aside tract of land at the head waters
of the Yellow Stone for a public park
passed.
Fifty Years Ago.
Mr.. Cameron said that at an early day he
would call up bill for the payment of the
French spoliation claims.
Bridging the Mississippi. TEo
On motion of Mr.. Shurz the House bill
to authorize the construction of a railroad
bridge over the Mississippi psssed with two
amendments, one requiring that the draw
over the main channel shall not be less than
one hundred and sixty feet high, and the
other prohibiting the St. Joseph Bridge
Building Company from assigning the charter
they now hold by assignment from the st.
Joseph and Denver City Railroad Company
or constructing any other bridge than the
one now being built at st. Joseph.
Amnesty.
The amnesty bill came up.
Senator Salisbury made speech in its
favor. He said he would prefer an amnesty
bill without exceptions, but as this was i'm
possible at present, he would give the pres
ent bill his hearty support, trusting to the
generosity Of the American people for the
removal of all disabilities in time. He felt
that the restoration of the Democratic par
ty to power was necessary to protect the
| rights of citizens, to develop the resources
Of the country, and to protect the people
from the evils brought on the country by
| Republican party rule. He charged the Re
publican party with having inflicted upon
the country an irredeemable and deprecated
currency, ruined commerce, a deteriorated
navy, and many other evils, and in conclu-
|
| amendment as an attempt to degrade the
white men to the level of an inferior race.
Carl Schurz.
Mr.. Schurz followed with an elaborate
| speech in favor Of universal amnesty. He
| said he had at first intended to vote for the
| House bill without amendment, expect
ing it would be promptly passed, but the
bill having been amended in one particular
it must now 60 back to the House, and
therefore there was no longer any reason
for refrainiHg from an attempt to make it
apply to all classes laboring under political
disabilities at the South. The Senator
from South Carolina (Roberts) had given
notice that he should move to strike out the
exceptions from the bill, and but for this he
(SChurz) would make that motion, believing |
that the reasons which make it desirable |
that there should be an amnesty granted at |
all, makes it desirable that the amnesty |
should be universal.
The wickedness and terrible conse-
quenCes of the rebellion had been adduced !
by Mr.. Morton and others as a reason |
against amnesty, but if the rebellion had |
been still more wicked and It's consequences |
still more terrible, he (Schurz) could not |
permit himself to forget that in dealing with |
the past but with the present and future in |
terests of the South and of the whole |
country.
However Senators might differ as to the
means, he assumed that they were agreed |
as to the supreme end and aim they should |
have in view-tO secure to all the States the
blessings of good and free government and
the highest degree of prosperity and well
haiOU tbav paD attain nd rayiN-a in oil /
zens of the republic that love for the ma
ton and its institutions and that inspiring
consciousness of a common nationality
which should bind all Americans together.
This being the end, no one would say that
it had been attained or even that the policy
pursued hitherto had tended to attainment.
Some of the Southern States were governed
by combinations of rascality and ignorance,
and were in a condition bordering on an
archy. as the result, to some extent at least,
Of that unwise policy.
The first step at the close of the war was
necessary to secure the freedom and rights
Of the emanCipated blacks, but the next
step should have been to secure guarantees
for good and honest government at the
South. He would be the last to cast Odium
on the colored people in the South. Their
moderation and general good conduct was
unexampled in history, but it was not rea-
sonable to expect that just after emerging
from slavery they should step into the po-
litical arena armed with the intelli-
gence and experience necessary
for the management Of public affairs.
When ignorance and ineXperience were ad-
mitted to so large an influence, they ought
to have been regulated by the admission of
cOunterbalancing elements. Experience
had shown that the system Of disabilities
did not serve in any way or measure to pro-
tect any body in his rights of liberty or
property, and therefore, it is the duty of
Congress to acknowledge its mistake and
place men of character and ability at the
South in position where they could again
take part in the management of affairs.
He had heard it said that many of the
late Rebels did not deserve amnesty. Per-
haps not, but was not the welfare of the
country of far more important considera-
ton? A Senator had asked whether de-
faulters should be punished and traitors al
lowed to go free; whether embezzlement
was a greater crime than treason. That
was not the question. The question was,
whether general amnesty to Rebels was not
more demanded by public good, than gen.
eral pardon of thieves? A broad distinction
was always drawn between violations of
law in which political opinion was con-
trolling element, and crimes implying moral
deprayity.
There were men now sitting in the Ger
man Parliament who few years ago were
fugitives from justice. They had been ad-
mitted, too, without being asked to abjure
their former opinions and most of them
now belonged to the Liberal opposition.
The Count Androssy, condemned to death
in lS49, was now at the head of the Aus
trian ministry and it was now known that
the liberal amnesty granted to him had
done much to attach Hungary 10 the Impe-
rial crown.
Again it was argued that certain men
should be excepted from amnesty because
they had been educated by the United
States government and deserted its service;
bat the rule had been violated by the ap-
pointment to office of one of the most con-
spicuous of that class, Gen. LOngstrset.
In the discussion of this question in the
Senate, so much had been heard about the
wickedness of rebellion as a reason against
amnesty that the question was suggested
tlat or.c-11T,1 urSnd thp VUbOla |