Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-02-07
q. :. SENATE.
Senator's Schurz and Ayc on the
Amnesty BILL.

Senators Schurz and Ayc on the
Amnesty Rill..
On the amnesty bill Senator Sauls-
bur. made q speech in its nvor. He
! .aid that he would prefer the amnest,
Dili without exceptions, but ~ this
was impossible at present, he would
! 1--WE the present bill II hearty support.
trusting To the generosity Of the
american people for the removal q,
III disabilities in time. He felt thai
he restoration Of the Democratic
protect the rights of citizens, develop
the resources of the country. alG
protect the people from the evil
brought upon the country 10y Rrpuh-
iicam rule. He charged tie R"pubii-
r,n party with having inflicted on
ia" country an irrrirrinabl- AMI
deprecated paper currency. II rninr'i
commerce. dcrcriuratcd navy. and
many other evils. and in conclusion
denounced summers civil right.
amendment rs an attempt to dr%rad"
the Wilt" men to the level Of an
inferior r.,rr.
Mr.. Sriiurz followed with an ciabo-
rate speech in favor OF universal
Linur-tv. lie SAID he had vt first
:utrulr,l to vote for the house bill
wit!i"ut amendment. rNprctim" that
IL would lr promptly passed. but the
bill having been amended in one
particular. il must now x" back to
The house. aud therefore there wal.
II" longer any reason for rriraininH
from an attempt to- make ii apply tO
all classes lahoring under political
disabilities ai the South. The srmator
from Snlth Carolina ~(It"brrts"m) had
given notice that lr would move to
strik" out the exception from the
nill. and, bat for this, he (SrhurZ)
would make that motion. believing
that reason, which make it desirable
thai there should be amnesty granted
~ ali. lninr /, desirable thai amnesty
-huuii he universal. The wirkrdnr,s
aiId terrible consequence, of rebellion
had been a,ldur"d by Mr.. Morton and
Others. ~ reason against amnesty;
but if the rebellion bad been >lill
NOR. Wickri. and its consequences
>EIll more terrible. he (Sc!u.z could
not permit himself To forget that IN
dealing with THIS question congress
had t" deal not with the past, but
with tn" present and future interests
OF the S"ulhan OF the whole country.
10" ever senators might differ as TO
%iiirtiIS, lie assumed that they were
agreed As TO the supreme cuu and
aim they should have in view TO Sc
cure 10 ali states the blessings Of good
and Tree government, and the highest
degree OF prosperity and well being
they can retain, and revive in all
citizens oi the rrpublic that love for
The hatiuI and its institutions, and
that inspiring consciousness OF COM
mon nationality which should bind
all Americans together. This being
the end, no one wUuld say that il had
been attained or even that the policy
pursued hitherto had tended to its
attainment. some OF the Southern
states governed 10y Il combination OF
ra-cality and ignorance. were i'll Il
condition bordering on anarchy rs
the result, To sounc extent at least, OF
that uuwi>r policy. The first step ut
the close OF the war WAS uecccs>arilv
to secure the freedom aud rights of
cInancipated blacks, but the next
step >I'on!d have been to secure
guaran; rs for good and h"ucst
"~nvrrnne.t at the South.
He would he the last to cast a siur
upon the cnlored people in the South.
Their moderation and general good
conduct WAS ~mncNamplcd in history.
! but it was not reasonable to expect
j.. that just after emerging from slavery
they should step into the political
arena. armed with the intelligence
aud experience necessary for mana"c-
inrnt of public affairs. When iyn"r-
'anc" and incNpcricnrc were admitted
to 30 larg' an influence, they ought
To have been regulated by the adj
mission MISUNDERSTANDING elements.
Experience has sllowntha the system
Of disabilities did not serve in any
f.wlv or measure TO project anyhudy
in his rights of life. liberty or proper
!tv, and therefore it was the duiv of
congress to acknowledges the mistake,
: and place men OF character and ability
at the South in - position where they
could again take part in the manage
mcnt Of affairs. II" had heard it said
that many of the late rebels did no,
deserve amnesty. Perhaps not. but
was not the welfare Of the cnuntry OF
far more important consideration
\ senator had asked whether dcfuuI.
tiers should be punished and traitors
allowed to 90 free: whether rmbczzle,
Incnt was Il greater Grim" tliIi
treason: That was no tn" question
The question WAS whether genera
amnesty to the rebels was not more
demanded by public good than III,
general pardon of thieves. 4 hr"a,
: distinction was always drawn be
T. tween violations of law in wllcl