The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-01-25

snnron or HON. JA1risa a.
BLAINE IN TIE HOCoE.
In Reply tn Randalfs Resoln-
tion to Remove Political {
Disabilities from Jefr Da-
Wis and other Democrats. n

ton 20 Remove Political
Disabilities from Jcfr Da-
Wis and other Democrats. o..
IL can induce the House to recon
sider the vote whereby the bill was re-
jectsd il 10 my intention 10 offer my
amendment Every time that . ques-
tion has been brought before the House
by q gentleman Of either side for the
last two Congresses, il has been done
with q certain flourish Of magnanimity
which is an imputatiou on this side Of
| the House, as though the Republican
Government for the last IL or IA years,
had been bigoted, narrow, illiberal,
and N though certain few worthy and
deserving gentlemen in the Southern
States we're ground down under the
great tyranny and oppression which
the hard -heartedness OF the House
could not possibly be prevailed upon
to remove. desire now TO place ON
record just what tho Republican party
has done in this matter. want to
place 10 there as an imperishablc record
Of . liberality and large-mindedness
and msgnamity and marcy such as has
not been shown in the vorld's ,history
by conqusrors TO the conquered. vi
The gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Randall, and myself entered this
Congress in the midst Of hot flames OF
war, when the Union was rocking TO its
foundation and no man knew whether
We were Q country or not. He would
have bssn surprised whom he and I
were officers Of the Thirty-eighth Con-
grsss IL he could then have foreseen
that before our mutual service ended
he should have seen 81 gentlemen then
in arms against the United States Gov
eminent admitted 10 equal privileges
with ourselves in this House, and all
by the grace and magnanimity OF the
Republican patty. When the war end.
ed, according to the universal law OF
war, the party in possession Of the
Government itself, which was control
ed by the party, had the right to deter.
mine what should be the status Of these
people. Did We inaugurate any meas
ure OF bloodshed and yengenos' Did
we take property? Did We prohibit
any man all his civil rights? Did we
take from him the right which he en-
instead of general and sweeping con-
demnation, the Republican party plac-
ed in the Fourteenth Amendment on
ly this exclusion. After considering
the whole subject ID ended in coming
down to this. that mo person shall be
Senator, or Representative In Con-
gress, or elector OF the President or
Vice President, or hold any Office, civil
or military, under the United States or
under any State, who, having pre- sious-
ly taken oath rs a member OF Congress
or an officer of the United States, or as
q member of any State Legislature, or
as an executive or judicial officer OF
any State to support the Constitution
of the United States, shall have sngag-
ed in insurrection or rebellion against
the same, or gave aid or comfort to the
enemies thereof; but Congress may,
by two-thirds vote Of each House, re-
move such disabilities.
Now, / never have been able to deter
mine from any statistical examination
exactly how many mon in the South
this exception effected. 1t has been
yariourly estimated that ut the time OF
its original insertion in the Constitu-
ton il concluded somewhere from TO-
600 TO 80, 900 persons; but as near ~
can gather from the facts in the case IL
included about Is, 900 men in the South
and il let go free every man OF the hum
dreds of thousands, or OF millions, IL
YOU please, who had been engaged in
the attempt 10 destroy the government,
and only held those under disability
who, in addition to general revolt, had
violated n special and peculiar and per-
sonsl oath to support the Constitution
Of the United States. That disability
was hardly fixed on the South until We
began in this hall and Senate Chamber
when we had more than two-thirds Re-
publicans in both branches, to remove
IL. and the very first bill took the disa.
bility of from ! ,57S citizens of the
South. The next bill took il of from
3. .526 gentlemen by Wholesale. Many
OF those who are on this floor have como
| from the grace and amnesty in these
two bills. After these bills specifying
| individ uals had passed through, small
bills, which / will not further refer TO,
we're passed.
In 1872 the Congress Of the United
States, by q vote OF two-thirds OF both
branches (still being two-thirds Repub-
| lican), passed this general Law: That
| ali political disabilities imposed under
the third section Of the Fourteenth
\ Amendment Of the Constitution OF the
United States are hereby removed from
all persons whomsosver except Sen
ators and Representatives OF the Thir-
ty-siKth and Thirty-seventh Congress,
officers Of the Judicial, military and
naval service OF the United States,
heads OF departments and foreign Min
isters OF the United States. Since
that act passed 4 very considerable
number Of gentlemen included in il
have been specially by name relieved
from disability; but believe in no one
single instance since the act OF May "a,
1872. have the liabilities been taken
from any man unless on his respectful
petition to Congress that they should
be removed, and believe that in no
one instance, except, one, was such
petition refused. believe that in no
instance, except one, has there been any
difficulty by unanimous vote even TO
pass such bills. Now, find an equal
" erroneous varying Of judgment in
reference to the number still under dis
abilities in the South. have had oc.
casion by conferences with the Depart
menis OF the Navy and War, aud by
reference to some other records, TO be
able TO state to the House with more
accuracy than has been already stated,
Just the number Of gentlemen who are
still under disabilities. Those who
were officers Of the United States army
educated at the expense OF the Govern
ment at West Point, and who joined
the Rebellion, and are still under dis
abilities, arc estimated nj the War De
partment 90 325; the number OF suct
persons In the navy are 295, and those
coming under the heads, members o.
the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventf
Congresses, judges, heads OF depart
ments and foreign Ministers. I am no
able TO give exactly, but the Who'll
number OF persons now under disabilit,
in the South is about 750.
very frankly say that in regard I,
all these know of no reason Why am
nesty should not be granted 10 Them
- IL has been TO manv Of the sam
: class. am not here 10 argue agains
! il, since amnesty has already becom'
90 general, and i am going back 10 ar
que that question. am in favor o
, giving them; but in the absence OF tha
|. respectful form Of petition, which sinc
the 27th OF May, 1872, has become
sort of common law asa preliminsr
10 amnesty, simply wish to put int
: the law that the person shall go befor
IT,.t.I Gf.t.. oo..rs .,I a.. <.x..