Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-01-26
GENERAL AMNESTY.
Speech of James g. Blaine upon the
Subject.
He Would Grant Amnesty to all Ex-
cept JEFF. Davis.
Reply of Benjamin e. Hill, of Georgia
The Reason for this Exception not Davis Urea.
son, but His Unparalleled Cruelty
to Union Prisoners.
He Finds Andersonvi /, no Worse than Fed.
eral Prisons,

He Finds Andersonvi Il no Worse than Fed
eral Prisons,
The discussion of the amnesty bill in
the House, by Blaine, Garfield, Cox,
Hill and others, causes deeper sensa-
ton than any measure of Congress for
a number of years. Of course each
side has its sympathizers. We cannot
find space to give full report OF the
arguments on both sides, but give a
mere synopsis of each:
The bill introduced hy Randall,
Dem. of Pennsylvania, granting amnes-
ty to all who we're engaged in the re-
bellion, coming up in the House of
Representatives, on Monday, Randall
moved the previous question which was
seconded; and the question being on
the passage of the bill, the vote stood
yeas 175, nays 81, there not being two
thirds in its favor, as required by the
XIV amendment, the bill was lost.
MIR. Blaine, of Maine, then moved to re.
consider the vote, and spoke as follows:
If I can induce the House to recon-
slider the vote whereby the bill was re-
iected, it is my intention to offer my
amendment. Every time that the
question of amnesty has been brought
before the House by gentleman of
the other side. for the last two Con.
crosses. it has been done with certain
flourish OF magnanimity, which is an
imputation on this side of the House,
as though the Republican party, which
has been in charge of the Government
for the last twelve or fourteen years,
had been bigoted, narrow, illiberal, and
as though certain few worthy and de-
serving gentlemen in the Southern
States were ground down under great
tyranny and oppression, which the
hard-heartedness of the House could
not possibly be prevailed upon to re-
move.
Mr.. Blaine then proceeded to give a
history of the various measures adopted
by Congress, removing political disabil-
titles, and the number of persons in the
south whom they affected
I very frankly say that in regard to
all these, know of no reason why
amnesty should not be granted to them,
as it has been to many of the same
class. [ am not here to argue against
it, since amnesty has already become SO
general, and I am not going back to
argue that question. / am in favor of
giving it to them, but in the absence of
that respectful form of petition which,
since the 9th of May, 1872, has become
sort of com mon law, as preliminary
to amnesty, simply wish to put it in
to the law that the persons shall go be-
fore United States court, and, in open
court, with uplifted hand, swear that
they mean to conduct themselves as
good citizens of the United States: that
is all. Gentlemen say that this is fool
ish exclusion. Well, yes, it is. But
somehow or other [ am prejudiced in
favor of it. dc not want to impose
citizenship on these gentlemen. If
am correctly informed there are some
gentlemen on this list who have spoken
contemptuously of the idea of their
taking citizenship under she United
States, and have spoken with
great harshness about their associates
in the south, who have done SO. Iun-
derstand Mr.. Robert Toombs has made
a special boast at watering places in
this country and in Europe, that he
would not ask the United States for
citizenship. Very well. We can stand
hat quite as we'll as Robert Toombs.
Laughter If Mr.. Robert Toombs is
not prepared to come into the United
States court and swear that he means to
be agood citizen, let him stay out. I
don't think that Congress oughtto raise
itself or to resolve itself into q Joint
convention, and to embrace Mr.. Robert
Toombs gashingly, and beg him to
honor and favor us by coming back,
and taking the highest form of citizen
ship. My substitute requires that every
one of these gentlemen shall show bis
good faith, by taking the oath which all
of us take, and are glad to take. That
is very small exaction to make, is q
preliminary to a full restoration to all
the rights of citizenship.
In my amendment I have excepted
Jefferson Davis from it's operation,
Now I do not place that exception or
the ground that JEFF Davis. as he is com
monty called, was the head ard front oil
the rebellion, because on that ground
I do not think the exception would be
tenable. Mr.. Davis was Just as guilty
no more so, no less SO, than thousands
ofothers.who will get the benefit of grace
and amnesty. Probably he was far lesl
efficient as an enemy of the United
States. Probably he was far more use
tul as disturber of the councils of thu
Jonfederacy. It is not because of any
particular or special damage which he
,bove others, did to the United States
.r because he is particularly of sny
special consequence, that / excepted
lim, but except him on this ground
hat be is the author, knowingly, delib
srately, guiltily, willfully, Of gigantic
murder and crime at Andersonville.
A member, sAnd Libby"l
Libby paies in insignifcance al
compared with Andersonville. I place
it on that ground, and I believe thai
so rapidly does one event follow
on the heels of another, in the rapiG
age in which we live, that ever
those of us who were contemporaries