The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-01-22
THE AMNESTY DEBATE.
pceches Of Hons. James G. Blaine. OF Maine, and
d. II. Hill, Of Georgia, in the House Of Repre- en-
tatiyes, January 10th and nth, 1876
spEEcH Of bal. pLAISr.

Nv and desire TO address the House on the sub.
sad net TThe House was soon restored to order
md was prepared 10 give close attention to
M Blaine, who continued ! II ! can induce
~ he House to reconsider the vote whereby the
~ bill was rejected, Il is my intention to offer
wv IN amendment. Every time that the ques.
't5 ION of amnesty has been brought before the
oa Nouse by gentlemen of the other side for the
iAst two Congresses it has been done with
"a. eertain flourish Of magnanimity which is an
hn imputation on this side Of the House. as though
II IL the Republican party, which has been in charge
~ of the Government for the last twelve or four.
III teen years, had been bigoted, narrow, illiber-
~ al. and as though certain few worthy and de-
~ serving gentlemen in the Southern States we're
sG ground down under great tyranny and oppres.
sion, which the hard -hcartedness Of this side
aSS ofthe House could not possibly be prevailed
In, upon to 'a rnf4
desire now to place on record just what
the Republican party has done in this matter.
III wish to place it there as On imperishable
1TS, record of lberality and large-mindedness
Sss lSs and magnanimity and mercy, such rs has not
been shown in the world s history by conquer
sGs OTIS TO the conquered. The gentleman from
s5s fennsylvania Mr.. RabdaiD and myself en-
Tered this Congress in the midst of the hot
anmes of war, when the Union was rocking to
ia ss its foundations and no man knew whether we
,an we're to have country or not. He would be
snrprised when he and were officers IN the
" Thirty eighth Congress 1t he could then have
CON ioreseen that before our mutual service ended
Wv be should have seen sixty gentlemen then
in arms againstthe United States Government
nah admitted to equal privileges with ourselves IN
nsi Ibis House, and all by the grace and magma
en@ nimity OF the Republican party When the
18th, var ended, according to the universal law of
- var, the party in the possession Of the Gov
trnment, or the Government itself, which was
d TO- Controlled by the party, had the right to de-
% %TSa termne what should be the stntus of these
iisspd ispd people. Did we naugurate any measures of
sdG Persecution? Did we set off on a career of
'sd bloodshed aud vengeance? Did we take
htr property? Did we prohibit to any all
e,ty bis civil rights? Did we take from him. the
eff light which he enjoys to-day to vote2 Not
Dig " all; but instead of general aud sweeping
and Condemnation the Republican party placed in |
Die Fourteenth Amendment only this exclu.
No non. After considering the whole subject it
snded in coming down to this: m
pom "Ihat no person shall be a Senator or Re-
s@ Preventative in Congress, or Elector of Pres.
ia dent or Vice President, or hold any office,
Es 5sm civil or military under the United States, or
800 pnder any State, who having previously taken
sci sa. bath a member Of Congress- officer
b the United States, or as member of any
and State Legislature an executive or judi |
NJ, bal officer of any State to support the Con-
sttution of the United States, shall have en-. |
post gagged in insurrecton rebellion against the
-. same or given aid or comfort to the enemies
l in. 3hereof. But Congress may by a vote Of two |
Thirds of each House remove such dsabili- |
ica fies.n
- Now, never have been able to determine |
- from statistical examination exactly how
o nany men in the South that exception affect |
3D. It has been variousy estimated that at
be time of its original insertion in the Con- |
stution it included somewhere from fifty to
thirty thousand persons, but as near as can |
I'D rather from the facts in the case, it included
about eighteen thousand men in the South |
Ind il let 20 free every man OF the hundreds |
wen of thousands or Of the millions il you please
'on aho had been engaged in the attempt TO de. |
anu sroy the Government, and only held those
onder disability who, in addition to general
the xevolt, had violated special and peculiar and
and personal oath to support the Constitution of
bSs be United States. That disability was hard |
|, Of II fixed on the South until we began in this |
gin hall and in the Senate chamber when we had |
nnore than two.thirds Republican in both !
hranches) to remove IT, and the very first bill |
rces box the disability of from 1878 citizens of
laily be South The next bill took 1t of from
and 6,52s gentlemen by Wholesale p (, l.'i'f
lt em. Many of the gentlemen on this floor have |
for tome from the grace and amnesty in these
this itFo bills. After these bills, specifying ind |
m Of 4iduals, had passed through, small bills, |
lae. uhich will not further refer to- we're passed
,sm il 1872 the Congress Of the United States, by
he vote of two thirds Of both branches (still |
.ddi being two-thrds Republcan,) passed this |
elYi General law: "That all political disabilities |
,has imposed under the third section Of the Four
nd teenth Amendment of the Constitution Of the |
United States are hereby removed from all |
% persons whomsoever, except Senators and |
ons Representatives in the Thirty sixth and Thir |
,ake ty-seventh Congress, officers Of the judicial |
in military and naval service of the United States |
'o1, ON heads of departments and foreign Ministers
'"' 81 the United States Since that act passed
the very considerable number Of gentlemen in |
far. eluded in ii have been specially by name re-
., lieved from disability, but believe in no one
'aiv ~ fnfs- o-.l