The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-01-28
THE AMNESTY BILL.
LIfr@ets from the speeches OF msssrs.
Con and HAL I'm sbs House Ina seaport
OF tbs Annssty IBiiI.

menced by saving that the gentleman from
Maine, who, by some dispeusation OF Proyi-
/ dence orof the people, was no longer speak
I er ~ the House had seen proper, In this
Centennial year, 10 tear away the plaster-
/ from the green and bleeding wounds Of the
\ late ciNilwar. and had seen propert To attempt
70 justify this conduct in the light Of history
, He Cox yentured 10 LAY there was no pre-.
cederf ~ history. and no canon in political
philosophy. which the party now In the
minority on this floor had not outraged by
the rejection 81 clenency and by it, persist
ence in making rcpTi-al- in time Of peace.
The gentleman from Maine had begun by
reference 10 the Duke Of Ava, and there
was no doubt that that gentleman and his
party had been. since the war al least quite
familiar with that history. The history Of
the Netherlands under the Duke Of Alva
was the history Of Radicali~m, spoliaiion.
murder, death, and tyranny in the south
since l-'0. Dersivc laughter on the Re-
publican side 81 the House. and applause
onthe Democratic side lie would refer
the gentleman 10 precedent 1000 years
old, and would say that all history was
nlled with such precedeni-. 10 the effect
that nations should not erect monuments 10
vengeance: that nations should not erect
monuments except 10 foreign cOnauests,
never monuments 10 domestic calamity. IL
had been reserved for the gentleman from
Maine 90 ly ia the face ~ all history. pagan
history. Christian history. and Christian
doctrine. and % issue in the year of grace
aud Jubilee his anathema maranatha against
the South. For such he had purpose
spoken with irOncal emphasis. which pur
pose would appear A. he proceeded. He
(tDN) took issue with the gentleman from
Maine when he said that the Republican
party had been clement and amncstical. II
was not true. II had not been true during
the War IL had not been true since the
War, and il was not true to-day. when
ever that party had proposed any element
policy II had been sure 10 spoil IL 10y some
small pedding operation. Laughter. He
COX mad had the honor TO be member OF
this House AZ the beginning of the War. aud
he also had the honor 10 bring fOrW ard the
first measure for the exchange ~ prisoners.
He asked whether the record Of the Federal
Administration was all right in the matter
OF exchange. He had IL on the authority Of
some sixty gentlemen present, who had been
in the Confederate Army, that no order had
been ISSUED at any time Ia the South with
reference 10 prisoners Of war, a. 10 raiiOus
or clothing, which did not apply equally 20
Confederate seceders- Ex-pxrte sfiidsyits,
taken 10y that humbug Committee on the
Conduct o. the War, could not contr0yert
the facts Of history. These facts were TO be
determined on q fair issue a. far a. the Con-
federate Government was concerned The
orders Of that Government, " hsteyer might
be the lad conduct Of certain officers under
IL. had been couched in aspirit OF fairness
aud humanity. He spoke sneeringly in
reference 20 the remark ~ Blaine that SOUTH
ern gentlemen were now members 81 the
House through the grace Of the Republican
party. and he said: Down ON Your knees,
gentlemen ~ the south. before His Majesty
~ MsineW Loud laughter on the Demo-
cratic side He (CoN) had l.bored i'm this
House 20 mitigate the seventies o. the Civil
War. The Democrats then OH the floor Lad
been powerlcs~ Oayert most Of the c.tlami-
ties. bat they had tried 20 mitigate its
verify. They had spoken against all those
measures which had destroyed industry
and prosperity. which had burned
Libraries, poisoned wells and done
any thing but make war the duello between
fighting men i'm the field. Until Mr.. Lin
coins proclamation Of amnesty. the same
spirit prevailed which provoked retaliation
and perpetuafed the war. When the am
nesty u Mr.. Lincoln wa proclaimed il was
proclaimed In a spirit. oh, how different
from that u the gentleman from Maine to-
day. lie had no doubt the spirit of Mr..
Lincoln looked down in sadness, on the gem
tlernsn when he made his speech to-day.
Mr.. Lincoln's sentiment had been ''Malice
toward none, charity towards all. y Jefier-
son Day J. included. With him there had been
no pti0ns. no restrictions. no odioIs test
oaths. The gentleman from Maine could not
haye'becn raised In Christian Church, or
in any church in which is taught the doe
trine of Him who spoke as never man spske.
lie (CON) could not tell, and the nation did
not know. the church the gentleman was
raised i'm laughter, but one thing he did
know, that II that gentleman had read the
sermon on the Mount Alright he never would
have made the red and stormy speech he
made to-day.
Mr.. Cox then proceeded to give the history
of the various attempts at amnesty, in the
course ofwhich Mr.. Blaine inquired OF him
how the Southern gentlemen W no were MEM
bers % the House had got here.
Mr.. Cox replied that ;hcy got here be-
cause the South wanted honest Representa-
tiyes. and the Republicans down there were
not honest.
Mr.. BIaine--But will the gentleman tell
us how they got amnesty
Mr.. Cox-Thcy got IL from the force Of
popular sentiment, which enabled a few
good men on your side Of the House to Join
with the good IN IN on this side to compel am
nesty. Loud laughter.
Mr.. Cox went on To give the history Of
the amnesty Legislation ia Congress, and re-
fcrrcd to the fact that the colorcd men voted
generally for amnesty. lie characte rized
this By SAYING that the colOred troops
pretty comment upon he white side OF the
House. lie spoke Of Buffers bill for am-
nesiy, having also an exception IN 1.-THE
Rob Roy Mc,ir-gor exception-just H. the
substitute proposed by the gentleman frsm
Maine had Rob Roy Massiregor exception,
in initial ION Of the spirit of the English TO-
wards the Scotch 200 years ago. That bill
81 Buffers, he stated. had curious title.
In was = bill for full Oblivion, full pardon,
Of all things done in the rebellion, but when
the details Of the bill came 10 be looked into
IL was found 10 be a bill Of pardon which was
"A punishment. One section Of the bill had
In II an amnesty 20 the men. Ofhcer~. and
IA. (.ok xeha
had been engaged In reconstruction. What
had they been doing. these swcct-scs nied
agents az rccon~trudions Had they been
~tealingg Had they been tyannizng. Had
they been upturning Legislatures Had
they been running riot over helpless and
conquered pcoples That was the sort Of
amnesty offered 20 the people OF the south