The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-01-21
THE AMNESTY DISCUSSION.

Nhen the Coniederates under Lee lalu
down their arms on the banks of the Appo-
mattox in 1865 two armies fraternized, and
all hate and bitterness vanished. Officers
and men were sent to their respective homes
under pledge that they should not be moles-
ted so long as they obeyed the laws of the
land. When Butler insisted on trying Lee
for treason, Grant, The soldier, replied that
he rs general of our armies had given the
parole and that no confederate soldiers
should be tried. Had Lincoln lived, com
plete amnesty would have followed Mt once
but his assassination reused q bitter feeling
in the North and designing politicians have
endcavored to keep it alive ever since The
South was rich harvest for Northern
carpet-baggers, and the people were more
plundered by them than by hostile armies
The Democrats proposed to celebrate our
Centennial year by complete amnesty fol
political offence, and show our foreign Wis
itors that not only is our Union completely
restored, but that in heart and feeling We
are one people. We wanted an era of peace
instead Of hate.
But the Republicans say no. They hon
or Longstreet, and Mosby, but single out
jeff. Davis-now broken down aud almost
forgotten man who was no worse than his
associates. Blaine, with an eye on the Pres
idency, again attempts to fire the northern
heart by tales of Andersonville, and Morton
in the Senate franticaly waves the "bloody
shirt" On this subject we make an extract
from the Ledger, edited by Mr.. Childs
Grants warmest friend, who cannot be &C.
cused of disloyalty
The tactical and oratorical contest begun
on Monday and still waging, or raging in
the national House of Representatives, is
very like some of the fierce but useless bat
ties fought during the recent war. The
skirmishing has been brilliant, with fine
display of Individual skill and prowess by
the leaders on both sides, but with much
| damage and no result that can be claimed as
a material advantage to either. The assaults
of both parties have been hot and in-csive,
but not decisive of anything. Only one
thing thus far is certain: there is damage
done all around, and we feel morally sure
that all parties to the contest must wish
that no such battle was begun at all. 1t
was blunder to begin it, and it is blunder
| to continue. The leaders all seem to have
lost their heads by giving way to the tempt
alton to make points" in party tactics.
A survey ofthe field shows that nearly
the whole House is in favor of general
amnesty bill. A minority of the House de-
sire to make an exception of Jefferson Davis
and to have an oath of allegiance taken by
each of the pardoned offenders The desire
to exclude Davis is not acceptable to the
majority, and here the trouble begins. This
was the first blunder, for Davis is now too
inconsiderable parsonage to have quar-
| rel about. His exclusion is of no account
whatever, except that it gives him an impor-
tance among the people of the South that he
is pot likely to enjoy under other circum-
stances, Davis might have been overlooked
by Mr.. Blaine and his support without
blame to them. The amendment may have
to be voted on after all, and, meanwhile, the
precise thing has happened thai nobody wan
ted to occur-the waters OF sectional feeling
have been disturbed over the whole surface,
and the House has drifted away, without
rudder or compass, upon a stormy sea of
debate. This need not have happened
should not have been permitted to happen.
The subject and object of Mr.. Blaine's Davis
amendment was not worth it on the one
side, and thefe was nothing in it to warrant
the refusal of a vote upon it on the other,
even as matter of policy or tactics.