Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-01-26
JEFF Davis or Nothing.


It has been given out several times
during the progress Of the debate up.
on the Amnesty bill, that unless all
the old friends of the Confederacy are
restored to their political. rights by
Congress the sixty -ex- Brigadiers on
the floor of the House, aided by their.
Northern apologists for Andersonville,
will refuse to pass the bill appropriat-
ing 81, ,50c,0o0 to the Centennial Ex-
position. This has not been threat
ened openly in Congress, but it has
been reiterated b. the newspaper cor
respondents at Washington so fre-
quently as to leave but little doubt
that an understanding of this sort ex :
lists on the Confederate side of the
House
1t has come to pretty pass, if the
people Of the, United States must get
down before these spared monuments s
OF the Lost Cause, and asked hem to
be coed enough to name the cn
ditions upon which they will allow
measure of legislation to go throus
Congress. Better perish the Expo
sition than that this humiliation be
put upon the Nation! There is to-day
no person in the entire South whose
disabilities would not be removed by
Congress upon petition. We doubt
whether there would be hesitation
were the contumacious Toombs or
JEFF Davis himself to ask, as others
have done. for restoration to their
politich rights and privileges.
Considering what they have done,
to what cost Of life and property they
put the people to preserve the Union
they sought to destroy, it would be
no hardship were they to remain ex
cepted from general amnesty until
they come forward and solicit the
action of Congress in their behalf.
But this does not suit the Confede-
rate side of the House. They must be
amnestied Internationally. Congress
must by its action imply that they
were guilty of no political offense in
levying war upon the United States
The Confederate cause must be made
as respectable as the Union cause, and
unless this is done, the appropriation
for the Centennial is to be defeated.
The privilege of legislation for a
National Exposition must be purchased
and the terms are named. But sup.
pose Congress craven, enough to ac-
cept them, will they stop there?
When some other object of National
importance is to be voted on, what
price must be paid before the consent
of the Confederate ex-Brigadiers can
be had? They are the rebel soldiers;
are they not to be put upon the pen
sion list? If the Confederate cause is
TO be rendered respectable, and put up
on an equal footing with that of the
Union, why shonld not those who
served under Grant and Sherman?
[ will be for the Confederate Brig
aulCtS w ludhC suGW lCl tUS.5 / uCy Can
rely upon the support Of the Coxes
and Randalis of the House. Will
they say to the Republicans. Unless
you consent to pension tour" soldiers
and they are very fond of taking
about ''our armies and "your armies
1--WE will defeat the measure for the
passage Of which you solicit our votes?
We have not observed that modesty to
the excess of weakness has distinguish.
ed the public conduct Of these ex-of-
fcers Of the rebellion, and it would not
be surprising If they tried to block
/ Legislation to the conduct Of these ex-
officers OF the rebellion; and it would
not be surprising if they tried to block
legislation till the conditions upon
which it is to be had are complied
with. Il We. begin by granting full
amnesty upon demand as the price
named for an appropriation for the
Centennial, at what point will
there be an end to conditions.