St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-01-14
Shall Jefferson Davis be Pardoned ?

The House Of Representatives ut
Washington on Monday suspended all
other business To hear the debate Oh
the Randall and Blaine propositions of
amnesty. the Importance and interest
of which did not diSapp"int the great
expectations that had been excited. Ii
will hc remembered that Randall's prop
o>ition is luI unconditional amnesty to
all cN-rehrlS not before par,lomcd. while
I'lalnc> proposal l. that the oath of
allegiance I" the mitcd States shall Ice
required of those VIII" avail themselves
Of this amnesty. and that jefferson
Davis shall he expressly excepted from
It's provisions.
Mr. Randall ut first rndcaVuIrd Ia
force his bill through without giving
ANY chance for amendment OF debate.
hut for This the democrats could NOT
command the requisite tWo-thirdS vote.
Nh. Blaine. having thus secured Il
chance To speak. addressed the House
upon the grounds ON Nhich he proposed
his qualified amnesty in place ni Ran
daiTS unqualified measure. He began
with Il Vindicatiom of the cl,mencN
manifested 10y the republican party
toward the rebels. He showed that
not Il man WAS punished nor deprived
ot his civil rights or elective franchise
Every SouthcIner on having down his
arms WAS at once eligible to office save
only those who Is civil or military off
Gals had personally taken and broken
"athS of allcglancc To- the mitcd States
The entire number thus excluded from
office 10y the fourteenth amendment WIS
about 5000. But this limited disability
was barely fixed OF the South before a
republican Congress began to remove
il. BY its first bill l57r men were par
d"med 10y its next ;f25-. aud in i-72
the disabilities were removed from all
but about 100 persons. the number now
ljcct to them and which includes the
graduates of West Point. and Anmapo-
lis who turned rebels. the members of
the Both and Eth Congresses. former
Judges. heads of departments and for
ci"n ministers in the United States
service. In only one case has pardon
ever been refused to any one who has
asked il. Nj. Blaine was now willing
To pardon the rest in Il lump. but he
did demand that they he required as a
preliminary condition To signify their
desire i"l pardon. and take the
oath of allegiance. This WAS under
the circumstances due to common de
ccnrN. The United States did not wish
t" force It's pardon and citizenship
upon any who did not want it. ol
did not rropose to r.u,y il win
good conduct. He mentioned the
case of Bob Toombs who had ,n,J,.
his boast that he would never ask citi-
zru>hip of the United States. He. didn't
think congress ought to 90 more than
half way in rendering pardon and res
tnration to Mr.. Bob Toomhs
MIR. Blaine did NOT chiefly h,s, his
demand that Davis he eyriud.d from,
the amnesty unou th. rrnnnJ th,t ha
was head and front ,f th. r.hnii;nm
bur upou the fact that he WINS nersmn,LH
" reSpousihI, for the h,rh,rnus t,o,t-
mrut of tbe Irnion n,isonarS of u.,,.
for the neyrr-tn- -forrn,trn bo,r,r, If
I ibI,v Roll. ISL. and iniors,,,,,;u,,
This pcrsounl resnousibilitv i fvoJ
uuou Davis rs certainly and dir.ctI,. 49,
amy responsibility WAS ev.r tyod unn,,
>, nuIJi,. ,t,ic;.J and NJ, pI,i,,, H.
cl,rnd that ,nv rovornmnnt nf E,r,,,,,.
onnId L,,. sbot n,,.;. t,, ,,.,It,i. .
m,nt nf n,;snuors Of ,yitb;n On ,i,,,,.
of his conture Rut NJ, RIaina III nat
.sk fine punishment nf D,,is ~,
time for that was zone Inv He did nJ,
icct. however to any net of Cnnrr,..s
DECLARING that man .lirihIo +, n,'.,.,.
office up to the presidency of tbe Tnit.I
States.
The sensation nroduced Inv NJ,
Rlaiue's .pcecI, WAS urnfnnnd vi, Cnx
t,nk tbe floor tn r.,,l,, aJ,rt;,', IL.
u.u,I tunnv vain arj ,t,ani,,;S Us
n,rry th, w.inht nf W., Rt,;n ~
,mnnts and ,Trun.nt. I,,' .t,;,,'' =