The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-01-20
Amnestx piscussfon ;n Congress.

Amnesty Discussion in Congress.
Most of the last week, in the Nation
al House of Representatives, WAS de-
voted to the discussion Of tho shbject
of Amnesty, and the dehsfT wssfhe
most exciting and bitter hat lIaS StakenI
place for years in thakbbdy, he DeM-
ocrats claiming that We should enter
upon the Centennial year of our na-
tional existence with peace fully re-
stored, while the Radicals, inasmuch
as they faiIedtta@ hxpg Jeff{Davis on
sour apple tree" showed a deter
minatisn. sn.-to--exclude tim. -flam the
privileges of citizenship, and they
Haunted the bloody Shirt in the face Of
the people, ana III trhe hyena spirit
tore open the grave of the dead past.
The debate was participated i'll on the
Democratic side by Messrs. Cox, Ran
dali and Hill, and on that Of the,Rad-
icals by Blaine:and Garfield. Messrs.
Kelley, of Pa, Banks, Of Mass, and
others, took part in the discus sion.
Mr.. Banks, at the close Of the debate,
offered an amendment to the pending
bill and supportedi it with a speech of
great sloquence and ability, making q
stirring appeal for full and complete
amnesty and a lasting peaeel ! During
the course. of 'his remarks he said s,li
81 dismiss from all ,consid Grafton the
declarations. arguments, aspersions,
examinations and recriminatiens which
for q week past have heard 80 con-
stantly in, this Chamber,a41 l do not
doubt that soldiers of the Confec eracy
may have suffered in, che North, nor
do L. doubt that the soldiers of the
North may have suffered terribly in
the South, 1t was incident to the con-
ever they, may be, l pray forgiveness; I;
tor the suffering, whoever they may
have been, l. invoke the, blessing OF
let the, earth hide them., - Let us shut
them out of sight. Applause on the
Democratic. side. If j. follow the
gentleman from Maine (Mr. Blaine)
and his friends on this side, L can
change nothing of the past Not one
who is dead can be raised 10 life; not
one wound can, be assuageh; not one
sorrow, nor one sigh can be aiminish-
ed, by anything that i or that we can
do. Let, then that which, is past and
which can not be changed aor affected
by anything that, we eau do, let it
stand for that judgment which is to
come, which must come here and
hereafter.l asi3 anibsasfs sies.4rf fsigI5
Mr.. Tarbox saidtlIat a message from
Massachusetts, had been spoken to this
House by hisi i.eloquent. and dis.
tinquished colleague (Banks). His
colleague had sent back the answer of
Massachusetts to the gaunt and CORY
specter which-the gentleman (Blaiue9
like some magician of the black arts
hsdywith devilish Ingenuity, called up
TO mar the 'festal cheer of the Repub-
lie. Applause on thes Democratic
side.l He seconded g thei sentiments
expressed by his colleague. He.ure-
ferred to the fratcrnal demonstration
ut the, recent Bankerl Hill Il Centennial
anniversary i'm Boston, wlren he said,
underline sh hades of the Palmetto tree,
brought by soldiers of South Carolina
and planted beside the pine as an en-
blem of the reunion the people iOf
the North silOolpbands with the peo-
PsCs VI thO Southt AZ Ctti Eot anu
declaredstiiat, from the statute. books
of the nationaand a. from TIE hearts of
the people shoultiD' be erased every
monument that wsnid iperpeti,ate. the
memory of civil strife. That was the
voice of Massachusetts TO day. They
come here not to- offer ANY partial
amnesty which w ouid spoil its grace
auds dsinDbiiity, llbutnH ifuiby complete
amnesty- tiniyprsal nsgtliat- ttsrace lsa,u
mercy which q od himself gave tofhis
guilty childreb.aIrsl ssE sssutsiosi'ni
On Friday aiv6te was thKen on the
passage OF. the bill, Which, was one for
full aud complete. amnesty. .ands the
vote ST ood ,ayes1S2, nays 97a So the
bill was defeated, not. receiving two-
thirds vote. ~ - 'S f.'.''''' =.
In his messages in 1871 and 1875
GrantsrecommeBded. universal amnes-
ty, but Blaine, Garfield and company
undetermined to keep UP The cid ,feud
and animesities as the only hope of
keeping their ,pariyrin power by an
appeal to passion audi prejudice. 1t
is for the interest Of the country that
the bloody chasm should be bridged,
that the wounds of the war should be
healed and NOW that ten years have
elapsed since itiie close of.thc war, in
the patriotic Language. of General
Grant. '.Lets us have peace .asxf.5..
10. Ho .laeEslI 81. - 5E.il I.nE ean;ai
'sil .gail sbl.aoa. alf ag siif2 sd