New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-16
THE DEFEAT OF THE AMNESTY BILL.

THE DEFEAT OF THE AMNESTY BILL.
| Amnesty has been defeated, or post
poued, as We feared would be the case
when we read Mr.. Hills ill-timed an
very imprudent speech in reply to MI
Blaine. The gentleman from George
ought to have taken hint from tn
signs around him, and, as it was
boon, not right, which he was seek
ing for his Southern friends, offered, il
a proper and amicable spirit, to accep
all that he could get for them, and b.
| thankful. But he did not observe thu
pregnant signs Of danger. He saw, o.
| thought he saw, sure two-thirds vote
for any amnesty measure Randall might
propose. He thought the well drilled
Democratic forces, aided by some ten Oh
twelve fence politicians, could force
anything through the House, in spite Of
the Republican members. The Demo
Gratis were plainly told that there was no
objection on the Republican side Of the
House to accord amnesty to nearly every
body named in the bill-in fact, to all
save one. But this they would not ac-
cept. They would have all or nothing,
and have, SO far, got nothing. Even at
ter the bill failed Ir. Blaine gave them
an opportunity to regain lost ground,
which was refused in a surly, sul,.y man
ner.
Our own views on the principles in
volved were given yesterday morning. We
believe it would be entirely proper to in
clude Mr.. Davis in the invitation to par
take Of the leek. But there is no sagacity
in refusing the privilege for all the others
because one man can not have it. A friend
Of amnesty on principle would vote for a
bill which had but one name in it, if the
addition of second threatened the sue
cess of the first. Mr.. Blaine and the Re-
publican members asked for the division
Of properly divisible question. Mr.. Hill
then came to the front with an aggravat-
ing, hectoring speech, and by his taunts
and arrangements of the Republican party,
confirmed and massed the opposition to
Randall's measure. Speech is silver, but
silence is golden. Mr.. Hill clutched at
the silver, and showed such a disposition
as to make the Republicans recall their
sympathy and confidence. A few we'll
timed remarks from some Democratic
member of discretion instead, would have
kept down the rising passion of the House
and poor old Mr.. Davis might have been
slipped in almost unobserved. But Mr..
Hill pointed him out too wildly. He
as good as deied Blaine to say aught
against him. The sturdy Yankee accepted
the challenge and endorsed tie whole
troop, putting the whole force of the Dem
ocratic majority to rout. He then still
held out amnesty on his own terms, which
was refused by Randall and Hill. The
last named gentlemen are responsible to
every unrelieved Southerner, except Mr..
Davis, for the defeat of their application
While we think it would have been
magnanimous in Mr.. Blaine to let the
whole bill pass, as it was first reported,
we can not blame him for resenting the
impertinence Of Mr.. Hills speech in the
striking and forcible manner we have
seen. Now, let the Democrats come to
their senses, accept such amnesty as the
Republicans offer, and hereafter bring up
the cases of such as may be excluded.
Mr.. Blaine's bill, for example, would
certainly pass the House, and receive no
opposition in the Senate, unless some
indiscreet orator, like Hill, should happen
to sound war note, when we are not
so sure that even that would pass. The
Southern Democrats ought to see by this
time that they can get much more from
the Republican party by asking for it
properly than by any amount of swagger
and buster.