The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-03-06

EXTRACT FROM REMARKS OF HON. o K. SIN
CLIFTON IN THE HOUSE OF KEPREsEN1A-
Congressional Record.

snsecn touching the merits of this bill. 1t
has been discussed So fully. so ably, that
any remarks of mine would be unns ces sary.
I have but one object in view. which Will
proceed To develop. The gentleman from
Maine Mr. PowerSl who sits on my right
aud other gentlemen on this Nor have
thought proper TO give point ana emphasls
to their arguments against this DIIt DY re-
terring to a certain dis ia2uishcd citizen OF
NV State. | cannot but hink this is done
solely with view OF creating prejudice In
re. minds OF honorable g-ntiemr n who are
il clined To regard tie bill favorabl,.
l aIiude to that distinguished citizen
wlIo-e name | always delight TO mention,
Notwithstanding | know he il under the
ban OF public sentiment in certain sections
OF thu country. to wit, Jefferson Davis. Mr.
Cnai man, hose who oppose this bill seem
to think that The great and controlling OBJ
lection TO it i thai BY possibility he may
become a beneficiary under iJ. when by the
provisions OF the bill itself h. is excluded
from all such beu"ti ;. 1t provides in one
OF it sections that all prisons not having
received pardon and amnesty shall be eX-
cludeu from the benefits of its provisions.
Now | wish 10 say this: If it is believed on
the other side of the House, it the opinion
i entertained by any single indivi Iual
opposed 10 his having pension, that 10y
any possibility he can become "a beneficiary
under the bill aud thai ereoy lis passage
NAV be endangered, | have letter from
him in which he requests proviso shall be
Inserted by which he shall be forever de-
barre amy such right.
Now. for one moment. Mr.. Chairman.
dispassionate and in 90, temper let Us
look at the part which Mr. Davis bore in the
Mexican war. He was a member of this
House when the first Mississippi regiment
was organized, and when il meC at Vicks-
burg aud elected him its colonel he resign
ed his seat here, followed that regiment
and Joined it at New Orleans, and marched
with it to CamargO. 1t is not forgotten
surely By men OF this day the services rem
dered by that regiment at Monterey, at
Buena Vista, and all along the line OF its
operations to the close Of The war.
When that regiment returned, its Colonel,
Jefferson Davis, came b ok Oh crutches, and
he beaIs to day honorable scars from
wounds received in defense OF the flag OF
his country. Yet, Sir he is willing that his
name shall be bIoTted from this pension bill
and east out if thereby his comrades may
come in and get the benefit OF it. | say to
you, then, if there be on that side of the
House one irreeOnciable, a man who can
rot be appeased. whose pen " i'll write and
whose tongue will advocate such pr1viSO,
let him propose it and | assure that gentle
man there is not a Southern man on this
side who will say nay to it.
1t has been stated that the men who were
engaged in that war are vet many of them
in he prime of lie. Mr Chairman, think
of the thirty years which have ELAPSED since
that war closed; add this thirty wears to
the age OF mature manhood and then YOU
have the truth whether or not these men
are in the prime ct life.
1t has further been said that great mag
naniElity has been shown TO- ifrrsOn Davis
and his comrades who engaged in the re-
belliOn. as il Is called. We have nothing to
complain of on that score, so far as Mr..
Davis i concerned except thar when placed
in prison at Fortress Monroe you kept him
there for month after month and refused
hjm trial; aud when already in close con
finement, in distress, broken down by ema-
ciafion and intfrmty OF body. so Chat he
could scarcely walk from room to room, you
sent down your emisearies who threw him
upon the floor of his dungeon and put man
aces on his legs AMI arms.
a. Member He threw himself down.
Mr.. Singleton. This is not the true his
tory OF the affair.
Here the hammer fell.
Mr.. Blackburn. L desire to offer the
amendment which send to the desk
Mr.. Sia gletOn. | ask the gentleman from
Kentucky to yield to me for Il few moments
MIR. Riddell. L Withdraw the pro lorna
amendment.
Mr.. Dunnell. l raise the question of or
der whether there are not now pending
amendments offered by the committee
The Chairman. There is one amendment
ptndtng, and tnat Is tn amendment offered
by the committee.
Mr. Duunei. Have we not to act upou
thar amendment before the gentleman from
Kentucky Mr.. Blackburn can offer an
amendment.
The Chairman The Chair supposes the
amendment offered by the committee is
su tject to an amendment.
Mr.. Rice, OF Ohio. | think the amend
ment Of the gentleman from Kentucky is
rot i'll order. 1t is an amendment to the
latter part of the bill.
The Chairman. The amendment has not
been reported.
Mr.. Blackburn. | desire to offer my
amendment after that OF the committee has
been disposed of
nr. Reagan. l move to strike out the
last word, and yield my time to'the gentle
man from Mississippi, (Mr. SngIeton)
Mr., Dunuell. | desire to hear the amend
ment OF the committee which is now pend
ing.
Mr.. Singleton. l ask the gentIem an not
to call for the reading just now. | will be
through with what L have to say in Il few
minutes.
II has been claimed upon this
floor by members upon the other
side, as l remarked, that great mag
nanimity had been displayed in the
treatment of those termed rebels since the
close of the war, and speakers go so far as
to say that the history OF the world affords
no parallel to it. Why, sir, gentlemen have
certainly forgotten the facts of history. /
remem Der in IS46-for | can look back that |
far and remem Der what occurred-a rebel |
tria broke out, and for long time success |
seemed to hang in even balance. The Hun
garians had rather the advantage of Aus |
tra until the Russian Emperor Nicholas in |
terpOsed, threw his weight on the side of
Austria, and the consequence was that |
Hungary was reduced to subsection
After the war was over the Austrian gov |
determined ID punish the leaders |
of the rebellion, organized a cOurt-martial |
and condemned twelve of the leading citi- |
Of fInV
Count Andrassy, and | am not sure but |
Kossuth himself was one of the men con-
victed by court-martial. Nine were exc
cuted and the other three made their !
escape. They were executed how |
ever, in effigy, and their names were nailed |
to the gallows. And yet in twenty years
from that time we find this same man An |
Grassy the premier of the Austrian govern |
ment. In 1866 he took that position and he |
now occupies it at this present moment, |
honored and revered by his countrymen. |
A nd although thirteen years have have |
elapsed since the close of our war yet this |
Congress still refuses TO grant amnesty to |
Mr.. Davis.
Now, Sir, what is it you are SO much |
afraid of? Is it that Jefferson Davis will |
get back into political life? Are you un-
willing to allow him pension for wounds |
received In your cause before he was touch |
ed by the faint of what you call rebellion |
No, Mr.. Chairman, its suits the purpose of
gentlemen on that side of the House |
10 place themselves behind these mud re-
doubts and use these flimsy pretexts
TOR keeping men who are entitled to the
benefit OF this act from enjoying the same.
/ hey wish US to fight this battle over the
shoulders of Mr.. Davis hoping thereby to
arouse prejudices which VIII defeat US.
Why, Sir, gentlemen on that side of the
House whenever the name of Jefferson
Davis is mentioned seem to have distorted
visions and horrid dreams of ''treason,
and spoils,'' and everything
haf Ia rlafa and I'll