The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1878-03-06
Hon. jefferson Davis and the
Mexican War R'en~iOns-His
Magma nm unity.
EXTRACT FROM REMARKS OF HON. O. r. SIN
CLIFTON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES,

EXTRACT FROM REMARKS OF HON. 0. R. SIN
CLIFTON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TlvEs.
Congrsssionak Record.
Mr.. Singleton. Mr. Chairman, have not
sought the floor with the view uf making q
speech touching the merits OF this bill. 1t
has been discussed So fully, so ably, that
any remarks OF mine would be unnecessary.
| have but one object in view, which | will
proceed to develop. The gentleman from
Maine Mr., Powers who sits on my right
and otner gentlemen on this floor have
thought proper 10 give point and EN- phasis
TO their arguments against this bill by re-
ferring to a certain distinguished citizen of
my State. | cannot but think this is done
solely with view OF creating prejudice ia
! the minds OF honorable gentlemen who are
| il clined to regard the bill favorably.
! allude to that distinguished citizen
whose name L always delight TO mention,
Notwithstanding | know he is under the
| ban OF public sentiment in certain sections
OF the country, tO-wit, jefferson Davis. Mr.
| Chairman, those who oppose this bill seem
| to think that the great and controlling OBJ
| lection to it is that by possibility he may
become a beneficiary under it. when by the
| provisions of the bill itself he is excluded
from all such benefits. 1t provides in one
OF it sections that all persons not having
received pard On and amnesty shall be ex-
cluded from the benefits of its provisions
| Now | wish to say this: If it is believed on
| the other side OF the House, if the opinion
is entertained by any siugle individual
opposed TO his having a pension, that by
any possibility he can become beneficiary
under the bill and that thereby It's passage
may be endangered, L have a letter from
him in which he requests d proviso shall be
| inserted by which he shall be forever de-
barred any such right.
| Now, for one moment, Mr.. Chairman
dispassionate and in good temper let rs
| look at the part which Mr. Davis bore in the
| Mexican war. He was member of this
| House when the first Mississippi reoiment
was organized, and when il met at Weeks
burg and 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 on crutches and
he bears TO day honorable sears from
wounds received in defense of the fac of
his country. Yet, Sir, he is willing thar his
name shalt be blotted from this pension bill
and cast out if thereby his comrades NAV
come in and get the benefit OF it. saw to
you, then, If there be on that side of the
| House one irreconcilable, a man who can
rot be appeased, whose pen will write and
whose tongue will advocate such proviso.
let him propose it and | assure that gentle
man there is not 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 yet many of them
in the prime of life. Mr. Chairman, think
of the thirty years which have elapsed since
that war closed; add this thirty years to
| the age OF mature manhood and then Won
| IA whether
| are in the prime Oflife.
! 1t has further been said that great mag
nanEIity has been shown to Jefferson Davis
and his comrades who engaged in the re-
belliOn. as it is called. We have nothing to
| complain of on that score, so far as Mr..
Davis i, concerned except that when placed
| in prison at Fortress Monroe you kept him
| there for month after month and refuse 1
him trial; and when already in close con
finemenr, in distress, broken down by ema-
| citation and intirmity OF body, so chat he
could scarcely walk from room to room. YOU
sent down your emissaries who threw him
upon the floor of his dungeon and put man
acles on his legs and 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.. Singleton. | ask the gentleman from
Kentucky TO yield to me for a few moments
longer.
MIR. Riddell. | Withdraw the pro fornsa
amendment.
Mr.. Dunnell. raise the question of or
! der whether there are not now pendino
| amendments offered by the committee
The Chairman. There is one amendment
| pending, and that is the amendment offered
| by the committee.
| Mr.. Dunnell. Have we not to act upon
| that amendment before the gentleman from
Kentucky Mr.. Blackburn can offer an
amendment.
The Chairman. The Chair supposes the
amendment offered by the committee is
subject to an amendment
Mr.. Rice, of Ohio. | think the amend
ment of the gentleman from Kentucky is
not in order. 1t is an amendment to tha
latter part of the bill.
The Chairman. The amendment has not
been reported.
Mr.. Blackburn. / desire to offer nv
amendment after that Of the committee has
been disposed of.
Mr.. Reagan. / move to strike out the
last WORD, and yield my time to the gentle
man from Mississippi, (Mr. Singleton
Mr., Dunnell. desire to hear the amend
ment OF the committee which is now pend
ing.
Mr.. Singleton. / ask the gentleman not
to call for the reading just now. | will be
through with what | have to say in few
minutes.
1t has been claimed upon this
floor by members upon the other
side, as | 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 ia lS46-for can look back that
far and remem Der what occurred-a rebel
lion on the part of Hungary against Aus
tria broke out, and for long time success
seemed to hang in even balance. The Hun
garians had rather the advantage of Aus
tria until the Russian EN- peror Nicholas in.
terposed, threw his weight on the side of
Austria, and the consequence was that
Hungary was reduced to subiection