Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-06-04

miss the same for want Of jurisdiction
And prorided further, That wheneve
any pardon shall have heretofore beel
granted by the President of the Unite,
States to any person bringing suit il
the Court Of Claims for the proceed
Of abandoned or captured propert,
under the said act approved March IL
1863, and the acts. amendatory OF th,
same, and such pardon shall recite, il
substance, that such person took par
in the late rebellion against the Gov
ernment Of the United States, or wat
guilty OF any act of rebellion against
or disloyal to the United States, and
such pardon shall have been accepted
in writing, by the person to whom
the same issued, without an express
disclaimer Of and protestation against
such fact of guilt contained in such ac-
ceptance, such pardon and acceptance
shall be taken and deemed in such
suit in the said Court of CLAIMS, and
on appeal therefrom, conclusive evi.
dence that such person did take part
in and give aid and comfort to the late
rebellion, and did not maintain true
allegiance or consistently adhere to the
United States and on proof of such
pardon and acceptance, which proof
may bo heard summariiy on motion or
otherwise, the jurisdiction of the court
in the case shall cease and tho court
shall forthwith dismiss the suit of such
claimant.
1t was decided in England and fol.
lowed in this country on the question
OF pardon, that after man had receiv-
ed his pardon, an action Of SANDER
would lie against person for accusing
him of committing the offence of which
he was pardoned. That doctrine has
been repeated here in this country.
Now they reverse the engine complete.
ly, and say when he exhibits bis par.
don ii is proof that he is disloyal. The
Court of Claims dismissed Klein on
that, and he appealed TO the Supreme
Court. That is the statute which it
would be well for the people TO re.
member and not forget. 1t is one of
those unfortunate things that occur in
time Of high partisan feeling, but which
| for one hope has passed away never
TO return, the last semblance Of which
being the matter we now have in hand.
/ will not say all these acts were
passed with view to coercive pur.
poses, but all these acts tended to this
-and let the student OF the philosophy
OF the history Of our Government and
its nature think of that moment
tended to make what | believe Mr..
Thaddeus Stevens claimed openly in
the other House, that this was Con.
gressional Government as distinguish
ed from constitutional government
that Congress was the government of
this country as Parliament was of En-
gland. But soon after the passage of
these acts, ofcourse not for the purpose
OF coercing Andrew Johnson--nobody
would say that-failing to secure what
they sought was in hand through Con-
gress, Caesar came and with the CON-
;-o - csas~- tho, r-rr.--a Ill .L;-s-
clso would cvuiv that WAS desirable
should come, and il was believed that
through the President, General Grant,
oil things could be accomplished with
or without the Legislation Of this char
acter, Notwithstanding the grand letter
he had written in 1866 when he was
General-in.Chief Of the army. lfsuch
statutes as this can find themselves on
an appropriation bill let no man, wo-
man, or child in this country complain
Of that mode Of proceeding 80 that we
take-care that there shall not be un-
constitutional provisions Incorporated.
Butfurther, when we met IN Decem-
Der under the law, our term was limi-
ted TO the 4th of March. In the great
clash of business requiring the passage
Of bills and the pressure for investiga-
ting different measures, these provis-
ions of the statute which the country
demands shall be repealed had little
or no opportunity for consideration in
separate bills They would have per-
ished either in one House or the other,
or between the two, as IL turned out
they did at the last hours Of the ses.
sion. Now mark. Immediately upon
that the Congress is called together,
for what purpose 7 For the purpose of
considering appropriation bills alone.
How else are you TO get off these pro-
,.;a;apa chat ~ ~, not ,,,,otaka. tha
country is loudly clamoring for the re-
peal OF ? The Presidents message is
not longer than the blade Of an ordin-
ary penknife, calling us together He
calls us ior two appropriation bills.
He says virtually, "consider them, and
go home" We propose TO consider
them with oil othermeasures necessary
to protect the rights of citizens in this
country.
The Senator from Maine the other
day undertook to irigbtcn us by telling
us this fine Capitol would have to go
down and not be kept up, and our
commerce would be suspended, and
our Supreme Court and other courts.
That there may be no misundorstand-
ing on that propositions so far as ! am
concerned, have to say that would
SEQ this building crumblo and given
up to the owls and bats and rats, and
every ship Of oars rot in It's moorings,
and the Supreme Court and oil the
balance of them suspended before l
would see. without attempting 10 pro.
tect them, the rights Of the bumblest
citizen shackled by legislation Of Con
gress, or the humblest citizen of this
country deprived Of his right In any
way. The twelve Caesars, whenthey
punished men for what they thought,
boasted of the splendor and grandeur
Of their great city, when their legions
were trampling their citizens under
foot as 40 many leaves In the forest
They had their blazing avenues they
had their grand domes and their mag
nificent palaces but the personal lib
erty OF the citizen was gone. Give me
that first, and | will then help build
your fine temples and your commerce
and all that. The boast Of the English
government is that its humblest citizen
will receive its protection, If II be at
the mouth OF their cannon, whether
he is on their own soil OF foreign dis
tant soil, and that Ia the secret Of the
strength and power Of that govern.
ment to-day. | concur with the elo-
qucnt words of the senator from In.
diana, that the people are not gong TO
stand upon the order in which these
vicious measures shall be taken from
the statute book they want them of.
We have asked 10 have them taken of,
and If VIC cannot get them out Of the
way by any other means than through
appropriation bills, bring on your sp-
preparation bill and let us have them
there. 1a