Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-04-28
PORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS.
SENATE.

r..
the coinage of the standard silver dollar. Re-
ferred TO the committee on finance.
Mr.. Blair offered a resolution granting
him leave to testify in the House Chili-Peru
investigation, Adopted
A bill to remove the political disabilities OF
Dr. A. Sidney Tebbs (amended by the MILL
tary committee to repeal the law prohibiting
any person who has served under the Con-
federate States from being appointed to the
army of the United States), was taken up
Mr.. Garland. author of the amendment,
declined to concur in the suggestion by Mr..
Edmunds TO recommit the bill, remarking
that definite action can only be secured by
meeting the question in the Senate.
Then ensued long political debate op-
ened bv Mr. Edmunds who thought the pro-
hibition of the existing statute should stand.
Messrs Maxcy and Hampton followed in
support of the bill. The latter said he would
not follow the example set by the senator
and assume to announce who was right and
was wrong in the late war. His own con-
victions were as sincere as those of the sem
ator, and he hoped as honest. He would
only commend to him the sentiment of the
father of the boys, one of whom died in the
Confederate and the other in the Union SER
vice. The only epitaph he placed upon their
tombs was, ''God alone knows who was
right
Mr.. Edmunds replied that he had not I'M
derstood the position of the government TO
have been that of an indifference to the sue
cess of either side and that after the conflict
it was its duty to say "God forgive us all,
nobody knows who was right" His under
standing had been that one of the children
made war upon its creator and therefore there
was the right side and the wrong side. The
God of battles had told which was right and
which was wrong, and the thing that as
tonished him (Edmunds) was that his good
friends on the other side were continually in
sisting upon forcing the republican senators
to say or unsay something by the way of ad-
hitting that after all there was no difference
between the two sides, and that nobody can
tell after all which way the thing ought to
have been determined. He could not agree
to that proposition and he did not think that
the senator fHamptOn) would agree to it if
the stars and bars were now floating over the
capitol instead of the stars and stripes. The
other side knew there was not the slightest
hostility on the part of any republican men,
Der to single gentleman who was in the re-
bellion, and would also know if they would
think that the republican side meant to de.
fend the enactment, made in accordance with
the government success, when these were
assailed. Was this vindictive unfair or un.
kind?
Mr.. Vest did not believe the people of the
United States in this age and with their civ
ilization desired to erect any monument OF
hate. He now put the question to the Senate
whether in event of a foreign war it would
ask or permit ex-confederate soldiers to fight
for the country, to which they had sworn al.
legiance, or not. If it would then it should
not exclude them from its army and navy.
10 IaI l..
words, and l say to the Senator from Yer
mont, it is useless for him to tell me he be-
ieves my professions of loyalty to this gov
eminent, when he keeps up on my brow the
ban of prescription and hate. 1t is useless
for him to say that he has no personal feeling
of unkindness toward any senator on this
side of the chamber, when in the same breath
he says, ''You are not equals of other citizens
and, although you say you are loyal to the
government, we are not willing to trust you.
l ask and those who were with me ask
nothing from this government except a simple
concession. We were honest in our devotion
to the confederate cause, and honest when we
say we accept all legitimate results of defeat
and to those who risked all and lost all every
generous mind should concede that much.
When he concluded, the bill was laid over
The House anti Chinese bill then came up
and Mr.. Farley concluded his remarks in its
advocacy. lengthy controversy ensuet
between Mr.. Farley and Mr.. Vest of state
ments of the Massachusetts senators upon al
legations that extraordinary efforts were
necessary to protect the Chinese laborers EN-
ployed in Massachusetts some years ago
Mr.. Vest then spoke in defense of the meas
ure, and the bill went over without action.
A message was received from the Presden
in regard to the so called cowboy disturbance
in Arizona. Referred to the judiciary com
mittee. The conference report on the Post
office appropriation bill was submitted an,
| adopted.
Adjourned