Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-08
THE ARMY BILL.
INTERESTING DISCUSSION IN THE PED.
ERAL sENATE YESTERDAY.
The Question Of Admitting Ex-Confede.
rates Into the Union Army Debated
at Length-The Detailed Vote
on Increasing the Army.
INV ,elecrph TO the pIspatch.l

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WASHINGTON, April Tin the de-
bate in the Senate to-day upon Mr..
Gibson's merdment to Mr.. Logan's
army bill to repeal the section Of the
Revised Statutes which prohibits ex-
CoDiederates soldiers from appointment
TO the United States army Mr.. Glib
son spoke at some length, reading from
the Constitution and from the decisions
Of the Supreme Court to show that Sec
ton 1918 Of the Revised Statutes was
unconstitutional. 1t was also in con-
Aict, he said, with the generous and
magpanimous course Of the Govern
ment and of the people OF the United
speaking especially Of the peo-
pie Of the North-toward those who
were engaged in the service Of the
Confederacy. 1t was an extraordi-
nary spectacle, that presented by
this nation, that men who few
years ago were engaged in rebellion
against the United States were to-day
members Of the Senate-treated as peers
of those who upheld the Union cause.
Men who could be thus honored, and
who were honored as Ministers Of the
United States in the courts Of Europe
and might become judges Of the Su-
preme Court Of the United States-even
Chief Justice-were men who had served
the Confederate Government. This
was remarkable circumstance in the
history, not only Of the United States,
but OF civilization itself, and charac-
teiized the people Of this epoch as the
most magnanimous known to history.
The statute which prohibited men who
served the CoDfederscy from being APP
pointed to the United States army, Mr..
Gibson thought, could only be regarded
as a bar sinister and not in harmony
with the spirit which characterized the
treatment of the Southern people in
other respects by the people of the
North.
Mr.. Logan thought that it might not
be we'll TO 60 too fast. lie thought
that in the eyes Of the people there were
certain persons more culpable than
others. Those were the men who had
been officers Of the army and navy be-
fore the war and had entered the SER
vice of the Confederscy. He would
suegest an amendment of Mr.. Gibson's
motion so as to cover that class of
people.
MIR. Gibson could not accept the
amendment.
Mr.. Beck thought Mr.. Logan's
amendment useless.
Mr.. Butler suggested that in case OF
a foreign war there we're many men
who served in the Confederate army
who would be competent to command
brigades and divisions, but would be
excluded by Mr.. Logan's suggested
amendment.
Mr.. Logan said that when that time
should arrive the country would no
doubt appreciate the services of those
men.
Mr.. Sewell, as a member Of the Mill
tary Committee, favored Mr.. Gibson S
amendment. When one third Of the
Senate were men who had served in the
Confederate army, he thought that Sec
ton 1918 Of the Revised Statutes had
outliyed its usefulness.
Mr.. Morgan said the country had
very largely outgrown the feeling that
prompted the enactment of that Sec
ton, if he could judge by the express
sions Of senators and Of gentlemen who
had been in the Union army. The
law was undoubtedly unconstitutional.
The point involved was that man that
lived in the South could not be APP
pointed in the army; he must live in
the North. When senators were ask
ing for money to increase the army,
which money came from the pockets
of all the people, senator's must not
expect other senators TO violate their
sense Of constitutional obligation
and their sense Of respect for the men
who had grown up with them and
worked with them. lie (Morgan) would
never vote for bill to increase the
army while a single man was excluded,
unless it was Jefferson Davis, and he
mentioned him because he knew Davis
would not accept. That was Mr.. Nor
gan's view Of the question, and he was
sorry that any occasion had arisen for
its discussion.
Mr.. Call thought the time had come
when the transactions Of the war might
be regarded as matters Of history. He
thought he saw on the other side of the
chamber and throughout the entire
country a disposition to forget what
ever was violent and bitter and to ac-
cept the past as one of the inevitable
consequences Of providential arrange
ment. The time had come when we
might speak word in defence of the
men who acted in accordance with their
conscientious convictions, whatever
may have been the correctness or in-
correctness Of those convictions, and
who followed those convictions even
unto death.
Mr.. Call believed that if the Federal
General Grant and General Lee were
living and a foreign war would arise,
Grant would select Lee for high COM
mand in the Union army. Who would
doubt the loyalty Of General Lee in q
restored Union?
Mr.. Conger ventured to think that
the soldiers of the Union who would
read this discussion would wonder
whether it was not they who were
wrong in the late war. The honey and
molasses speeches Of to-day would in.
dicate that our southern brethren were
forced by providential circumstances
compelled by an overruling Provi-
denct--to enter upon the var. He
(CoDger) had been waiting some years
for this day to come. 1t had come
little earlier than he had expected.
Some senator's did not see that they
were traitors to their country. Some
of them undoubtedly regretted that
there was not now a Southern Confede.
racy with the black marble slab Of
slavery as the keystone Of its organiza-
tion. These views, however, were not
expressed in these piping times Of
peace. The time had not come for that
exhibition of sentiment, or for a pro-
posed return to o similar condition Of
onposition TO this Government il there