Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-28
FIFTIErH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, March q, 1888.
Senate.

The presiding officer laid before the
Senate communication from the Mar
shal of the Supreme Court inviting the
Senate, by direction OF the Justices, TO
attend the funeral ceremonies of the late
Chief Justice in the hall Of the House Of
Representatives at noon tomorrow.
On motion Of Mr.. Hoar the invitation
was accepted, and it was ordered that the
Senate meet tomorrow at quarter be-
fore u.
Mr.. Blair called up the question of the
second reading of the bill introduced by
him some time since to give preference
10 disabled Confederate soldiers, as be-
tween men who had been disloyal, in
appointments to civil Office.
Mr.. Riddleberger said that he could
not see the force of the objections made
to the bill on the Republican side of the
chamber. Most OF the objections TO it
had come from ex-Confederates on the
Democratic side, and it was to them that
he proposed to reply. He supposed that
he was the only Republican from the
South who had been Confederate, and
he represented in some measure the
Confederate-soldier element. His col
league (DanieD and two other Exon
federates had stated that no Confederate
soldier asked for the passage of such n
bill. But Confederate soldiers had
had very few men In Congress to voice
their wishes. They had had no channel
through which TO express themselves
He had never ridden in an ambulance
never been sick day never was absent
from a single fight in which his brigade
and regiment were engaged, and had
suffered two terms of imprisonment.
The man, therefore, who challenged his
loyalty to the Confederacy in the past did
80 with the same hazard of his veracity
ss If he were TO challenge his loyalty TO
the Union to-day. This was not plea
SAINT discussion for him. He was sorry
that the crippled soldier of the South
was not represented here by some one
ADLER than himself, and was antagonized
by those who should have stood by him.
lie represented ex-Confederates who
were misrepresented by others who
would 90 home and claim TO be their
best friends-pleading patriotism at
Washington and talking COnfederacy at
home. In this connection no made an
allusion mot understood by the reporter
as to some Confederate officer inducing
his men 10 exchange Confederate money
s. for % of like issue, and yet the Sena-
tor from Connecticut (Havley), he said,
had congratulated his colleague from Yir-
ginia on his statesmanhke speech. lie
(Riddleberger) was not here as a per-
sistent Confederate. He was not here
~ ask for any other terms than those
which had been accorded to him years
ago, but he was here to answer every
GccusGtion of the kind which he found
in the Congressional Record against men
who had been Confederates aud who had
dared to express their own judgment
and 10 have the courage Of their own
convictions He could not understand
how three Confederate generals and one
Federal general should oppose the bill.
Mr.. Blair defended the principles of
his bill, which, he said, he hat intro
duced after prolonged reflection, and
On the same afternoon that he had
conversation with crippled Coincide
rate soldier. The bill was not, AS some
seemed 10 think. an entering wedge TO
the pensioning OF Confederate soldiers. II
was simply billembodying an act of hu-
msniiy-of humanity blended with mag
nanimity-and which, he thought, great
nation might well exhibit. So far as pub
lie policy was concerned, be believed the
proposition TO be a wise one. lie had
received very many letters OF thanks and
commentator from ex-Couiederate sol
diers since the bill had been introduced.
be calculated that there were at least
quarter Of million Of ex-Confederate
soldiers still living, OF whom perhaps
from 00,00O TO 60, 900 are without arms !
or legs. Theto men could not be pen.
stoned. Nothing could be done for
them by the Federal Government except !
in some indirect manner Ever since the |
close OF the war ex-Confederates had
been appointed TO Office not only under
the Democratic Administration, but un-
der Republican Administrations. He sup-
posed that n:nety-nine out Of every
one hundred appointments 10 the civil
service made In the South were OF men
who had been disloyal during the war,
and 1t was too late for his Republican