Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-03-29
Mr Riddleberger ON ex-Confederates

The following is the full text of Senator
Riddebarger's recent speech on the Blair
bill to prefer ez Confederates TO other
Southern men for the civil service of the
Government, as reported in the Congression'
al Record:
MIR. Riddleberger. Perhaps had better
60 on with the few remarka l want 10 make
on this bill.
formerly said, as thought, enough from
the standpoint of Confederate soldier. L
did the republican element Of this Ssnatein-
iustice in the opening remarks then made.
had heard some suggestions of disapproba.
ton from this side OF the Chamber, and
did the Senators on this side, with one pos
sible exception, the injustice to have used
this language
But cannot see the objection to it [this bill
which seems to have seized hold Of the minds OF
some of the Senators OH this side of the Chamber
l perused the Record the next morning
and I found that the objections came from
Confederate soldiers on the other side OF
the Chamber, It is 10 them that propose
to reply.
l am the Only republican, l suppose, in
the Senate who was Confederate and dare
to say so now, and dare TO be republican
Notwithstanding the epithets hurled at him
who served from MechaDicsvlle to Harri-
sons Landing under the banner Of the Sen
alor from South Carolina, then command
inc division in which I had the honor to
serve.
The public mind can not be misled by
statements made in the Congressional Record.
| propose to make the bill part of the rec
ord. and for that purpose shall read it my.
self:
Be it enacted etc., That before peraons shall be
appointed to the civil service of the United States
it shall be made to appear whether such persons
were loyal TO the Government of the United
States during the war of the rebellion If OF lawful
age any time during said war.
l will submit this to every Grand Army
post in this country, and l appfehend that
no men who were soldiers would object to
it, But, further, it provides
And whenever such persons not loyal to the
United States during said war sEall be ap.
pointed to office in the civil service, those not dis.
honorably discharged from military or naval GER
vice of the so-called Confederate States and now
suffering from disability resulting from wounds
or sickness incurred in said service shall be pre-.
ferred to other persons not shown to have been
loyal in the war Of the rebellion Provided, They
are found to possess the business capacity neces-
sary to the proper discharge of such offices.
would submit this proposition to the
Grand Army posts, would take the opinion
of the Federal soldiers here tot day, and ask F.,
if we are to take men for the civil service
of the Government Of the United States, and
men from the South, whether we should not
give preference TO the manned Confederate.
AS I said the other day, if you want loyal
man, take man who fought.
am glad to be able to have this oppor-
tunity of calling the attention OF some men
in the South to the. fact that they are still
representing ideas hateful TO the South rather
than its patriotism. | read In this Record
that no Confederate soldier asks anything
in the way Of favor from the Federal Gov
ernment. / agree that this emanated from
the mouth of an eminent Confederate sold
Ter, Mr.. President, the Confederatea have
had very few to voice their wishes. They
have had no channel through which to ex.
press themselves in the Congress of the Uni
ted States. represent, in some capacity, a
Confederate soldier element, and yield to no
man in it in my devotion to them mot to the
cause for yield that.
The Senator from Connecticut Mr.. Haw.
ley congratulated my colleague on his
taiesmanike speech. felt its tones in the
LnOSD VIAL vi tDS puSsiShi ihups nus
reputation in the South as teng generous.
His magnamimity has lately taken the d.
rec,ion OF starving the living and then max
ing an appropriation for tombstone. He
is gratiied at that expression which emanat-
ed almost as if stereotyped, from three ton
CUES on the other side of the cham Der, that
the Confederate soldiers asked nothing. Mr..
President, it is that sams kind and quality
of craftsmanship which WAS disgrace to
the Confsderacy during four years OF war
which should have put all burdens on others
than those following commander.
1t ia that same ideal craftsmanship that
fixed the price Of -four by act of the Confed-
crate congress at $50 BARREL, and paid the
infantry soldier in the fieid 81 month. 1t
was that kind OF statesman ship that passed
the conscript act, levied upon the physical
power Of those States latest TO secede, from
tho cradle to the grave, extending that act
even to sixty years, and yet exempting one
overseer for every twenty slaves.
am standing here to-day for those who
had no slaves, and who were in the armies
of the South They were the Confederate
soldiers The record that they made then,
| the unchanged record that they have made
since, will stand but defy the Senator
from South Carolina, my colleague from
Virginia, and the Senator from Connecticut
to represent the views of those who were the
real Confederate soldiers, and who to day
compose the revled loyal element of the
South.
read here that no Confederate soldier
asks any favors. speak in behalf of those
who served in the ranks. / never rode in
an ambulance day; / never was sick
day; never was out of single fight in
which the regiment and brigade that I be
longed to were engaged. / suffered two
terms of imprisonment, and man who
challenges my loyslty to the Confederacy
during the war does it with the same hazard
of his veracity ss if he were to challenge
my loyalty to the Union to day.
Mr.. President, this is not pleasant task.
am sorry that the esIppled soldier whom
wish to represent here has not some one
ADLER than to present his case, especially
when it is autagonized by those under whom
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