Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-04-06
Mr.. RIDDLEBERGER ON EX-CCN-
FEDERATES.

Inc follC"lng is the tull text OF
Senator RiddlebergeI's recent
speech or the Blair bill to prefer
ex.COnfederateS to Other Southern
men for tie civil service of the
Government, as reported in the
Congressional RccOrd
Mr.. Riddleberger. Perhaps
had better &c on with the few re-.
marks | want TO make on this bill.
l formerly said, as | thought,
enough from the standpoint of a
Confederate soldier. | did the
Republican element of this Senate
injustice in the opening remarks |
then made. | had heard some sug.
gestions of disapprobatiOn from
this side of the Chamber, and | did
the Senators on this side, with one
possible exception, the injustice to
have used this language;
But I cannot sec the objection to il
this bill which seems 10 have seized hold
Of the minds Of some Of the Senators on
this side of the Chamber.
l perused the Record the next
morning and l found that the OBJ
jectiOns came from Confederate
soldiers on the other side of the
Chamber. 1t IS to them that |
propose to reply.
am the only republican, | sup.
pose, IN the Senate who was a
Confederate and dare to say so
now, and dare to be a republican
notwithstanding the eplthets
hurled at him who served from
Mechanicsville to HarrisOn's Land
ing under the banner of the Sena-
tor from Sonth Carolina, then com.
handing a division in which had
the honor to serve.
The public mind can not be mis-
led by statements made in the Con.
gresSiOndI Record. | propose to
make the bill a part of the record,
and for that purpose | shall read
it myself;
Be it enacted, etc, That before persons
shall be appointed to the civil service of
the United States it shall be made to APP
pear whether such persons were loyal to
the Government of the United States dur
ing the war of the rebellion, if of lawful
age any time during said war.
will submit this to every Grand
Army post in this country, and |
apprehend 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 shall
be appointed to office in the civil service,
those not dshOnorablv discharged from
military OF naual service of the so called
Confederate States and now suffering
from disability resulting from wounds or
sickness incurred in said service shall be
preferred to other persons not shown to
have been loyal in the war Of the rebel
lion: Provided, They are found to possess
the business capacity necessary 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 to-day, and ask, if we
are to take men for the civil ser.
vice of the Government OF the
United States, and men from the
South, whether we should not give
preference to the MANNED COnfed-
crate. AS | said the other day, if
you want a loyal man, take a man
who fought.
| am glad TO be able to have this
opportunity of calling the atten-
ton of some men in the South to
the fact that they are still repre-
senting ideas hatefnl 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 Govern
ment. / agree that this emanated
from the mouth of an eminent Con-
federate soldier. Mr.. President,
the Confederates have had very
few to voice their wishes. They
have had no channel through which
to express themselves in The Con-
gress OF the United States. rep.
resent, IN some capacity, a Con-
federate 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.. Hawley congratulated my
colleague on his statesmanlike
speech. | felt Its tones in the
most vital partof the physical man.
lie has G reputation in the South
IS being generous. His magnan-
nifty has lately taken the dlrec-
ion of starving the living and
hen making an appropriation for
/ tombstone. He is gratiied at
hat expression which emanated |
almost as if stereOtyped, from |
hree tongues on the other side of
he chamber, that the Confederate |
soldiers asked nothing. Mr.. Presl-
lent, it is that same kind and |
luality of craftsmanship which |
vas a disgrace to the Confederacy |
Turing four years Of war which |
hould have put all burdens on
,thers than those following com.
handler.
1t is that same ideal statesman
hip that fixed the price of fcur
" act of the Confederate Congress
t $50 barrel, and paid the infan-
nv soldier in the field Sll a month.
{ was that kind of craftsmanship |
hat passed the conScript act, levied
pom the physical power Of those
,tates latest 10 secede, from the
radle to the grave, extending that
ct even TO sixty years, ana YET
tempting one Overseer for every
wenty slaves.
| am standing here to-day for
hose who had no slaves, and who
'ere in the armies of the South.
hey Vere the Confederate sold.
ers. The record that they made
hen, the unchanged record that
hey have made since, will stand
mt ! defy the Senator from South
arolna, my colleague from Virgin.
a, and the Senator from Connect
at to represent the views of those
rho were the real Confederate
and who today compose
he reviled loyal element of the
,Outh.
| read here that no Confederate