Year: 1872

of general amnesty law the colored citizens
will find as many and as warm friends in the
South as naturalized citizens now meet with
in the North. Political parties in any South
ern State will then as soon think Of excluding
a negro, on account of his color, from any
Of the privileges enjoyed by white man as
political parties in New York now think of
excluding an Irishman or German from the
Common Council on account Of his nativity
Indeed, the chances are that political honors
will before long be forced upon the colored
citizens of Florida and South Carolina as libe-
rally as they have for years been forced upon
the Irish-born citizens of New York.


There are many persons however, who have
no belief that the former slaves will ever be
voluntarily accorded equal civil rights in their
old States without the aid of strong law at
their backs. To such men Civil Rights bill
appears o necessity and an act Of humanity


and justice. But if il be SO, it should be made


sweeping and comprehensive, and not cramped


and limited as is the bill passed by the Senate


It seems, indeed from the sharp trick prac-


tised upon Mr. Sumner, as If the Senators


were influenced by political considerations in


their action on tho Civil Rights bill rather than


by any regard for the measure.


1t is to be regretted that while thus pushing


through the Amnesty bill in such hot haste,
after the temporizing and delay to which it
has been subjected all the session, the Senate
marred its work by simultaneously passing the
L. Al. oc
military law over the Southern States during
the recess Of Congress. There is no danger
that the power thus placed in the hands Of
General Grant will be improperly used, and
the fears expressed by the opponents of tho
administration, that the suspension Of the
writ Of habeas corpus and the use Of
bayonets at the polls will render the
Presidential election mockery in the
Southern States, is mere political rhetoric,
used for effect in the campaign Neverthe-
less, the principle the precedent and the
effect Of such a law are offensive and danger
ous The cry Of military usurpation raised
against the administration, groundless as it is,
has, beyond doubt, had its effect, and the true
policy of the friends Of General Grant is to
remove oil pretence for such unfounded
charges. 1t does not reflect credit upon o
party to hold out amnesty to the Southern
States with one hand and military law with
the other, and it creates the impression that
the former boon was granted only for polit-
cal effect. 1t does not help the credit
of the nation abroad or increase its
rr,to ~ 10
publish to the world the belief Of the Congress
of the United States that the States recently in
rebellion still require to be held in the strong
grasp of military law, and cannot be entrusted
with the great safeguard of peoples liberties,
the writ Of habeas corpus. 1t is the honest
belief Of the country that the South, if left
alone, will be rs law-abiding and as loyal as
the North, and it is notorious that the turmoil
and trouble yet existing in some portions of
the Southern States are the work of carpet
baggers and scalawegs from the North, and
not of the Southern citizens themselves. Cen
eral Grant is fully aware Of this, and
did not fear to publish the fact at
time when it was more dangerous than
it is now to speak the truth about
such matters lie would be the last himself
to counsel or desire the law just passed by the
Senate. The House has yet to act upon the
bill, and it is possible that 1t may not be
reached, or may be defeated. 1t will be well
for the administration if it should fail to be-
come law. General Grant is strong enough
without the aid of such measures, and he
would not avail himself Of them under any
circumstances. But the odium of their enact
ment falls unjustly upon his administration.
Universal amnesty has been advocated by the
President from the time Of his election up to
the present moment, and its success in Con-
gress is his triumph. Let 1t not be marred
and disfgured by the passage of q law SO Of
fensive and unnecessary as the Habeas Corpus
Suspension bill. "Let us have peace"