Year: 1871

General Amnesty.


The feeling for general amnesty seems


to be rife 10 our Legislature. On the
10th the following resolutions were Of


fered


Resoloed, That we as representatives
OF the people Of Missouri, declare il to


be the purpose Of the people Of the state
to acquiesce in the accomplished results
OF tho late civil war, but We emphatically y
refuse to accept as proper ptecoe dents to
be recognized and followed in the future
legislation of the country the methods
by which many Of these results were
forced upon an unwilling country that
we believe there is no necessity for the
.tate or neutral government to deprive
any citizens of this country of any of his
political rights, and that the time has
now come when the congress of tho Uni
ted States should by general act extend
to all full and complete amnesty for all
past political offences that We hold that
the national debt should be paid in full,
but we believe that the bond-holder
is no better than the plow holder and
the money that is good enough for one is
good enough for the other therefore we
believe that the national currency, known
as greenbacks, is legal tender for all that
portion Of the national debt known as five
twenties.


That our representatives in congress
be requested and our senators be in.
structed to act in accordance with these
resolutions in their action in the future
in the councils Of the nato, as represeu
tatives of the people of this state.
he resolutions we're made the special
order for Tuesday, oath.


MIR. Jaupin offered the following:


Resolred, /, AS the sense of the House
of Representatives of the general assem-
bly, of the state of Missouri. that the
osth Of the members to support the con.
stitution CT the United States including
the amendments thereto, is the ouly in
ment OF such amendments which public
duty requires:


2 That the fourteenth amendment re
Gently adopted by the action of three
iourths Of the states of the Uuon i'm
poses political disabilities Oh large classes
of the people of the Southern states, to
perpetuate the same and such political
disabilities, being directly at variance
with the recent overwhelming verdict
in this state, we deem it our duty as the
representatives and servants of the peo
pie to use all legal measures in our
power to give full force and effect to
their judgement, so empha,ically rendered
in condemnation Of such disabilities and
in favor of their immediate removal. in |
order that all citizens Of the United
States may be equal before the law, and
equal in the popular sovereignty which
forms the only just basis of Republican
institutions


3. That waving all questions Of the
past as to the power Ct congress 10
abridge the territorial limits or remodel |
the loca! governments of the states lately
in rebellion, We cheerfully acquiesce in
the reconstruction of those states so far
as the same has been accomplished with
the assent and co operation Of the people
thereof.


4 That regarding the maintenance of
the public faith as the first duty of leg.
islation of all public debts whether
state or national, in strict accord.
ance with the contracts by which they
were created. by whom it was achieved,
as worthy of all honor and entitled to
the lasting gratitude of an emaucipated
people.


a motion to lay it on the table was
not agreed to, "a to ST.


Mr.. Smith offered resolution that the
same be made the special order for Thurs.
day the Gath, which was adopted.


n