CONGKESS, UNITED STATES. 



141 



for its mercy, and no claims upon the generos- 

 ity of this Government. But, while that is 

 true, there are others whom we desire to 

 relieve from disabilities, there are others who 

 would undoubtedly be good citizens if relieved ; 

 but we have not the machinery and cannot in- 

 vent it here to ascertain who they are specifi- 

 cally. They are too numerous for individual 

 action, and generally those most meritorious 

 are least likely to press their claims. That 

 mode of action is surrounded by practical dif- 

 ficulties on all hands, and the administration 

 of the law in that way is calculated to pro- 

 duce disquiet because of the discriminations 

 made in passing special bills. That will con- 

 stantly produce disquiet. It seems to me 

 wiser to end the matter and to pass this bill 

 as it came from the House of Representatives, 

 and free ourselves from the embarrassments 

 that we are placed in when we resort to spe- 

 cial legislation. By doing this, we shall take 

 from these men the excuse which they make 

 that justice is not done to all, that bad men. 

 are relieved while good men are not. Take 

 this pretext from them, so that they shall 

 have no excuse for alleging that this Govern- 

 ment is not generous to all because it has re- 

 lieved the bad and also relieved the good. 

 Let us take from them all chance for exciting 

 sympathy among their fellows ; for, view it as 

 you will, if a citizen who stands well in a par- 

 ticular locality is overlooked, and one who 

 stands badly is relieved, that community will 

 blame Congress and blame the Government, 

 and draw a comparison, so that a sympathy 

 will be created for the citizen whose claims 

 have been overlooked." 



Mr. Sumner, of Massachusetts, said : " Mr. 

 President, we have all heard of the old saying, 

 ' Let us be just before we are generous.' I 

 do not like to be against any thing that may 

 seem to be generous ; but I do insist always 

 upon justice ; and now that it is proposed that 

 we should be generous to those who were en- 

 gaged in the rebellion, I insist upon justice to 

 the colored race everywhere throughout this 

 land, and in that spirit I shall ask the Senate 

 to adopt as an amendment, in the form of ad- 

 ditional sections, what is already known in 

 this Chamber as the supplementary civil 

 rights bill, which I now send to the Chair 

 and ask to have read. I offer it to come in at 

 the^end of the bill. It is not in order strictly 

 until the amendment of the Senator from In- 

 diana shall have been acted upon." 



The Presiding Officer: "The question at 

 present is on the amendment of the Senator 

 from Indiana (Mr. Morton). 



Mr. Hill, of Georgia, said: "Before the vote 

 is taken on that proposition, I beg to say to the 

 Senate that I should regret exceedingly to see 

 this measure, matured with so much care in 

 the House of Eepresentatives, and now at last 

 brought before the Senate for consideration, 

 overlaid with amendments which are not ger- 

 mane to its provisions, and thereby defeated. 



I certainly would not insinuate that it is the 

 purpose of any Senator on the floor, by offer- 

 ing amendments, to defeat this great measure. 

 I characterize it as a great measure, because 

 of the belief I have that it is to effect great 

 consequences. 



" Why, sir, gentlemen who do not live in 

 the section of country that is affected materi- 

 ally by it cannot possibly know as well as 

 some of us do the grievances of hundreds of 

 worthy men, who had little or no part in the 

 rebellion, who were valuable officers before it 

 commenced, but by reason of having taken 

 almost a coerced part, though perhaps to be 

 denominated voluntary in a strict legal sense, 

 are now excluded from participation in the 

 public offices of the country. Like other 

 Senators here I had no sympathy, and I may 

 say no toleration, for the rebellion itself. I 

 thought it unwise ; I thought it unjust ; I even 

 thought it was wicked ; and I so character- 

 ized it at the time; and the day has been 

 when, if left to my own single volition to say 

 whether so liberal an amnesty as is now pro- 

 posed should be granted, I should have hesi- 

 tated before according it, because the day has 

 been I say it in justice to myself when I 

 have felt more bitterly toward those who 

 originated the rebellion, and those who eager- 

 ly assisted in it, than I do to-day. Time has 

 soothed in some degree my own feelings, as it 

 has toned down the feelings of others. It is 

 no uncommon thing in my own State for old 

 associates in the old Whig party of that State 

 to appeal to me to know how it is that I can 

 identify myself with a class of politicians who 

 exclude from participation in public affairs the 

 humble justice of the peace, who before the 

 war performed faithfully his little functions in 

 that office, because circumstances drove him 

 into the rebellion, though he believed, as I 

 did, that it never ought to have been inaugu- 

 rated. The present measure is not as liberal, 

 perhaps, as I might desire it to be ; certainly 

 it is not as liberal as many other gentlemen 

 from the South desire ; but it is one that has 

 been well considered, and is well devised. I 

 hope that it will not be interfered with at 

 this late day by amendments such as have 

 been offered. 



" In regard to the amendment offered by the 

 Senator from Indiana, relating, I suppose, as 

 is hinted, to the election of a rather promi- 

 nent rebel from the State of North Carolina 

 to a seat in this Senate, I would suggest that 

 it will be competent for the Senate hereafter 

 to judge whether or not at the time of that 

 election he was eligible to a seat here, and 

 that will embrace the whole legal question 

 that attaches to the matter. Sir, shall we 

 mar the beautiful record of this great peace- 

 offering to the country by making a reference 

 to one individual from North Carolina or from 

 any other State. I trust not." 



Mr. Sumner : " I am very glad indeed that I 

 have heard the Senator, for I should like to 



