The Russellville Democrat., 1876-02-17
MO-. 4.

l tice Of our cause and the rectitude of my own conduct, l declined to sign the petition, and remained subject to the inexcusable priva- tions and tortures which Dr. Craven has but faintly described. When, after two years of close confinement, l was admitted to bail, as often as required l appear ed for trial under the indictment found against me, but in which Mir. Blaine's fictions do not ap- pear. The indictment was finally quashed, on no application mine nor have I ever evaded or avoid ed trial on any charge which the General Government might choose to bring against me.
 l have no view of the future which makes it desirable to me to be included in an amnesty bill. Viewed in the abstract, or as a general question. 1 would be glad to see the repeal of aa laws in- flicting the penalty of political, disabilaties on classes of people, that it might, as prescribed by the constitution, be left to the courts to decide and to afiix pen alties according to legislation.
 The discrimination made against our people is unjust and impolitic. If the fact be equally and the purpose be fraternity among citizens of the United States, conviction and sentence without a hearing, without juris diction, and atlixing penalties by ex post facto legislation, are part of a proceeding which had it's ap- propriate place in the assumption by Congress of the executive function of granting pardons. To remove political disabilities which there was not legal power to i'm pose, was not an act of so much grace as to form a plausible pre- text for the reckless diatribe of Mr. Blaine.
 The papers preserved by Dr. Stevenson happily furnish full proof of the cause of disease and death at Andersonville. They are now, I believe at Rich mond, and it is to he hoped that their publication will not long be delayed.
 I have no taste for recrimina- tion, though the sad recitals made by our soldiers returned from Northern prisons can never be forgotten, and you will remember the excitement they produced and the censorious publication which was uttered against me because would not visit on the helpless prisoners in our hands such bar barities as, according to reports, had been inflicted upon our men. Imprisonment is a hard lot at best, and prisoners are prore c to to exaggerate their sufrerings, and such was probably the case on both sides; but we did not seek by reports of committees, with photographic illustrations, to influence the passions of our people. How was it with our enemy? Let one sample suffice. You very well remember the pub lished report of the committee Of the United States Congress which was sent to Annapolis to visit, some exchanged prisoners, and which had appended to it photo graphs from emancipated sub jects, which were offered as sam pies of the prisoners returned from the South.
 When copy of that report was received 1 sent to Col. Ould, com missioner for the exchange of prisoners, and learned, as I antic- ipated, that the photographs had been taken from men who were in eur hospitals when they were liberated for exchange, and who were regarded as convalescent, but too weak to be removed with safetp to themselves. The anxie- ty of the prisoners to be sent to their homes had prevailed over the objection of the surgeon.
 But this is not all, for l have recently learned from priest who was then at Annapolis, that the most wretched looking photo graphs were taken from a man who had never been a prisoner, but who had been left on q sick list at Annapolis when tae com mana to which he was attached had passed that place on it's south ward march.
 Whatever may be said in cx- tenuation of such imposture be- cause of the eXigencies of war, there can be no such excuse now
 for the attempt of Mir. Blaine, by
 gross misrepresentation and sian
 derous accusation, to revive the
 worst passions of the war; and it is to be hoped that, much as the event is to be regretted, it will have the good effect of eyoking } truthful statements in regard to , this little understood subject,
 from men who would have pre- , ferred to leave their Sorrowinl
 story untold, the subject could have heen allowed peacefully to D sink intn ohliviOu