The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-02-03
THE AMNESTY DEBATE IN
CONGRESS-.

vania, to remove all political disabil
ties now resting upon the rebel lead
ers, under the 14th amendment t
the Constitution, was one of themos
interesting and important that ba
occurred in that body for severa
years, and has attracted the Games
attention of the whole country. A
the notice of the debate given in ou
Congressional proceedings, was to,
brief to afford our readers any cor
rect idea of its general scope or char
acter, we propose to give synopsi
of its leading points.
On Monday, Jan. 10th, Mr.. Rand
all moved suspension of the rules il
order that his Amnesty bill might b.
taken up. Mr. Blaine. Republican
of Maine, expressed his desire to of
fer an amendment or substitute
The Democratic majority, evidently
anxio7s to prevent debate, attempt
ed to pass the bill under the opera
ton of the previous question, but
failed, the vote standing ayes IT'S tc
nays 81, and Is not voting being
less than the tro thirds majority re
quired by the 18th amendment to
the Constitution.
Thereupon Mr. Blaine, as a ques-
ton of privilege, moved to reconsid
er this vote, and gave notice that up
on the motion being agreed to he
would move an amendment, except
ing Jefferson Davis from the opera
tions of the bill, and requiring that
before any person should be relieved
of his disabilities, he should be rc.
quired to go before a United States
court and take an oath to defend and
support the Constitution.
Mr.. Blaine proceeded to speak in
favor of his amendment, showing
that the Republican majority in Con
gress, since the 18th amendment was
adopted, have removed the disabili-
ties imposed by that amendment from
nearly $4,000 rebels who were affect
ed by it, and that the number now
remaining unpardoned is only about
$50, of whom about 325 were officers
of the army, 295 officers of the navy,
and the remainder Senators, Repre-
sentatives, judicial officers, heads ot
departments, foreign ministers, &c.
He said the Republican policy had
been one of unparalleled clemen-
cy towards those who had at
tempted to destroy the Government,
and he had now no objections to
pardoninS all who still remained un-
der disabilities, with the single ex.
ception of Jefferson Davis, ex-Presi-
dent of the rebel Confederacy. His
objection to Mr. Davis was not that
he held tie highest Office in the reb-
ell government, but that, as Presi-
dent, he was responsible fer the
cruel and horrible atrocities perpe-
trated upon the Union prisoners at
Ande. sonville, Georgia, by which
nearly $4,000 out of 35, 1000, lost their
lives, and thousands more we're more
or less disabled and injured for life.
Mr.. Blaine proved by quotations
from rebel official documents, that
the treatment of our prisoners in
Andersonville was known to Mr..
Davis, and that efforts were made by
some of the more humane rebel Off
GERS to have Gen. Winder, the brutal
commander of the prison, removed,
but in vain. He also read from the
report of the Committee of Congress,
composed of Republicans and Demo
Gratis, as to the terrible condition of
our prisoners who were released
from Andersonville, on their arrival
at Annapolis, and their unanimous
testimony in regard to the cruel
treatment they had received while in
prison. He said he had read over
the history of the Inquisition, the
of ST. Bartholomew, and
the atrocities of the Duke of Alva III
the Low Countries, but he must de-
clare solemnly, with full responsible
ty for his words, that all these did
not begin to compare with the crime
at Andersonville.
He also cited the testimony of a
Catholic priest at Macon, Rev. W. J..
Hamilton, Southern man, who vis-
tied Andersonville, and told the Com
mittee of Congress what frightful
scenes he had witnessed there, and
that be went to General Howell
Cobb, the rebel commander of the
department., and asked him to inform
the government at Richmond as to
the condition of things in the prison.
He read also the Infamous official
order of Gen. Winder, the command
er of the prison, to the rebel battery,
at the time Gen. Sherman was sup
posed to be approaching, command
ing them to fire on the prisoners
with grape-shot, as soon as they re-
ceived information that Gen. Sher-
mans troops were within seven miles
of the prison.
He concluded his speech By saying
that he had no desire to punish Mr..
Davis. He was now free to vote