Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-01-14

FoRTY-EOUR TH CONGRESS-
Closing Proceedings YESTERDAY.
sharp Debate on the Amnesty Bin.


| there. Mr.. Blaine said there were present on
| The democratic side Of the House two gentle
| men vi o represent In part the constituents
maj surround Camp Douglas (Messrs. CauI-
field and Harrisonl and he askei those gen
| tcmen IN say whether, IN their best kno 81
| edge ard belief, there was any cruel treat
| me Mt Of prisoners as charged.
Mr.. Caulf1, (Tising on the democrat tic sid q
/ OF The House, Sstd:-Tne gentleman has sc IN
! nj 10 call on me for my testimony i'm regard
| 10 the treatment OF prisoners at Camp II pug
| ms 90 lot wish him To suppose from my
| said.
Mr. Blaine, 1nterrupting,-Iu what who
| self
| Mr. Caulfield.-In what the gentleman from
| Maine has said.
Mr. Blaine. (saeeringly).-Oh. daughter
| MT Caulheld.-I rise say that there were
| hHrdships in Camp Douglass which were ex-
| perienced by the prisoners from the south.
| but those hardships were incidental To the
climate and TO the emergency OF their i'm
| Mr.. Hill without rising from his seat. ami
IN low tone)-That is right. In that /
GPTee with Won.
| 2r. Caulfield. I remember some instances
| myself i happened 10 be one OF the mum
Der appointed to smeliorate the suff-ringS of
ire prisoners at Camp Douglass. They were
| nrought there in the winter. think the first
batch was from Fort Donaldson The
| weather was cold and il was irnpossihle 10
make them perfectly comforta ole and as a
matter OF course, tlere was a great deal OF
StASiinS dLDOIS IDbln. but / regarded that
suffering as only Incidental 10 the circun-
| stances which surrounded them at the time
| Every effort was made to make them COM
portable, both on The part of the states and
on Inc part OF the -. -ernment, but there
| were some crueltieS Inflicted there to my
! own knowledge. However, do not think il
would be fair to charge the government: but
lhey were chargeable TO the inhumauity OF
certain individuals.
Mr.. Hill. That is all that 1 meant.
| Mr.. Blaine ito Mr.. CauIfield.) VIII you
| state whether the prisoners who came from
Fort Douglas did not occupy and share the
! same quarters and have exactly the same
accommodations as the Illinois troops hal
| had who left Camp Douglas, which was their
| camp, ard went Ia Fort Douglass, eXchang-
| ing places With the prisoners?
Mr.. CauIheld-Ny memory on that point
| does not serve me.
Sir. Blaine Qronicany.)-Oh, TLaughter.l
The gentleman does not recOllect that Camp
douglass was made for Union soldiers, and
Illinois,
Mr. Caulheid.-Now that you bring It TO
| my recollection, think that was so.
Mr.. Blaine lstiu moIe ironicallyD-O my,
what recollection" f1.sughterol the reaUO-
Hcan side That is equal to the recollectson
| Oh Inc gentleman from GeOI gia, VINO dii not
| recolect, the other day, whether he offered
| the resolution which Tread.
| Mr.. Caulield (severely,)-My dear sir,
want you 10 understand that when / 81 ate
what my recollection is about a ce=ta n point
| DO not wish you To stand on this floor and
question my yeTacity.
lection. do not question the gentleman's
yeracity al all
MIR. Harrison also arose on the democratic
SIDE OF The House. and said that he thought
MS colleague was there when the Fort Don
aldson prisoners were brought ~. The
| weather had been exceedingly cold, aud there
was not sufiiCieDcy OF houSeS, but the people
| oI Chicago came forward and attended To The
comfort of The prisoners.
MIR. Henderson Illinoisl said: l visited
! camp Douglas while the rebel prisoners
! We're confined there, because one of my own
| bICOd and kindred was a prisoner there. and
! he told me that he was well treated; that he
had no complaints 10 make, and that he be-
| HeN Ell tue prisoners there were well reeted.
| MI Blaine.-There are a number OF gen.
| uemen on the floor who have been in Union
| prisons IN the north and who, unless they
| contradict me, shall assume by Jheic ST.
| lence assent 10 the statement that make.
| Mr. jones tky.) arose to reply, but upon
| his stating that he had been civil prisoner
| MT Blaine refused - be interrupted unless
his time was extended, which Mr.. Randall
| refused TO DO.
| Mir Mills (Texas,) rising on the democr attic
| slde.-I ask the gentleman from Maine 10
| Withdraw his remark, tLat If gentlemen on
| this side who were confederate prisoners did
| rot rise and deny his statement their silence
would be construed as an acknowledgment
| OF its truth.
Mr. Blaine-If any gentleman on that side
| OF the House desires 20 contradict II | VIII
| yield 20 him.
| Mr. Davis, IN. c. (also on the democratic
| side.)-I was prisoner OF war al Fort Del
| aware
| Mr.. Blaine made mot On as il he would
| not yield the floor any longer
| Mr.. Davis (vociferousl y).-He asked for the
| !acts, and when the facts come ont he Will
| not have them. Great excitement
Mr.. Banks Mass made the point of order
| that, after Mr.. Biaine's challenge to the other
side, he had no right to decline yielding, but
| the Speaker Overruled it.
Mr.. Blaine.-Ges, if that will do You any
GOOD; or You may al, over there, stand up
| and dissent. will wait for you To- do that.
| VI L, RAnnall.-Wp SpnnOl
| [Roars of laughter
Mr.. Blaine.-Ifyou were you are an uuruly
| set OF scholars.
| Mr.. Blaine then quoted largely from the
| speeches of Mr.. Hill, OF Georgia, made dur
| ing the war, in support OF his charges of
crueities during the war, submitting 10 fire.
| quent interruptions from that gentleman in
| explanation. Mr.. Blaine quoted resolutions,
| the language OF which showed that the suf-
| 1erIngs OF Union prisoners were generally
| Known on both sides OF the line, and ne added
| mat the author OF them was Samuel j. Ran
| call, of Pennsylvania. Laughter at the eX-
pense of Mr.. RandaiIl tie also referred to a
| resolution offered by Mr.. W ashburne, OF Illi-
| nois, approving of the hu name efforts of the
| administration to secure an exchange OF
pTii oners, and he said that amongst those
| who voted against IL was Samuel =. Cox
| then OF Ohio. Laughter at the expense OF
! Mr.. Cox
Mr.. Cox Grterrupting.)-The honorable
| Mr.. Blaine-I am not 10 be interrupted.
Mr.. Cox las if correcting himself)-I say
The honorable gentleman from Maine inter-
| rupted me five times the other day, and | let
him come in.
| Mr.. Blaine.-Yes; but the gentleman from
Pennsylvania Mr.. Randail) has notified me
tLat cannot have my time extended.
Mr.. Cox (ferocicusly well, below away;
you are hyena.
Mr.. Blaine, continuing, said he stated on
the authority of General Grant that one
| trouble in relation to the exchang OF pris-
oners was that the Davis government OBJ
served no honor in the matter. Mr. Blaine
cOncluded:-In view of all these facts, Ihavs
| only TO say that II the American Congress.
| by two-third vote, shall pronounce Jeffer-
| Son Davis worthy TO be restored TO the full
| rights Of American citizenship can only
| Vote against ii and hang my head in silence.
Mr.. Banks proposed TO amend the bill by
| striking out all after the first section and
substituting provision that any person
now lying under political disabilities shall
| be fully and forever relieved therefrom, u pom
appearing before a United States court. or
Any court of record, and taking the follow
ing oath Il, A. B., do solemuly swear that |
will support AID defend the Constitution of
the United States against all enemies, for
eign and domestic; that will bear true faith
and allegiance to the same, and obey all
laws made i'll pursuance thereof; aud that L
take this allegation freely, without any men,
fal of