Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-01-15
Congress-.

expire at the meeting OF Congress alter the
first recess. the Vice President not having APP
peared to take the chair aud that the death Of
the Vice President does not have the effect TO
vacate tue Office Of President pro tempore Of
the Senate, were unanimously adopted.
In the House, after the presentation OLA
large number of bills uader the call OF the
States, Mr.. Randall amnesty bill was called
up and after sharp debate. in which Messrs.
Blaine, Garfield aud Randall participated, the
bill was put upon its passage and defeated
yeas l72. nays 81, two-thir,ls not voting IN
the affirmative, the republicans voting in tie
negative because of Mr.. Randall's refusal to
accept Mr. BaiDe's amendment, which exclu-
ded jefferson Davis from the benefits of the
bill Mr.. Blaine then obtained the floor, aud
spoke at considerable length, recting the his
tory Of the reconstruction, aud dwelling on the
ALLEGED atrocities committed 10y Confederate
officials by the order or connivance Of Jetfer-
son Davis. His ulterauces were Of the most
bitter and vindc;ive character. Mr.. Cox, OF
New York responded in a iacetious manner,
his sharp hits eliciiing great laughter.
In the Senate on Tuesday, the death Of
Andrew j "hpsnn was announced by Mr.. Coop
er. accompanied with the customary resolutions.
Remarks eulo istic OF the dead were made by
Messrs Morton, McCreery aud others, after
which the resolutions were adopted aud the
Senate adjourned.
In the hpusc the amnesty bill was then call.
ell up, and Mr.. Hill, of Georgia, delivered
lengthy address. warmly defending the Con-
fcderatc authorities from. the charge of alleged
cruelteS tu Union soldiers. charging that the
failure of prompt exchange Of prisoners was
the fault OF Federal authorities. and closing
ith an eloquent invocation IN favor Of union
aud peace.
We regret that we have space ouly for the
conclusion of Mr.. Hills great speech, 10 which
be proceeded TO sum up the argument, and
said what have We proven | have proven
that the federal authorities broke the cartel
deliberately; we have proved that they reiuS-
ell To reopen that cartel when approached 10y
Mr Stevens as a committee. solely on the
grouid of humanity. | have proven they
made medicine contrabaud of war, aud there
by left us To- the dread necessity of supplying
prisoners with such mcdicIues as could be
provided in the Coniederacy. ! have proven
that the CJnfederateS proposed 10 return your
sick and wounded without equivalent, IN Au-
gust, 1864, and that you never deigned 10
reply until December, 1864 have proven
your high officers in command gave as the
reason why they would not exchange men that
it would I've humane T. the prisoners, but cruel
b. the soldiers in the field. IL was part ol the
militlry policy to let your prisoners suffer
rather than that the Cniederacy should have
an increase of its military force | have
proven that with all the horrors You have
made such noise about As occurring at An
dersonvile the greater horrors occurred III the
prisons where you had our men. and that the
per cent was three greater among our prison
oners in your hands than among your men IN
our hands When the gentleman from Maine
rises again to give birth 10 that unmitugAted
efiuSion of genius without a fact - sustain II,
in which he says: "And here before my God,
measuring my words, and knowing their full
iutent aud impnrt. declare that neither the
deeds Of the Duke of Alva in the low couu-
tries, nor the massacre Ot ST Bartholomew,
nor the thumbscrews Of Spanish InquiSition
begin tn compare in atrocIty with the hideous
crime of AndprSonville" Let him add to it,
land the atrocities of AndersonvilIe do not
begin to compare with the atrocities of FL
mira, of Fort Douglas or Fort Delaware, and
of all the atrocities both at AnderSonville aud
Emira, the Confederate government stands
acquitted from all responsibility aud blame.
Mr.. Hill then quoted from the speech made
by JET Davis 90 the Confederate soldiers after
the retreat of Gen Mcclellan from before
Richmond, IN which he said that the crnwuiug
glory of the soldiers was their humanity to
the wounded and prisoners who had fallen into
their hands.
He also referred to the fact that the Rich
mond Examiner which Mr. Blaine quoted YES
ter,lay as authority against Mr.. Davis had
said that the humanity and generosity Of. JET
ierson Davis would Inevitably ruin the Con-
federacy. The gentleman from Maine bad il
troduced that witness to prove Davis guilty oi
iuhumanity and yet the witness said the hu-
mainly of Davis would ruin the CDufederacy.
Mr. Hill also quotes the following from the
Richmond Enquirer: The enemy has gone from
one extreme of cruelty 10 another. Enc ,ur-
aged by their impuuity they are now and have
been for me time intllCting on the people Of
the country the worst horrors OF - barharous
aud uucivlized war, yet in spite Of all this
in his dealings with the enemy is as gentle
as sucking dove"
That. continued Mr. Hill, IS the truth
Those Of Us who were there at the time know
IT H. Le fact that one Of the most persistent
charges brought by the Richmond Examiner
and some others against Mr. Davis was his
humanity over and over again. Has Mr. Dl-
VS. cen lizard to say when applied to, to re-
talia'c tor tie horrors Inflicted on our prison.
ers ? quote his very language: The in
humanity of the enemy can be Of no lu,tif-
cation for disregard by us of the rules of
civilized warfare aud Christianity" There
FIRE, he persisted in it, aud this paper erie, out
against him that he would ruin the Conleler-
acy. Bat why bring up this subject? War
is always horrible, and war always brings
hard>hips, ca;hs. sorrow, pain aud 3evaSta-
ton He is unworthy 10 be considered a
statesman locking t, acifralinn of the cnun-
try who will parade horrors inserarahle from
war for the purpose Of keeping up the strife
ich produced those horrors My message L.
the gentleman from Maine is this:
There are ~ Confederate ambition. desires
OF purpose in this house, bat the South Is
here. and here she intends to remain u. Eutbu-
Siasiic demonstrations from the Democrats aud
the galleries Let iauaticIsm do lis worst /;
le, it pass its uulhfying acts, trample on the
Constitution; abrueale pledges Of oir fathers /;
iuciie raids on our people aud multiply inf
dellles until they shall he like the stars or
sands Of the sea shore without number; but
know this, for all your iniquities, the South
will never again seek remedy IN the madness