Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-01-21

only answer ne would give 20 mat was That
he himself had once had the honor OF being
in prison in the North, and on the first day of
his imprisonment the officer in charge of the
prison had kindly told him that he would put
him on Andersonvile fare, and would not al
low him TO buy anything. He (Mr. Hill)
only got released from that imprisonment af-
ter ten days effort before General Dix, Of
New York. He quoted the testimony Of nm
union soldier on the Wirz trial to The effect
that there never had been any difficulty in
getting vegetables at Andersonville. He then
proceeded TO discuss the cause of the horrors
at Andersonvlle. He said that he frs, cause
was want Of medicine. But whose fault was
il that they could not get medicine2 They
did not have medicine in he confederaey, and
the Federal government had made medicine
contraband of war. thing which no other
country on earth had ever done before. Not
even had the Duke of Alva doue such thing
Even the federal officers had received in-
structions TO examine women passing through
the lines, to search their pet!icoats even, so
as to prevent them bringing medicine to the
conlederacy. Who, he asked, was RESPONSE
BILE for that2 There was also another mis-
fortune, and that was The want Of clothing,
| Clothing, of course, had been made contra
band of war. He declared that whatever
horrors had existed at Andersonyille not one
of them could be attributed to n single order
OF the Confederate government, and everyone
OF them grew out of the necessity of The occa-
sion, which necessity was fastened on the con-
| federates by the conduct Of the other side. He
challenged Mr.. Blaine to meet him face to face
and fact to fact in the discussion Of the ques-
| ton declaring that the time was past when
the country could accept the impudence Of
assertion for the force Of argument or the
reckessness of statement for the truth of his
tory. He (Mr Hin did not want to unfold
| the chapter on the other side. He was an
| American who hOnored his country and his
whole country, and it was not pleasant for
him TO bring forward proof that any portion
of country had been guilty of willfu crime or
| willfu treatment of poor manacled prisoners.
| Most OF those horrors were inseparable from a
state Of war and he wanted the people to re-
collect that so that hereafter they should not
| be hurried into another war. Still as IL set
of to the gentleman's (Blaine's) statement
about Andelsonvlle, he would read some ex-
tracts from letter written by a confederate
surgeon, who was prisoner of war, at FL
mira. He read portions of that letter in
which it was suited that the mortality at Ell
mira was no less than ut Andersouvillc.
Mr. Plat, of New York, asked him who
was the author of the letter.
Mr.. Hill replied that he bid not know.
Mr.. Plat declared as living within thirty
unqualfedly false.
Mr.. Hill replied that he did not say that
the statements were true, but only that they
were as good as the statements quoted on the
other side. He merely used them rs n set of
But, after all, what was the test rs to the de-
gree of misery suffered in northern and south
ern prisons2 The test was the result The
report Of Mr.. Stanton, secretary Of war ,the
republican side of The House win believe hm),
exhibited the fact that of the federal prisoners
in the hands Of the confederate authorities
during the war %, SIC had died, and that Of
the confederate prisoners in federal hands &c.
436 had died. Surgeon General Barnes (be
supposed the republicans would believe him
also) had given The number of confederate
prisoners in federal hands during the war at
go, 000 and Of federal prisoners in confeder-
ate hands at 270,000. Therefore, out Of the
270 600 prisoners in confederate hands only
22, SIC had died, while out of the 200, 600 CON
federale prisoners in federal hands 26, 436 had
died. The ratio was twelve per cent of con
federate prisoners in federal hands died aud
less than nine per cent Of federal prisoners in
confederate hands. And, my friend address
| ing Mr. Blaine with great emphasis) who is
| the murderer? ! would believe Surgeon Gen
eral Barnes in preference to any politician
over there. The gentleman Mr. Phttl SAYS
| he lives ihirty-six miles away from Elmira
Perhaps he could have smelled the smallpox
| that far. He certainly could not have seen
it and venture TO say that If the smallpox
was at the prison camp, no one could have
got him nearer than thirty-six miles He is
a wonderful witness. Laughter But it is
not equal to the mGtilated evidence which the
gentleman from Maine introduced yesterday
We know how our prisoners suffered in leder-
al hands, if we choose TO tell Thousands Of
our poor fellows came home from Elmrn,
| Fort Delaware and other places with their
| fingers frozen off, with their toes frozen off
and with their teeth fallen out. But the great
question is at last, who was responsible for
that state Of things, and that is really the on
! ly important question. Mr.. Hill went on to
discuss the history Of The exchange Of prison
ers, dwelling on the fact that the cartel which
was established in 1862, was interrupted in
| 1863, and the federal authorities refused to
continue the exchange of prisoners and al
| uded TO the fact Of Mr.. Alexander II
Stephens, vice president Of the conlederacg,
having been commissioned by President
| Davis in July, 1863, to come 10 Washington
and consult with the federal authorities in re-
gard to the exchange ofprisoners, quoting Mr.
Davis letter to Mr.. Stephens thut bis mlsion
was simply one Of humanity and had no po-
liical aspect. But when Mr. Stephens APP
pealed to Admiral Lee for permission 10 90 up
to Washington in the steamer Torpedo, Adj
miraI Lee returned him this answer The
request Of Alexander II. Stephens is admssa-
be Gideon Weles, Secretary Of the Navy T."
The next effort In the same direction was made
10 January, ] S64, when Mr. Robert Ould, con.
federate agent Of exchange, wrote to the fed
cral agent Of exchange, proposing, in view Of
The difficulties attending the release Of prison.
ers, that surgeons OF the army on each side
should be allowed 10 attend their own SOL
4 vl,t in bn ~ tn,
enemy, and should have charge Of their
nursing and medicine and provisions, which
proposition WAS also rejected.
At this point Of the debate Mr. Hills hour
expired, but By unanimous consent he was al
lowed 10 proceed without any Limitation as to
time.
Mr.. Blaine asked him whether be be had
not been a member Of the Confederate Senate.
Mr.. Hill replied that be bad been.
Mr. Blaine then proceeded 10 quote reso-
luton offered in the Confederate Congress by
Senator Hill, Of Georgia, to the following ef-
rect "That every person pretending to be
soldier or officer Of the United States who
shall be captured on the soil of the Confeder-
ate States after the lst Of January 1863. shall
he presumed TO have entered the territory Of
the Confederate States with intent 10 excite in
surrectiou and to abet murder, and that un-
less satisfactory proof be adduced to The con-
trarY before the military court before wbieh
his trial shall be bad he shall suffer DEATH
lie asked Mr.. Hill whether he was the author
Of that resolution.
Mr. Hill ! will say to the gentleman from
Maine very frankly that have not the slight
est recollection Of bearing il before.
Mr.. Blaine You do not deny it.
Mr. Hill ] do not know. Ms opinion IS
that never was the author of thar resolution,
but have no recollection Of it. II The gem
tlenian can give me the circumstances under
ghirb IL was introduced I NAV Eeco.leCt