Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-01-20

III.
and that this VIM. J. Hamilton, whose tes-
timony l have just read. went to Gen.
Howell Cobb, commanding that depart
ment, and asking that the condition of the
prison should be transmitted to the Con-
federate Government at Richmond.
In fact there are great many instances
and proofs TO show that Mr.. Davis was in
entire possession of the facts in relation to
Andersonville. When Gen. Sherman's in
vasion, or some other invasion. of that
portion OF the country was underway. and
when there was a danger, or supposed
danger. that ii might come to that neigh
borhood, the regular military erder No. l3
dated headquarters Of the Confederate
State. Military prison. Andersonville, July
q, 1864" and signed by Briga General
Winder, was issued in these words:
The officer on duty and in charge of the battery
OF Florida Artillery will. on receiving notice that
the enemy has approached within seven miles OF
the post, open fire the stockade with grape shot
without reference TO the situation beyond this line
OF defence"
Here were those $4,000 poor, helpness.
naked, starving. sickened, dying men.
This Catholic priest states that he went TO
General Cobb to represent to him that If
he could not exchange them they should
be taken before the Union lines in Florida
and paroled and let 20 free. And yet, il
the Union forces We're TO get within seven
miles, that regular order OF Mr.. Davis's
officer was TO open a battery of grape shot
on these poor wretches without the slight
est possible regard 10 what was going on
outside.
Now, | do not arraign the Southern peo-
pie for this. God forbid that | should
charge any people with sympathizng with
such AN order. There were many evideaces
of great uneasiness among the Southern
people about it, aud one of the great crimes
OF Mr.. Davis was that ne concealed it from
the Southern people. We have obtained a
complete series of Mr. Davis's messages.
with official imprint, at Richmond. and
they are now in the Congressional Library
| have looked over them, aud | lind in his
message OF Dec. :, 1861, at this very time
when these horrors were at their acme. at
their EXTREMIST verge of desperation he
says:
The soicitude of the Government for the release
Of our captive fellow citizens has known no abaic-
ment. but has ON the contrary, been still more
deeply affected BY the additional suffering 10 which
they have been wantonly Subjected by deprivation
OF adequate food. clothing and fuel. which they
have not been permitted 10 purchase from the pris
ON suffers"
And then adds that the enemy attempt To
excuse their barbarous conduct by the un-
founded allegation that ii was retaliation
Tor ike conduct on our part.
Now | undertake To say that there Is not
a Confederate soldier now living who has
any credit a a man in the community, aud
whoever was prisoner in the hands of the
Union forces, who viii say that he ever
was cruelty treated; that he ever was de-
prived OF the same ratious which the Union
soldiers had, or the same food.
Mr.. Cook of Georgia-Thousand OF
them.
Mr.. Blaine-Well, take issue on that,
and | say that no one can truthfully state
II. As Tor measures of retaliation. though
goaded by this terrific treatment OF our
friends in prison by Mr.. Davis, the Senate
OF the United States specially refused 10
pass resolution of retaliation. As contrary
10 modern civilization and TO the first pre-
cepts OF Christianity There was DO retail
iation attempted or justified. IL was re-
fused, and Jefferson Davis knew 1t was re-
fused just as well he knows it to-day.
because what took place in Washington or
what took place in Richmond, of that kind
was known on either side OF the line in a
day or thereafter.
Now this is not a proposition TO punish
Nr. Davis. There Is no one attempting 10
do it, | very frankly say that | always
thought that the Indictment of Mr.. Davis
at Richmond, under the administration OF
Mr.. Johnson, was 4 weak step. for he was
indicted only for that for which he was
guilty in common with every other gentle
man who went into the Confederate move
ment, and therefore there was no particu-
lar reason for singing him out for indict-
ment. But | will undertake to say this,
and with good delberation, that there is
not civilized Government on the face of
the globe, very certainly not a European
hfrh ha,
ted Mr.. Davis. or which. when it had him
in It's power, would not have tried him for
maltreatment of prisoners of war and shot
him within thirty days. France, Russia,
England, Germany, Austria, any of them.
| would have done it. The poor victim
| WirZ deserved his death for the brutal
| treatment of prisoners, but | always
thought it was weak movement on the
| part of the Government TO allow Jefferson
Davis TO go at large and hang Wirz. Wirz
was nothing in the world but mere
subordinate and tool, and therefore there
was no philosophy in selecting him for
punishment. Still do not say that he did
net deserve it. He did richly deserve it,
and he deserved no mercy, but at the same
| time his execution put me in mind of skip
ping the President. Superintendent aud
Board of Directors of a railroad company
in the case OF great railroad accident,and
hanging the brakeman on the rear car.
| daughter
There is no proposition here 10 punish
| Mr.. Davis. Nobody is asking 10 do IL.
| The time Tor such thing has gone by.
/ The statute of Limitation and the common
feeling of humanity would intervene Tor
his benefit. But what you ask to do is TO
declare, by vote of two-thirds of both
| branches OF Congress, solemny that we
consider Mr.. Davis worthy to ill the
| highest offices in the United States if he
can get "A constituency 10 trust him. lie
is voter; he can buy, aud he can sell he
can 90 and he can come. He is as free as
any man in the United States. There is
long list of subordinate offices to which
he is eligible, but this proposition proposes,
in view of the record which l have read,
| to declare, by twO-thrds. vote of the
House, Mr.. Davis eligible and worthy to
fill any Office up TO the Presidency of the
United States. For one, on full delibera-
tion. will not do it.
1t has been frequently said, in mitigation
of Mr. Davis in the amnesty matter, that
the men who died in such large numbers
the victims believe number IL, 900 fell vic
tins an epidemic and died of diseases which
show that 81. 900 men about 33 per cent
died, that is. one in three. OF the soldiers
who were encamped within half mile oi
the stockade, and who guarded it, but one
man In 400 died.
Now, as to general amnesty. 1t is toe
late to debate it, whether it has In all res.
poets been wise or unwise, shall not de-
tain the House in discussing it. Even il
had convictions on that question, l do moi
know that it would be productive of any
great good to discuss it; but at the same
time it is
A VERY SINGULAR SPECTACLE
that he Republican party, in possession o
the entire Government, has deliberately
called back into public power the leading
men Of the South, every one of whom turn,
out its everbitter, relentless and malignant
foe, and that to-day from the Potomac to thu
Rio Grande, the very men who have re
ceived this amnesty are as busy as they
know how to be in consolidating into en-,
compact political organization. The ole
slave States are just as before, and we Sc,
the banner blazoned with the insignia tha
with united South and few votes from
| the North the cOuntrv can he D0varnad