The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-15
Current Notes.

Mr.. Blaine shows courage and justice and
sound judgment in bringing up this question
at the right moment and having it settled.
No haste or sneers ON the other side, no CEN
tennial gush or hurrahings for merely polit-
cal reconciliation" will prevent the country
from carefully considering his facts and argu-
ments.-Boston Journal.
The country is still with Mr.. Blaine when
he announces his opposition to thrusting
citizenship on such men as Robert Toombs,
who still faunts his enmity to the general
government, and JEFF Davis, the representa-
tive traitor, who is responsible through his
position for crimes disgraceful to human
nature.-Boston Transcript.
We are inclined to think it quite as well for
the country that this chief plotter and chief
traitor should he excluded from the national
councils, without regard TO bis connection
with the prison outrages. In most countries
of the world he would have had his head
summarily chopped off, upon his capture
Worcester Gazette.
Mr.. Blaine is charged with reviving the
animosity of the war period, but this is unfair !;
the question was opened by Mr.. Randalps
bill. The proposed measure is of great i'm
portance, as all acknowledge, and no one can
deny that there are reasons worthy of con-
sideration for Mr.. Blaine'3 amendment
Worcester Spy.
1t is to be regretted on some accounts that
the subject has been brought forward at this
time when there is so general desire for a
season of goodwill and fellowship. But as
the Democrats have seen fit to force the issue
for the purpose of making party capital, the
Ranuhlipapc pOuld NOT rafr1sa m oat if apd
to show its hollowness and sham.-Hartford
Courdnt.
There are good many reasons why am
nesty should be refused Jefferson Davis, and
we agree with Mr.. Blaine in thinking his
moral responsibility for Andersonville one of
them. Mr.. Hill of Georgia, an ex-Confeder-
ate Senator, who replied to Mr.. Blaine, had a
right to deny this responsibility, but he made
a great mistake in attempting to whitewash
the rebel prisons. He was addressing men
who had seen the skeletons that came alive
out of Andersonville or had survived the hor-
rors of Belle Isle, and he might as well have
offered statistics to prove that there had been
no Rebellion as that the names of those and
other Southern prison-camps are not justly to
be forever infamous as scenes of needless,
wanton, devilish inhumanity. One who has
Icdu VI tHc pcueIdi prlSOHtIS Lndke-SnIICS lOr
shelter, or, as was still possible after the war,
has seen the burrows into which they
crawled, or has ever stood before a col
lection of the implements which they
shaped as best they might, knows how
long a step towards savagery they were
driven to take by their savage keepers. On
this subject the North has made up its mind,
and the Southern members of Congress who
desire to get "the bloody shirt" out OF poll
tics had better refrain from following the ex-
ample of Mr.. Hill. Difficult as it is to prove
Davis's direct part ia these atrocities, it is
more difficult to relieve him OF immediate
moral responsibility for them, seeing that he
was not in ignorance of the facts, and that he
never lifted finger by way of protest. 1t is
worth while to remind Congressman, too.
that Wirtz was found guilty by a court
martial of 'conspiring and confederating"
| with Jefferson Davis, and others, in the cruel
treatment OF Federal prisoners for which he
was hung. 1t would be simple qualification
to amnesty his military superior, who looked
upon his conduct with Indifference or ap-
proval.-Nation.