The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-01-20

| that he would not ask tue nltcd states
for citizenship. Very well. We car
stand that qaite as well as Mr. Robert
: Toombs. laughter And if Mr.. Rob
ert Toombs is not prepared to come into
the United States Court and swear that
he means to be good citizen, let him
stay out. do not think that Congress
ought to raise ITSELF or to resolve itself
into a Joint convention to embrace Mr..
Robert Toombs gushingly, and beg him
to honor US by coming back and taking
the highest form Of citizenship.
Well, what after2 Ny substitute re-
duires that every one of these gentlemen
shall show his good faith by taking the
oath which all Of US take, and are glad
to take. That is a very small exaction
to make as a preliminary to full restoT-
alton to all rights of citizenship.
In my amendment | have excepted
Jefferson Davis from its operation. Now,
/ do not place that exception on the
ground that Mr.. Davis was, as he is com
monty called, the head and front Of the
Rebellion, because on that ground do
not think the exception would be tena-
BILE. Mr.. Davis was just as guilty, no
more so, no less so, than thousands OF
others who will get the benefit OF grace
and amnesty. Probably no was far less
efficient as an enemy of the United
/ States. Probably he was far-more useful
as disturber of the counsels of the Con-
/ federacy 1t is not because of any par
/ ticular or special damage which he,
/ above others, did to the United States,
or because he is particularly Of any
/ special consequence that excepted him.
but except him on this ground, that he
is the author, knowingly and deliberate
| ly, and guilty, willfully, of gigantic muir
der and crime at Andersonyllle. A
member "And Libby.
Blaine continued: Libby pales in in
significance as compared to Anderson
vile. place it on that ground, and
believe that so rapidly does one event
follow upon the heels Of another in this
rapid age in which we live, that even
those of US who were contemporaneously
cognizant of what was transpiring there,
still less those OF US who have grown up
since, have failed to realize the gigantic
crime which was there committed Since
the gentleman from Pennsylvania intro
duced this bill, have taken occasion to
read some Of the historical cruelties of
the world / have read over the details
of those atrocious massacres under the
Duke of Alva in the Low Countries,
which are mentioned with a thrill of
horror throughout Christendom. / have
read the details of st. Bartholomew,
which stand out as one of the atrocities
beyond imagination. l have read anew
the horrors untold and unimagined Of
the Spanish lnquisition, and i here be-
fore God, measuring my words, knowing
their full extent and import, declare that
neither the Duke of Alva in the Low
Countries, or the author of the Massacre
of st. Bartholomew, nor the thumb
1f
the Spanish Inqrsition, begin to COM
pare in atrocity with the hideous crime
Of Andersonville. Sensation in hall and
galleries, and a remark by Robbins, Of
North Carolina, unheard by Mr.. Blaine.
That it was an infamous SANDER.
Thank God, Mr.. Speaker, that when this
Congress was under different control
from that under witch it is today, with
a committee composed of both parties,
that tale of horror was placed where it
could not be denied or gainsayed. / hold
in my hand the story written out by
committee Of this Congress, and by its
authority state that the writer, who is
now dead, was sent to Andersonville
with full knowledge Of his previous
atrocities, and that those atrocities in
Richmond were so bitter and so bad that
Confederate papers, the Richmond Ex-
amlneF IOf one salut Wncn IL was uOuet
that they thanked God that Rich
mond was rid of his presence We,
in the North, know from returning skel-
etons what he had accomplished at
Belle Isle or Libby Fresh from these
accomplishments he was sent by Mr..
Davis, against the protest Of others in
the Confederacy, TO construct this pen
of horrors at Andersonville. OF course
it would be utterly beyond the scope of
the occasion, and beyond the limits OF
my hour, TO give any details. / do not
ask them to take the testimony of a sin
gle witness, / do not ask them to take
the testimony of a single Union soldier
| only ask them to take the testimony of
men who, themselves. were engaged and
enlisted in the Confederate cause, and if
that testimony does not entirely carry
out and justify this declaration, which
will take the liberty to read, ! will state
that have been entirely in error in my
reading.
Mr.. Blaine then proceeded to quote
from the report of the Committee on the
Conduct of the War. extracts in refer
ence to the horrors of Andersonville, in
which il is stated that no pen can de-
scribe no painter sketch, no Imagination
comprehend its fearful, its unutterable
undertake to say that that is a mod
crate description of Andersonville, and /
will now read a paragraph from the tes-
timony of Mr.. John Hamilton, a man
who never was in the North, q Catholic
priest Of Macon, and a Democrat, and
when you unite these three qualities in
a Catholic priest, you will not find much
testimony strained in favor Of the Repub-
lican party. Loud and continued laugh
ter.
Mr.. Blaine read from the testimony of
Father Hamilton, as given in Wirtz' trial,
in which the witness related the case OF
young man named Farrell, from the
north Of Ireland, whom he saw among
| the prisoners at Andersonville, suffering
/ very much from q wound on the right
| foot, which he had opened like an oyster
and which had simply been caused by
/ exposure to the sun in the stockade.
| The priest had given him n stocking to
/ cover his foot, and when he returned to
| the stockade the following week he in
| quired for Farrell. His companion told
him that he had stepped across the dead
! line, and requested the guards to shoot
him. He added that the man was not
insane when he had seen him the previ-
Gus week. Mr.. Blaine then continued f:
do not desire to 20 into such horrible
details from any purpose of raising bad
feeling. ! desire only to say that the
man who administered that prison went
there by order Of Mr.. Davis, and was sus-
tanned by him, and that this William j.
Hamilton. whose testimony | have just
read, went to Gen. Howell Cobb, com
manding that department, and asked
that the condition of the prison should
be transmitted to the Confederate Gov.
ernment at Richmond. In fact, there
are a great many instances and proofs TO
show that Mr. Davis was in entire pos
session of the facts in relation to Ander
snnvilln When Gen Shermnn's inYn