The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-01-25

= III = ~ ~ a Il Europs Skst hs
vou|A 1ot ~ ~ United 6tstss f0s
siSissnskID. vsfy Nm; We can sIaud
that quito a wsll a. Mr.. sRoberi
Toombs flsughtsr]. and IL Mr.. Robert
Toombs 10 not prepared 70 come into I
United States court andswear that hs
means 10 be . good citizen, Let him
stay out. I do not think Congress
ought TO raise itself, or to resolve 10.
self into joint convention 90 embracs
Mr.. Robert Toembs gushingly and beg
him 10 honor the United States by
coming back and taking tho highest
form citixenship. Well, what afteri
My substitute requires that every one
Of these gentlemen shall show his good
faith by taking the oath which all OF
us take and arc glad TO take. That ID
a very small exaction to make rs pre-
hminary to full restoration TO all the
rights Of citizenship. In my nnehd-
ment i have expected Jefferson Davis
from its operation. Now 1 do not
place that exception on the ground that
Mr.. Davis was as he is commonly call
cd the head and front of the Rebellion;
because on that ground / do not think
the exception would be tenable. Mr..
Davis was just as guilty, no more so.
no less so, than Thousands Of others
who will get the benefit OF grace and
annesty; probably he was far less effi-
cient a. An enemy OF the United States;
probably he was far more useful ss q
turber OF the counsels Of the Ccnfdsra-
cy. 1t is not because of any particular
or special damage which he above 9TH
ers did to the United States or because
he is particularly Of any special conse-
qnepce, that except him; but I except
him on this ground: He is the author
knowingly. deliberately, guilty, willfui-
ly OF the gigantic murder and crime at
Andersonville. ~ tfa ro
4 mcmber-"And Libby" tii,H
Mr.. Blaine continued: Libby pales
into insignificance as compared 10 An
place il on that ground
and believe that so rapidly does one
event follow on the heels OF another in
the rapid age in which we live that
even those Of us who were contempor-
cognizsnt OF what was trans
piring there, still less those OF us who
have grown up since, havo failed 10
realize the gigantic crime which was
there committed Since the gentlemen
from Pennsylvania introduced this bill
l have taken occasion To- read some Of
the historic cruelties OF the world, and
1 have read over the details OF those
atrocious massacres under the Duke of
Alva. in the low countries, which are
with = thrill OF hOIror
Cl~s.s..I@.
the details Of st. Bartholomew, which
stands out as one OF the atrocities be-
yond imagination, and i here, before
God, measuring my words, knowing
their full extent and import, declare
that neither the Duke OF Alva in tho
low countries, nor the author OF the
massacre OF St Bartholomew, nor the
and dungeons and ntroci-
ties Of the Spanish Inquisition begin
10 compare in atrocity with the hidcous
crime OF Andersonville. ISensation in
the hall aud gallaries, and remark by
Mr.. Robbins (Dem.. n. C.,) unheard
by Mr.. Blaine, that it was an Infamous
Thank God, Mr.. Speaker. that when
the Congress was under q different con-
troll from that under which it is to-day,
with n committee composed OF MEM
bers OF both parties. that tale
Of horror was placed where IL could not
be denied or gainsaid. hold in my
hand the story written out by q COM
mittee OF this Congress, aud by its au-
thority / state that winder, who is now
dead, was sent TO Andersonville with q
full knowledge OF his previous atroci-
ties, and that thosa atrocities in Rich
mond so bitter and SO bad that Confed-
crate papers, the Richmond Eramjser,
for one, said when il was done, that
they thanked God that Richmond was
rid OF his presence. We in the North
know from returning skeletons what he
had accomplished at Belle Isle or Libby.
Fresh from these accomplishments he
Was sent by Mr.. Davis against the pro-
test OF others in the Confederacy, TO
construct this peu OF horrors at Ander-
sonville. OF course, il would be utter
ly beyond the limits Of my hour TO give
any details but one, arraigning Mr..
Davis. undertake here 10 say that /
do not ask the gentlemen to take the
testimony Of a single witness. do
not ask them 10 take the testimony OF
q single Union soldier. i only ask
them to take the testimony OF men, who
were and enlisted in the
Confederate cause, and il that testimo-
ny does not entirely carry out and JUS
tify this declaration, which i will take
the liberty to read. / will state that /
have beon entirely in srror'in my read
ing.
Mr.. Blaine then proceeded TO quote
from the report OF the Committee on
the Conduct OF the War extracts in ref
srencs TO the horrors of Andersonville,
in which il il stated that no pen can
desribe, no painter sketch, no imagina.
ton comprehend Its fearful, its unntter.
able iniquity. He then went on 10 say;
III undertake TO say that that is a mod
crate description OF Andcrsonviile, and
I will now read a paragraph from the
testimony of Wm. J. Hamilton, q man
who was never in the North, a Catholic
priest at Macon, Democrat, and when
you unto these three qualities in q
Southern priest you viii not find much
testimony strained in favor of the Re
publican party. Loud and contin.
uous laughter.
Mr.. Blaine here read from the testi
mony OF Father Hamilton as given in
the Wirtz trial, In which witness relat-
ed the case OF a young man named Far
rell, from the Forth Of Ireland, whom
he saw among the prisoners at Ander
sonville, suffering very much from Z
wound on the right foot, which had
opened like an oyster. and which had
been simply caused by exposure to the
sun in the stockade. Tho priest had
given him a stocking 10 cover his foot
aud when he returned TO the stockad'
the following week he inquired for Far
rell. His companion told him that h'
had stepped across the dead-line anS
requested the guards TO shoot him
He added that the man was not ipsan'
when he had seen him the previous
week. -r.s
Mr.. Blaine then continued: i d.
not desire to 60 into such horrible, de
tails from any purpose Of missing q bar
feeling. 1 desire only 10 say that th'
man who administered that prisol
went there by the order Of Mr.. Davi
aud was sustained by him. and tha
this VIM. J. Hamilton, whose testi
mony 1 have Just read, went TO Gen
Howell Cobb, commanding that depart
ment, and asked that the condition o
The prison should be transmitted 4
the Confederate government at Rich
mond. In fact. there are many in
stances and proofs 10 show that Mr.
Davis was In entire possession OF tn
facts in relation 10 Andersonvills
When Gen. Sherman's invasion or som
other invasion Of that portion Of th
country, was under way, and whe
there was danger, or supposed danger