Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-01-21
Jen. Davis and AndOrsOnville.
[Extracts from Mr.. Blaine's recent speech in Co
greee on the Amnesty BILL

[Extracts from Mr.. Blaine's recent speech in Con.
grees on the Amnesty BILL
DO NOT desire TO 60 Into such horrible details
from any purpose Of raising bad feeling. l de-
sire only TO say that the man who administered
that prison went there by order OF Mr.. Davis and
was sustained by him, and that this VIM. j. Ham
llton, whose testimony have just read, went to
Gen. Howell Cobb, commanding that department,
and asked that the condition of the prison should
be transmitted to the Confederate Government ut
Richmond In fact there arc great many in
stances and proofs to show that Mr. Davis was In
entire possession OF the facts in relation to Arder
sonville. When Gen. Sheruan's invasion or some
other invasion Of that portion of the cuunt'F was
nnder way, aud when there was dalger suppased
danger that IL might come to that neighborhood,
the regular military order No. 10, dated Headquar-
tiers Confederate States Military Prison, Anderson
ville July "a, 1864, signed by Brig Gen. Winder,
was issued in these words: 1.-THE officer on
duty and in charge Of the battery Of
the enemy has approached within seven
miles OF this post open fire on the stockade
with grapeshot, without reference to situation be.
yond thia limo Of defense" Here were those 35 900
poor, helpless, naked, starving, sick and dying
men. This Catholic priest states he went TO GEN
Cobb to represent to him that II he could not ex-
change them they should be taken before the
Union lines in Florida and parOled and let go free
and yet II the Union forces were to get within
was TO open battery OF grapeshot on those poor
NTttches without the slightest possible regard to
what was going on outside Now do not arraign
the Southern people for this. God forbid that
| should charge any people with sympathizing with
such an order There were many evidences OF
great uncasiness among the Southern people about
| it. and one OF tho great crimes Of Mr.. Davis was
that he concealed 1t from the Southern people.
We have obtained completed series of Mr. Davis
messages with the oalcld imprint at Richmond,
and they are now In the Congressional Library.
have looked over them and find in his messages
OF Dec. z, 1861, at the very time when those
horrors were at their acme at their EXTREMIST
verge OF desperation, he says: THE solicitude OF
the Government for the release OF our captive fell
low-ctizens has known no abatement, but has, on
the contrary, been still more deeply affected by
the additional suffering to which they have been
constantly submitted by the deprivation of ade
quate food and clothing, and the fact that they
have not been permitted to purchase from prison
suffers" And then he adds that the enemy at
tempt to excuse their bnrbarous conduct by the
nnioundsd allegation that y was retaliatory for
say there Is not Confederate soldier now living,
who has any credit as a man in his community,
ana VINO ever wa pris9ner In the hands OF the
cruelty treated, that he ever was deprived Of the
same rations which the Union soldiers had, or the
There is NO proposition here TO punish Mr. Davis.
Nobody is asking to do 1t. The time for such q
| thing has gone by. The statute Of Limitation and
common feeling OF humanity would Intervene for
bis benefit. But what YOU ask us to do is to de-
clare by vote or two.thirds OF both branches OF
Congress, soemnly, that we consider Mr.. Davis
worthy to I'LL the highest Offices In the United
States, II he can get constituency 70 trust him.
lie Is voter He can buy and he can sell. He
can go and come He Is as free as any man 10 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 have read,
to declare by two thirds vote OF the Senate and a
two.thrds vote of the House that Mr. Davis Is
eligible and worthy 10 hll any once up to tho Pres
idency of tho United States. For one on full de-
| liberation, will not do 1t.
hear II said that we are going TO elevate MI
Davis into very great Consequences by refusing am
hesty to him That Is not for me TO consider. l
| only sec before me, when his name is presented,
| the man who, by wink Of his eye, by a wave Of
his hand, by nod Of his head, cOnld have stopped
kinbmeD there. Most Of us had friends there. All
OF US had eonntrymen there, and In the name Of
those kinsmen, friends, and cOuntrymen / here
ever calling back and erOwning with the honors Of
full American citizenship the man who organized
that murder. loud applause on the Republican
side and in the galleries