Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-01-20
MI. HILLS SPEECH,

~ iuucii mas oeeh SAID OF the great
speech Of Mr.. Hill, Of Georgia, in re.
ply to MIR. Blaine, we give our readers
a portion of it, regretting that we could
not procure the entire speech and give
1t to cur readers i'll full
The House then proceeded to the
discussion Of the Amnesty bill, Mr..
Hill, of Georgia, having the floor
MIR. Hill spoke two hours in the
most effective style. being frequently
applauded by the House and galleries.
In opening, he disclanned ali desire on
the part OF himself and his associates
from the South to reopen ill-feeling
between the sections. He and his ass
sociates had come here with the pa
trlotic idea to remember nothing but
the country and the whole country,
and, turning their backs upon all the
horrors of the past, to look with all
earnestness 10 ind glories, for the tu'
ture,
The gentleman (Blaine) who was
the acknowledged leader of the Repub.
llcan partyof the House, and was the
aspiring leader Of the Republican party
Of the country, had however willed 9th
erwise, and seemed determined that the
wounds which were healing should be
treopened, and the passions which were
hushed should be reinfamed. He
(Hisi) wished the House to understand
that he and his associates did not
reciprocate either the purpose or the
manifest desire of the gentleman, and
while they felt it their imp. rative du
ty TO vihdicate the truth of history aa
regards their section they did not in~
tend to say anything calculated to aid
the gentlemen in that work of crimina>
ton, and recrInination, and of keeping
up the war by politicians after brave
men have said that the war shall end.
The gentleman from Maine had two
points in his speech: The magnanimi
ty and grace Of the Republican party,
and the brutality of those whom he
pleased to term rebels AS to the first
quesfion, he did not propose to weary
the House to day, because, wish the
history OF the last fifteen years yet
fresh in the mind of the world, it was
useless to speak of the grace and mag
nanimity of the Republican party.
With the master enslaved, with intelli~
gence distranchised, with society disor.,
dered, with States subverted, and with
Legislatures dispersed, he could not
afford 10 talk CT grace and maguanimi
ty.. If that we're grace and magnanimi-
ty he prayed God to save the country
in the future from such virtues.
The gentleman from Maine had made
the grave Indictment against Mr.. Davis
that he was guilty of murders, and
crimes at Andersonville, and the gen
ueman (Blaine) stood before the coun-
try with his very fame III peril, if after
making such charge he failed to prove
it. He (Hil) would take up the gen.
tleman's proposition in order He
hoped that no one would imagine that
he was here to pass any eulogy on
Mr.. Davis. The record on which his
fame mast rest had been made up and
his companions and friends had RENTED
that record to the only tribunal that
would give an impartial Judgement
honest posterity. In the meantime no
eulogy ofhis could help it; no censure
from the gentleman (Blaine) could
damage it, and no act or resolution of
tho House could effect it. The charge
against Mr.. Davis was that be was
deliberate, wilful. scheming murderer
Of thousands Of his fellow citizens.
Knowing the high character and repu-
tation of the gentleman from Maine, he
(HilD had supposed when he heard the
charge fall from his lips that he had
certainly made recent discovery, and
he listened for the evidence. But what
was it! Nothing but partial report
Of a Congressional committee. The
testimony read was exclusively er parte
testimony, taken while the gentleman
now on trial before the country was in
prison-without hearing and without
the opportunity of appearing. If there
was any principle held sacred in the
Anglo-Saxon mind, it was that an
Englishman was not to be condemned
until he should be confronted with his
witnesses. But the testimony was not
only ca, parte, but was mutilated-pals
paply mutilated, most adroitly mutilat-
cd.
The Speaker further continued Even
on the day of his execution Captain
Wirz had been Offered a Communication
of the sentence if he would implicate
Mr.. Davis, but WINS answer to his
counsel was, "Mr Schade,you know that
/ have always toidyou that do not know
anything about Jefferson Davis. He
had no connection with me as to what
was done at Andersonville. | would
not become traitor against him, OF
anybody else, even to save my life
But, said Mr. Hill, what poor Wirz,
within two hours OF his execution,
would not say fol- his life, the gentle
man from Maine says to the country for
the sake of keeping his party in power.
TSensation. Sir, Christianity is a
ialsehood, humanity is lie, civilization
is cheat, or the man who would not
make false charge for his life was
never guilty of wilful murder.
Mr.. Hill went OH to argue on the
logic Of Mr.. Blaine's speech, holding
Mr. Davis responsible for the acts OF
Mr.. WiDder, President Grant might be
held responsible for the acts Of McDou>
aid and Joyce, aud be asked whuss.tr