The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-01-14

previous question on the bill which was
ordered, with the privilege of one hour
for debate. The hour was consumed in
a running debate between various mem
bers, when a vote was taken. which re-
suited in its defeat Mr.. Blaine moved
a reconsideration of the vote, and pro-
ceeded to address the House on the
measure, in a manner so tremendously
in earanest that the Democratic MEM
bers became at once convinced that
warm time was at hand. He charged
that the Democrats were by this means
endeavoring to create the impression
that the North, or rather that the ruling
partv in the Government for the last ten
years, had been tyranical in their deal
ings with the people WIN had taken part
in the rebellion, when, as he claimed,
the facts show that no conquerors were
ever more lenient, more magnanimous,
than the people of the loyal States have
proved themselves to be through their
Representative. 1t was this, mainly,
WHICH ItlStlucl IiS OPRpTAtiN'' ~
bill. He stated that he was in favor Of
giving amnesty to all who had not yet
received it-and their number is stated
to be only about seven hundred and If
ty men-but not without the form OF
petition which, since the 9th of May
1872, has been required as preliminary
to amnesty. "He simply wished to put
into the law that they shall go before
the United States Court, and in open
Court, with uplifted hands, swear that
they mean to conduct themselves as good
citizens ofthe United States, and that
was all" He then discussed his own
amendment excluding JEFF Davis from
amnesty, and assigned as reason for
this exception that Davis was "the au-
thor, knowingly, deliberately guiltily,
willfully of gigantic murder and crime
at Andersonville." He charged that
JEFF was responsible for all the horrors
of Andersonville, but exculpated the
Southern people from all blame on that
score. as the wretchedness of the place
had been studiously concealed from
them. He concluded as follows:
81 hear it said that we are going 10
elevate Mr.. Davis into very great con
sequence by refusing amnesty TO him.
That is not for me to consider. only
see before me, when his name is present
ed, the man who, by wink of his eye,
by wave of his hand, by nod of his
head, could have stopped those atrocities
at Andersonville. Some of us had kins
men there; most of Us had friends there;
all of us had countrymen there; and IN
the name OF those kinsmen and friends
and countrymen. here protest, and shall
with my vote protest, against ever call
ing back and crowning with the honors
of full American citizenship the man
who organized that murder"
As might well be supposed, remarks
of this nature we're greatly calculated to
stir up the latent heat of the Confeder-
ate Brigaders who occupy seats in that
body, but they were held in check until
they should have passed through the
cooling process. Mr.. S. S. Cox was pu
forward to reply to Blaine, and he sue
0ONn tiiC AAphEC SCN
eral times at that gentlemen's expense
On the following day Mr.. Hill o
Georgia came to the front and delivered
high pressure, old fashioned, Southern
speech, clearly evincing through ont
that the cooling process had in no wis'
caused a diminution of the inheren
heat of his own nature. He denie
the charges Blaine had made agains
jeff. Davis, and endeavored to prov,
that the North was as much TO bam,
for the bad treatment of prisoners a
the South, &c. The effect .produc'
in Washington By this speech, is thu
spoken of by the Washington Cores
pondent of the Cincinnati Commercial
WASHINGTON, January 11.-Mr
Blaine did not calculate so unwisely a
il was thought he had. As was said las
night, he was left in an extremely un
pleasant position at the close of the ses
sion, and his only hope lay in the pos
sibility that, in their evaporation, som
of the Southern members would be LEI
to retort in kind. 1t was hoped tha
this would not be done, but the speecl
of Mr.. Hill to-day goes far to justif
the assertion that il has been done. ]
was given out that Hill would be con
servative and conciliatory, bnt, if tina
was his purpose, he failed to carry
out. In his speech he committed indis
cretions: Firstly, in inst tuting com
parison in the manner in which the wa
was carried on by the United States an
the Confederacy, in which he charge
upon the United States fully muc
cruelty and barbarism as were charge
by Mr.. Blaine yesterday upon the Con
federacy. On some points he SCENE
sustained by the facts, but his animn
did not appear to be the best. Second
ly, he attempted to Justify secession b
charging that the South was driven to
by the fanaticism of the North-whic
will be construed to mean that the ser
timenl in the North against furthe
extension of slavery was what he mean
by fanaticism. 1t may appear to tn
class TO which Mr.. Hill belongs to hav
been fanaticism, but the people of th
North will not consent to have it SO d,
nominated Thirdly, he seemed to ju
tify slavery ITSELF especially in his refrl
ence to the fugitive slave law as col
stitutional measure.
These are the principal points thi
are tonight most severely criticised
speech which it was hoped would haV
been as oil on the troubled waters.
was just what Mr.. Blaine had hope
would happen. He calculated wisel
that with the provocation he had give
the Southerners, in an attempt to d.
fend themselves, would give utteranG
TO sentiments that would inaame th
NNUM 11HW IU EX TIT II