The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-01-15
Mr.. Blaine.

This man has of late been respectfully
spoken ofeven by his political opponents He
had managed during his career as Speaker
| to impress all parties with a certain sense
OF amenity and courtesy on his part, and
was gaining ground as one who, though
as thorough party man as Grant, would
be much fairer and less vindictive as
President. In the recent battle-royal on
the floor of Congress upon the Amnesty
| question, the mask which this man has SO
long worn was torn from him, and he stood
revealed the bitter sectionaliss, the vindic-
tive fosterer of uDappeased hatred, the
arrart hypocrite.
| For the purpose of having an opportu-
nifty to disgorge his venom through the
Andersonviiie Islander, heprstcnded to hold
Mr.. Davis individually responsible for the
alleged atrocities of that prison. He
| gloated over the subject. His imagination
| revelled in the damps of dungeons, the
fortunes of neglected disease, the pangs of
unappeased hunger. At home among
themes of bad faith and moral depravity,
tue ex-Speaker is reported to have sur
passed himself in the vivid coloring which
Like the toad, his body appeared to dilate
with the unwholesome vapors in which he
delighted.
No doubt there was much suffering, pri-
walton and neglect at Andersonville. If
the men there had been Confederate sick
and wounded instead of Federal, suffer
ing, pTivation and neglect would still have
made the place wrstched, perhaps az much
90 as it was. The means of making it
otherwise are said to have been wanting.
We all know that it lie alleged, and no
honorable man can doubt ito probability,
that NO wanton suffering was inflicted on
the prisoners.
The enemies of Captain WiEz say that he
was brutal tyrant, and his friends. deny
it indignantly. Be that as it may, there
were numbers of Confederate officers and
mon and citizens who were cognizant of
whatever transpired there and who would
have tarred and feathered Capt. Wirz if he
had been guilty of any atrocities whatever.
On the other hand, returned Confederate
prisoners report the most fesrful horrors in
Northern prisons, in the midst of plenty
and surrounded by prosperous population.
But why stir up the acrimonious feelings
that always accompany such enquiries If
the truth of history unfortunately requires
that the actual facts of such events be re-
corded, why ventilate them ostentatiously
on the floors of Congress, to the scandal of
an attentive world
Was it truly for the purpose of implica-
ting Mr. Davis therein that Mr.. Blaine
spoke Was it actually to arrive
at an intelligent vote on the general
amnesty question 7 Or was it to crafty
gentlemen who occupied that floor for the
first time since the war, and to vent
petty, sectional bigotry which regards as
enemies all who are not of the local house
hold
No one can believe that ex-Speaker
Blaine could be ignorant of the real situa-
ton at Audersonvi.le no one can suppose
that he sincerely attributed atrocities there,
even if they did exist, to the wilful con-
nivance of 80 brave soldier aud 80 high
toned q gentleman as Mr.. Davis; and no
one can for an Instant entertain the suspic-
ion of the shrewd, well-informed, thorough
ly-posted politician that he should make
80 stupid blunder as to think there was
any connection between such crimes and
the bill before him for discussion. The
measure under debate was one of amnesty,
and amnesty has reference to political
offences. If Mr.. Davis had been, in the
opinion of the legislator, more deeply
dyed traitor than others, he might not re-
ceive the same measure of amnesty as
they, but murder, arson and other social
crimes do not either take man out of the
Union or keep him out of it.
No, Mr.. Blaine twas simply pretending
one thing and meaning another. He was
playing the hypOcrite. He was following
out the cunning instincts of false and in
sincere nature,--the same instincts which
had made him renegade to his family, his
Church and his God, the same which every