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

construction chat would authorize the |
country to arraign President Grant for
completely in the whiskey frauds Was
MI. Grant responsible, he asked, for
Credit Mobiliers, for the Sanborn con
tract, or for the frauds in the District
Of Columbia? And yet Mr.. Grant had
absolutely sent to the Senate of the
United States for confirmation for
high Office the name of a man (alluding
to Nh Alexander L. Shepherd, of
Washington who stood chargedlbefore
the country with the grossest speeulaS
ton and frauds on this District after
the charges had been made and, while
they were pending. He (Mr. HilD
was neither the author nor the disciple
Of such political logic But if the
gentleman (Blaine's) propositions with
regard to Mr.. Davis were true, then
by the same logic General Grant, in
stead Of being entitled to a third term,
was entitled TO twenty terms in twenty
penitentiaries. Laughter.
Mr. Hill said: Whatever horrors had
existed at Andersonvllle, not one of
them could be attributed to a single
order of the Confederate Government,
and that every one of them grew out
Of the necessity of the occasion, which
necessity was fastened on the Confeda
crates by the conduct OF the other side.
He challenged Mr.. Blaine to meet him
face to face and fact to fact in the dis
cussion Of the questions, declaring that
the time was of the past when the
country could accept the impudenee of
assertion for the force of argument, or
the recklessness OF statement for the
truth Of history.
Mr.. Hill, after reading from Surgeon
General Barnes, said: The ratio was. ~
per cent. of Confederate prisoners ID
Federal hands who died, and less than
9 per cent of Federal prisoners in
Confederate hands, and, my friend, Cad
dressing Blaine with great smphas s.,
who is the murderer? l would believe
Surgeon>General Barnes in preference
to any politician over there. The gen
tleman (Platt)says he lives thirty,six
miles from Ellnira. Perhaps he could
have smeled the smallpox that far
He certainly could not have seen it,
and venture to, say that if the small
pox was at the prison camp none could
have got him nearer than thirty~six
miles He is, wonderful witness.
fLaughter
Bat the question is at last, who was
responsible for that state of things
And that is really the only important
question. Mr. Hill went on to discuss
the history of the exchange Of prison
ers, dwelling on the fact that the cartel
which was established in 1862 was ins
terrupted in 1868, aud that the Federal
authorities refused to continue the ex-
change.
AT this point of the debate Mr.. Hills
hour expired, but by unanimous con-
sent he was above to proceed without
any limitation as to time.
Mr. Hill: What measures the Con-
federate Government might have
thought proper to take at that time to
protect the women and children Of the
Conteieracy from insurrection, | do
not recol.ect, but | shall not be diverted
by the gentleman from Maine frons the
course OF my argument TO go into the
history of slavery OF of the ins',rrect-
ion. or of John Browns raid. know
this, that whether | or any other gem
tleman on the committee was the author
of the resolution, and which l think
more than probable, our purpose was
not to do injustice to any man, woman
or child, North OF South, bsst to adopt
what we deemed stringent measures to
protect our wives and children from
seryile instruction and slaughter while
our brave sons were in the field. Mar
murs of applause on the Democratic
side.
Mr.. Hill then passed in review the
efforts of the Confederate Government
to get rid of their prisoners, and COM
Guided this branch Of his subject by
saying:
''And of all the atrocities, both at
AndersonviNe and Elmira, the Confed-
crate Government stands acquitted
from responsibility and blame"
Mr. Hill concluded: But the South
is here, and here she intends to remain. |
Enthusiastic demonstrations on the
Democratic side, and in the galleries.
Let it pass its multiplying acts; tralnple
on the Constitution; abrogate the
pledges of the fathers; inclte raids on
our people; multiply infidelities until
they shall be like the stars of heaven
or the sands of the sea'sbore, without
number, but know this, that, for your
iniquities, the South will never again
seek a remedy in the madness of another
secession. ERenewed applause.l We
are here. We are in our fathers house.
Our brothers are our companions, and
we are at home, thank God. Enthu-
siastic applause
CHARLES O'CoNoR REcovERING--l