Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-02-25
IrEr D5rIs AND AMNESTY.

,orcer Of anv account, and the time has
GONE by when hanging would amount to
much in the way of rendering treason odl-
Gus. The people do not care to wreck
vengeance upon the poor old man whose
halfway down the decliviiy OF life Is
necessarily 10 be in such painful! contrast
with the pictures of his youthful imagina-
ton, and with the deceptive splendors that
for brief period attended his stately pre-
tensions as bead of the sham government
of Richmond.
When Mr.. Blaine moved 10 except Da-
Wis from the general provisions OF amnes-
" the friends of the great. rebel at once
sought to take advantage Of the PROPOSE
ton by adroi,ly assuming tha: TIE motion
was one of penalty and not OF amnesty,
and they regarded it as . ;sshrewd move
out Of which they could make capital for
the campaign now coming on. But SYM
pathv for Jefferson Davis is not easily
aroused, and the Democratic politicians
who have shown unbounded contempt for
sentimental politics and humanitarian
craftsmanship have selected the wrong
subject and the wrong time for playing
the role of phlanthrophy. Their will is
good. but they are sadly out of practice.
Mr.. Jefferson Davis deprived himself Of
the privileges Of citizenship, and he alone
is to blame for the stigma which rests up
on him. If he gets relief it is pure mat
ter of grace; the propriety of which and
the time for granting it are matters that
belong wholly to the power against
which Mr.. Davis took arms. The time TO
grant full amnesty naturally would be
when the Southerners show the true spirit
of UniOnism. and to ascertain what the real
spirit is, the motion of Mr. Blaine served an
excellent purpose. The Confederate colors
were Immediately hoisted, and the defense
oi the rebel chief was in order at once
Mr.. Hill took strong ground. JEFF was
not responsible for the horrors of Ander-
sonville-there were no horrors. Grant
was responsible for them, because he re-
fused to exchange prisoners-the old sto-
ry of the kettle which "was broken when
we borrowed it, and we never borrowed
it at ALL"
The world is not SO full of goodness
that it can afford to spare from the record
a single sanity name which has fair title
to the honor of remaining thereon; and
though Jefferson Davis made the mistake
of attempting the destruction OF the coun-
try which gave him free education for
the chance of his service in the hour OF
peril, that country can afford to pardon
him at the proper time, but cannot afford
to do it at the dictation of himself and his
accomplices. He should sue for it with
the meakness which is born of repentance,
with the humility which accompanies the
downfall of naughty and absurd preten-
sions. Some of the pretensions of this
man the world will never forget, and in
this connection we are reminded of that
famous message of his which consigned
to ignominy the name of Abraham Lin
coin, and which informed the Confederate
Congress that unless they interposed to
stop him he should turn over to the local
authorities all captured officers of colored
troops to be dealt with as incendiaries and
assassins. When we reflect that the in
cendaries included in the class aimed at
by President Davis were sometimes pun
ished by these local communities with
death by the faggot and torture, the amia-
BILE intentions of the mild hammered head
of the new nation then just born cannot
be doubted.
In setting forth the many warm quail
ties of the heart of Mr.. Davis his friend
still forgot 10 mention the burning recon-
mendation contained in this message. 1t |
showed him capable OF approving all that
was done at Andersonville, and Mr.. Hill
will not be able to file an alibi, as the sig.
nature of JEFF is affixed to the document.
and shows for itself.
Whether because the Congress failed TO
approve the recommendation was the rea-
son Of its not being carried out we are not
aware, but Hill was member, and doubt
less has vivid recollection of the discus
sion which it caused, and can tell the rea-
son why it was not adopted. and what
part he took in the premises. Let him
speak.
Now, we do not bring this up to revive
dissension and encourage hate, but to pre-
sent precedent and ask whether the au-
thor is of opinion row that his proposition
was one becoming a statesman and con-
federate engaged in introducing a new
system Of government and new method
of civilized warfare.-1he Republic.
p1T TTTT