, 1876-01-14

Tho speech of BIZ. BEN HILL in the House
Of Representatives in defense Of the Confcd-
crate Administrations OF affairs Mt Andersonvilla
cnd othor military prisons during the War,
when stripped of its oratoricnl coverings,
amounted to n distinct yindicatinn Of the
right of accession and wal over tho aboli-
lion OF slavcry. When Mr.. LINCOLN issued
lis Emancipation Proclamation the Confed-
erate rago knew no limits. This Mr.. Hsnn,
then Confederate Senator, proposed as
retaliatory measure tho instant killing OF
every mnn taken prisoner on Southern soil
in arms, end, though his proposition was not
formally adopted, IL became the thooretical
policy of tho Confederate Government from
then to tho end o: the War. They rrofessed
to consider TINT tho emancipation Of tho
slaTcs was m invitation and license to tho
negroes to assault the white women Of tlso
South, when in fact nothing Of That kind
ever took place; aud upon this assumption
tl.oy held every " Yankee "a they called
tho Union troops, fit subject to be assaasi-
mated by poison or otLerwiso as dog;
and, though restrained by fear from c1o-
cutting that policy openly, they did not hcs-
tate to practice It BY even moro cruel process
OF starvation and slow poison. They con-
fined the Union prisoners in crowded rooms,
wl.cro the men had to take turns to Rleep on
tho oor,-one-half standing up whilo tho
other laid down to sleep; whero tho aick md
u,usilatod were confined with tho we'll, mud
both consumed with vcrn,in; wlero all wcro
ill-fed, aud, rs in tho case at Audersonville,
they wero deprived Of water and otherwise
deprived of tho co1nmonest conveniences.
Tho Rebel prisons were the aIaughtcr-houses
| OF tile ConfcaeraoY. They were Mt ono and
| lAo Hano tiino pest-houses and torturc'
| chambers, where, by cruelty exceeding that
| Of tho rack ansl the thumbscrow, human be.
Jugs had their bos!ics broken, tfcir blood
poisoned, their mints destroyed, and then,
ulora mcrcifnl tllan nll else, their lives taken.
| Nj. BEN lIrLL has not Ind al opportunity
siuce lo loft the Confederate Sennto to vent
llia oratorJ upon tho Yankee usurpatious
until month ago Ao found himself in tho
House of Representatives surrounded with
old associates In the Confeaoracy. Each
morning as lle entcrod tho hall he met tho
aame doorkccper who for years kept the door
Of tho Confederate Congress-. No wonder
tho man lost llis head, aud for tho time
dreamed TINT llo was among the Coutederates
WHO once 10 heartily greeted his deauuciatio,l
OF tho Republican North. No wonder thai
La "iretl vocabulary yinlicating TINT policy
Of lie Confederate Government Of which At
was ineuslIer, Of treating evory man who
ventnrcd upon sacred Southern 8oil ~ VIC
14tor OF tho rights Of sovereign 6tasca, nue
his mission to free tho 6taycs As o dcliberat.
blow ut Tho very heart OF Christian civiliza
tion. To treat these men aa human being
was considered ut the time by A1r. N.1L O
asking too ,uach, and In bis SI'pech on th
Amnesty bill he showed ho bud not cllange
his views
Secession WA, according to the RicAmon
theory, right inherent in every soycreig
power. Tie right 10 hold fellow-mcn q
property and to breed them for sa!e in Il,
1siArkct was divinsly giyon. Hence tho arme
u!au invading the sccotlod 6tates VIVA of III
sauo character aa pirate on tho high scas.-
au outlaw by tho 1aws OF mankind. Adj
j this the terrible horeyy that the men VII
, lal been borll klayes weru hencsforth to |
j AZ free as their masters, and that tltis GU
!. rago upon divine law was to be perl,etnate
!, by Union troops, directed by Nopublica
j, ! Administration, and the measure Of Confe.
j. erate suffering was filled TO itA utmost capac
9 ty. What was the suffering Of 10, bray
r ind gallant men behind the stockalles at At
dersonyille 10 That Of tue Southern gcntl
nun who was to bo deprived OF hiH fit
i. human slaves, partly Inherited aud partl
k acquired by marriage, and which wero
I Hal .{.f,A