The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-13
Binine's Blood.Curdllng Speech.
Special Warrington Dispatch to then Y,Thbune.
WAsHlEoToN, January 10.

Biaine's Blood.CurdIing Speech.
Special Washington Dispatch to then Y,Tribune.
WASHINGTON, January 10.
In the last Congress, the House Com
mittee on Rules, Speaker Blaine being
Chairman and makingno public objection,
surprised the Democrats by reporting a
General Amnesty bill, 50 sEeeping in It's
terms thatit did not exclude even Jefier-
son Davis from participating in the bene.
fits It would confer. 1t waS passed almost
unanimously by the House, without the
call Of the Yeas and Nays. To-day the
House, which has been in session i've
weeks and accomplished nothing except
its organization, pauses TO discuss the
question whether the late President OF the
Coniedcracy shall be restored TO citizen
shin, or whether, when every other man
in The South has been forgiven, he alone
shall be singled out for exemption. In u
parliamentary sense, Mr.. Randall made u
mistake In his management Of the Am
neSty bill. With more consideration than
often used to be shown to Democrats,
when they we're in the minority, he offered
to divide an hour with the other side in
debate; but he refused to allow Mr.. Blaine
to have vote on his amendment.
This was evidently blundcr, for,
while the latter would probably
have been able to have secured for
it large majority OF the votes Of the Re
publicans, the Democrats being in the
majority could have defeated it; and
then many Republicans, who had voted
to exclude Jefferson Davis, and to re-
quire those seeking to have their disabil.
tiles removed to go into the United
States Court and take the oath OF allegi-
ance, would have voted for the bill as Mr..
Randall introduced it. Asitwas, enough
Republicans voted against its passage TO
defeat it, since it required two.thirds
vote, not because they were unwilling to
grant amnesty, but because they were de-
termined that Mr.. Blaines amendment
should not be choked of in that way; and
then Mr.. Blaine by moving to reconsider,
captured control OF the bill from Mr..
Randall, and opened it not only to de-
bate but amendment.
When Mr.. Blaine announced that he
intended to debate the reconsideration,
there was an eager air OF expectancy in
the House. Mr.. Randall moved over to
the Republican side, that he might be
nearer to the great leader OF the opposi-
ton, although it was hardly necessary
for any member to leayehis seat in order
to hear, since Mr.. Blaine always sends his
voice into the remotest corners OF the
Chamber, and makes it heard there above
the din and noise that generally prevails
upon the floor.
The first part Of Mr.. Blaine's speech
was defense and eulogy Of the Republic
can party for its splendid magnanimity
toward the South, and he recOunted in
eloquent words the history Of amnesty in
Congress, from the introduction Of the
first bill until the present day, showing
now, year after year, the circle Of pardon
has been widcned, until only $50 now re-
main in the whole South to whom am.
nesty has not been granted. This part OF
his speech was listened TO respectfully,
though it was plain to see that the DEM
ocrats, and especially those whose politi-
cal disabilities had been removed, felt by.
no means that they owed TO the Repub-
lican party as such the favor they have
received at the hands OF the government.
But the climax Of Mr.. Blaine's speech
was when he passed from the record OF
the Republican party on amnesty to give
his reasons for excepting Jefferson Davis
from the provisions OF the bill. The
Democratic side was all attention, and
the interest increased as lie announced
that it was not because Mr.. Davis was
President OF the Confederacy or because
rs an enemy he was able to do more than
others for the injury Of the government,
but because he was author, knowingly,
willfully, wickedly," OF the murder and
crime at Andersonvillc.
lie then went on TO tear open and lay
bare that one wound caused by the late
war, the murder OF Mr.. Lincoln alone ex-
cepted, which has taken the longest to
heal. lie cited the horrible crulety OF
the Duke Of Alva in the Low Countries,
the massacre OF St. Bartholomew, and the
terrible tortures OF the Spanish lnquisi-
ton, and having asserted that the treat
ment OF the Union prisoners at anderson
vile surpassed even these in inhuman cru
city, he charged the whole responsibility
Of It upon Jefferson Davis. The excite
ment among the Democrats had by this
time grown intense. a black cloud SEEM
ed to have settled over the side Of the
House which they occupy, and while
many were on their feet, leaning forward
to catch every word, and anger was strong
IL depicted on the faces Of some, there
was an evident disposition TO hiss; and
Mr.. Robbins, OF North Carolina, in n
tone Of voice that, showed great emotion,
exclaimed that it was ian infamous SLAM
der"
For many a day there has not been
such display Of bad blood in the House
as during the latter part of Mr.. Blaine's
speech. The Southern Democrats as
general thing are not admirers Of Jeffer-
son Davis, but attributed many Of their
worst mlsiortunes during the war 10 his
Encouragement; but when he is attacked
on the floor OF Congress, as he was to-day,
their sympathy for him is aroused, and
they are ready to defend him under
almost all circumstances. The good ma
ture Of the House was restored, later in |
the afternoon, by one Of Mr.. Coxs mimi
table speeches, in which he undertook to
answer Mr.. Blaine, turning to ridicule
many OF the points he had made. Mr..
Cox was followed by Mr.. Kelley, who,
by his liberal sentiments, won the APP
plause OF the Democrats, andthen adroit-
iy turned his speech SO as to put in a plea
for the Centennial bill, which was crowded
out OF its place to-day by the Amnesty
bill. The House adjourned with the de-
bate still pending, and it will probably be
finished tomorrow. Mr.. Blaine will get
a vote on his amendment, and after it has
been defeated, the Amnesty bill will prob
ably pass.
PLAIN TALK FROM MRs. SwIssHELM.-I
The cook, the dressmaker and the nurse