Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-22

SPEECH OF HON. BENJAMIN HILL, OF
GEORGIA s-. s,e.- d
In reply to NIr. Blame, OF MA inc,
en- the Amnesty Bill.
The house proceeded to the consid-
Grafton of the amnesty bill, and was
addressed by Mr.. Hill, of Georgia.
He disclaimed all desire on the part
of himself and associates from the
south to reopen ill feeling between
the sectiops-the country had already
suffered enough from feuds. He and
his associates had come here with the
patriotic idea to remember nothing
but the country and the whole coun-
try, and turning their backs upon all
the horrors of the past, to look with
all earnestness to find glories for the
future. The gentleman,( Mr.. Blaine).
who was the acknowledged leader OF
the republican party in the house, and
was the aspiring leader of the repub-
l;can party of the country. has, how
ever, willed otherwise, and seemed
Determined that the wounds which
were healing should be reopened );
that the passions which were hushed
should be i,ifiamcd. He, Mr..
Blaine), wished the house to uuder-
stand that he and his associates did
not reciprocate either the purpose or
the manifest desire OF the gentleman,
and, while they felt it their impera-
tive duty to vindicate zsT -a.i.r ..tt
le.s1 THE TRUTH OF HISTORY a
as regards their section, they did not
intend to say anything calculated to
aid the gentleman in that work of
crimination and recrimination, and
of keeping up the war by politicians
after brave men had said that the war
shall end. The gentleman from Name
had made two points in his speech
the magnanimity and grace of the re-
publican party, and the brutality of
those whom he pleased to term reb-
els. AS TO the first question he did
not propose to weary the house, be-
cause, with the history of the last
| fifteen years yet fresh in the mind OF
the world, it was useless to speak OF
the grace aud magnanimity of tae re-
publican party. With master em-
slaved, with Intelligence disfranchis-
ed, with society dlsordered, with
states subverted, with legislatures
dispersed, the people could not afford
| to talk of grace and magnalimiiy.
| If that were grace and magnanimity
he prayed God to save the country
in the future from such virtues.
The gentleman from Maine had made
the grave Indictment against Mr.. Da-
Wis that he was guilty Of the murders
and crimes Of Andersonville, aud that
the gentleman (Mr. Biaine) steod be-
fore the country with his very fame
in peril if, after making such charge,
he failed to prove it. He (Mr. HiiD
would take up the gentleman's prop
ositions in their order. He hoped no
one would imagine that he was here
to pass any eulogy Oh MIR. Davis,
The record on which his fame must
rest had been made up. aud his COM
panions and friends had RENTED
that record to the only tribunal that
would give an impartial judgment
honest posterity. In the meantime,
no eulogy of his could help it, no
censure from the gentleman Mr..
Blaine) could damage it, anu no act
| or resolution of the honseJ could at
feet it.. The charge against Mr.Davis
was that he was deliberate, wiltul,
schcming murderer of thousands OF
his fellow, = citizens. Knowing the
high character and reputation of the
gentleman from Maine, he (Mr. Hill
had supposed when he heard the
charge fall from his lips that he had
certainly made recent discovery,
and he listened for the evidence.
But what was it2 Nothing but the
partial report of a congressional COM
mittee. The testimony read was ex-
clusively er paTte testimony, taken
while the gentleman now on trial be.
fore the country was in prison, with
out a hearing and without the oppor.
tunity of hearing. If there was any
principle held sacred in the Anglo
Saxon mind, it was that all English
man was not to be condemned until
he should be confronted with his wit.
nesses. But tho testimony was not
only er pda'te, but was mutilated, in.
geniously mutilated,
PALPABLY BIUTILATED, .-a
most adroitly mutllated. In this con
nection Mr.. Hill referred to the state
ment of DR.. Jones, one of the wit
nesses on the Wirz trial, who had
been sent by the Confederate govern
ment to make report as to the con
dition of Andersonvllle, but whose
report had never reached the Confed
crate authorities. That report had
in the hands of the Judge Advocate
been mutilated, aud Dr.. Jones hat
called the attention of the court tt
the fact, one of the suppressed state
ments being that inconsistencies anC
disappointment among the prisoners
had been more destructive of life
than any physical cause. During th'
whole three months of the trial, the
federal government, with all thu
means at its disposal, had not produ
ced single witness to connect tn,
name of Mr.. Davis with single
atrocity. Even on the day Of his cx
ecutiou, WIrz had been offered
Communication of his sentence if III
would implicate Mr.. Davis. Blu
Wirz's answer to his counsel was
s.. wIRz's STATEMENT. 49,.
"Mr. Shade, you know that l hav
always told you that do not know
anything about Jefferson Davis. f.
had no connection with me as t.
what was done at Andersonville.
him or anybody else oven to save my
life"
But, said Mr.. Hill, what poor Wir
within two hours of his execution
would not say for his life, the gen
tleman from Maine says to the coun
try for the sake of keeping his part,
in power. (Sensation. Sir, Chris
tianity is a falsehood, humanity is
lie, civilization is cheat, or tn
man who. would not make a falls
charge for his lite was never guilty o
willful murder. Mr.. Hill went on t.
argue that OH the logic of Mr.. Blaine
speech-holding Mr.. Davis responsi
BILE for the acts of Mr.. Winder-Pres
ident Grant might be held responsi
BILE for the acts Of Mcdonald an,
Joyce. and he asked whether MI
Blaine meant to establish rule @
construction that would authoriZ
the country to arraign Presiden
Grant for completely in the whisk
frauds? Was Mr.. Grant responsible
he asked, for the Credit Mobilier. TO
the Sanborn contract or for the fraud
in the District of Columbia? And We
Mr.. Grant had absolutely sent to til
s senate of the United States for col
firmation for high Office the nam
of man (alluding to Alexander I
Shepherd, of Washington), VIII
8 stood charged before the countr
e with the grossest peculatiohs ali
- frauds on this district after the char
I,na In n,,I r.