Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-14
The Amnesty Question.


The Northerners, Republicans as well as
Democrats, have shown themselves quick to
respond to any sentiment of patriotism and
restored loyalty, on the part Of the South
All they ask, in this Centennial year, Is
whether the man they meet, is nois heartily
in favor of sustaining the government. IL
be is, the fact that he bore arms against the
Union in the late unpleasantness, shall not
stand in the way of hearty greeting. But
the fact that he was rebel, does not yet
commend to the favor Of the mass of North
ern Republicans = man who was personally
Infamous. Nor must Republicans be asked
to believe that in no Southern breast remains
any of the spirit of rebellion. The North IS
not divided on the question of granting gen.
ersl amnesty but We believe the great
majority Of the men who sustained the Union
in the war, believe that 1t Is night 10
require that every late rebel shall, at least
saw that he now owns allegiance to the gov
eminent, before his disabilities are removed
The Democrats are trying to carry, and
NAV vet succeed, in the House, universal
amnesty without conditions. Mr.. Blaine :
amendment would require an oath OF ale
glance and excludes JEFF Davis, for reasons
given. On both these points, we believe the
Nnrthcrn masses are with him. With most
patriotic men, declaration Of allegiance to
our government. of the people, for the peo-
Die and by the people, is not yet an ''odlous
test. as it is to Mr.. Sunset Cox. And the
feeling will not be found to be very light or
very limited that it will be time enough TO
relieve the head Of the Cenfederacy from his
disabilities. when he shall have cleared his
skirts Of the infamy Of Andersonyille. At
present 1t stands pinned TO them, as Mr.
Blaine showed, not alone by Union. but by
Confederate testimony and Mr. Cox 5
witticisms, aud the sophistries OF MI
Hill, Of Georgia, have not yet broken down
that testimony. The Georgia sympathizer
with poor Wirz undertook to maintain that
there were no unnecessary horrors, at Ander-
.onyille Too many Northern men know bet
ter We have men in this city, and there
are few Northern villages Of any size with
out such, who know what they have seen,
about that,-who have lain in the "Oyens
dug out with their finger nails for shelter
from the cold in the dirt Of Andersonville,
and have seen the emaeiated bodies Of com
al lifted from the holes in which they
had died. too feeble from starvation to crawl
ont, when their burrows were filed
with water BY the rains. 1t is yet too early
to palliate the horrors Of the Southern pris-
on pens
Mr.. Hill also tiled to make out that
southern prisoners of war were worse treat
I'D in Northern military prisons, than the
Union soldiers were at Andersonyille. We
all know better, at the North-and that i
enough to say Oh that point. Nor does
talk about President Grant and the whis-
KEY rings, relieve jefferson Davis from his
responsibility. The question happens at
present to be about hln, and not about
General Grant If the Democrats Of the
House choose to vote away his disabilities
with that damning blot remaining On his
record, let them do it.