New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-08
AIR BT4jNE.S ITCK.

Tho Hon, James G.. Blaine has been wonder
fully favored of fortune this year. lie went
into the House Of Representatives at the be
ginning of the session, not undistinguiShcd by
any means, yet certainly not the most eminent
man in the crowd lie was only one, and
many good Judges thought not the foremost
one. among a toerably compact and apparently
well-matched group of candidates for the
White House, and il seemed 80 he quite 81
much matter of luck as of skill who should
crasp the prize Luck from the start has been
steadily in Mr. Blaine's favor. Tie Demo
cratic leaders i'll Congress, 10y exhibiting their
inability to lead. placed him, almost without
any effort Of his own, in command
ing position on the floor Of the House. TIE
President OF tie United States started Mite
religious excitement, and the lucky accident
of the discovery of the celebrated Foster letter
by some Democratic miScrcant III Name Just
in the nick Of time, took away from Gen.
Grant most of the profit. of his own Invention
and transferred them to the ex-Spcakcr. lhcu
came the Amnesty debate, useless and dis
creditable performance which was commonly
supposed to have done Mr.. Blaine incalculablc
injury. but Nj. Hill jumped up and appropl-
ated to the Democratic party pretty nearly all
the odum of the discussion, and Mir. Blaine
went home smiling and satisfied.
Now another and supreme piece OF luck he
falls the fortunate gentleman from Maine
jefferson Davis has replied to his speeches
The porvcrse ingenuity Of the ex-Prcsident OF
the Southern Confedcracy was never more
Enthusiastically exercised than in this angry
letter. When Mr.. Blaine proposed TO distin-
n FIJI 4, ,t,altt do
him in general amnesty, majority of the
Republicans Of the North believed that he
made q great mistake. More than hall OF
Davis's letter, however, is taken mp i'll show
ing that Nh Blaine was right. Whatever may
be the feeling of the rest of tie SOuths it is
plain that Davis at least is unchanged. In his
mind still the reconstructed states are con
Guercd and outraged provinces; the Northern
hoides are invaders )" it is the privilege OF
the South to forgive, not ours. lie does not
wish for amnesty. He has ono view OF the
"fnturen which makes il desirable for him to
be included in an amnesty bill. He does not
look upon it as an act of grace. TO impose
disabilities was an infringement Of law. To
remove them by act of Congress is usurpation.
He will have none of our forgiveness. lie
only asks now, as he did of old, TO be let
alone. And the comment Of the multitude at
the North Will be, Dwell, Blaine knew jeff.
"Davis best, after ALL"
On the question of the treatment of Union
prisoners at the South. Mr.. DAVIS takes po-
sition which can only be defined IA aggressive.
He is not content with denying that he had
any personal responsibility for their suffer
incs. but he asserts that the familiar story of
AndcrsOnville is in part fiction, in part
gross exaggeratiOn. He repeats the tale which
Mr.. Hill used in his speech and suppressed in
the official report, that Confederate prisoners
in our hands were worse treated than the
Federal prisoners in his. He charges Adyo-
cate-General Holt with attempting, by "a
trained band of sub0rned Witnesses to con-
Wet him of crimes he had not committed. He
alleges that the Government resortcd 20 the
awful bascness of trying to subon Wirz, by
promise of his life, to eliminate the President
of the Confederacy Gin regard to Ander-
"sOnvie prisoners" And finally he laws
the whole blame Of the horrors of the
prison pen upon Gen. Grants refusal to ex-
change. Thus Mr.. Davis throws down a gage
which the North can hardly avoid taking up
The living witnesses to whom he appeals will
be called upon for their testimony We shall
have the official reports on both sides. if both
sides can be obtained. Probably even such
evidence will not settle controversy which
has provoked more .decp-seaed and enduring
bitterness than any other incident Of the war
but it will revive many q sleeping hatred and
break many a new bond of friendship What
good can possibly come out of the resurrection