Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-01-14
IN EIREBEL C0vGRESSNAN DE-
FENDS IN TIE HOUSE TIE ATR0Cl:
TIES OF JEFF DAVIS AND THE

SOUTHERN CONFEDERACT.
The speech of Ex-Confederate Hill OF
Georgia, made in the United States House
of Representatives on Tuesday in reply TO
Mr.. Blaine, was an unbosoming OF rebel
sentiment which it is well for the. country
has been made at this time and In the way
in which it was. For once the hypoeritical
methods in which the ex Confederates have
been trained by their allies in the North to
deceive the people who were loyal to the
flag during the rebellion were abandoned.
Ever since they made their appearance In
Congress they have been playing deep
game of deception, pretending to have ac-
cepted the situation in good faith, while
inwardly they are full of bitterness and
hostility to those by whom they were
beaten. Fortunately the scathing speech
of Mr.. Blaine unmasked their batteries,
and now we see plainly the hostility be-
fore so carefully concealed.
In reply to Mr.. Blaine, Hill defended
deliberately Jefferson Davis as guilty OF
nothing wrong in regard to Anderson
vile, and threw the whole blame upon
Mr.. Lincoln's administration for the hor-
rors of that prison pen. One would think
to read his speech that Andersonvile was
paradise compared with some of our
northern prisons, and that jeff Davis and
his brutal agents were angels OF mercy
and Lincoln and Stanton fiends. "What-
lever horrors" he said, had existed at
"Andersonyille, not one Of them could be
attributed to a single order OF the Con-
deliberate government, and every one OF
chem grew out OF the necessity OF the
cocoa sion, which necessity was fastened
ION the Confederates by the conduct Of
1.-THE other side" The recollections Of
the Union soldiers who survived the cru
elites practised at Andersonville can make
answer as to the treatment received there.
and the records produced and referred to
by Mr. Blaine are unimpeachable testi-
mony of the responsibility of Jefferson
Davis for the atrocities perpetrated in that
slaughter pen Of Union men.
The confronting OF Hill, by Mr.. Blaine.
during the formers defence Of the inhu-
mainly of Davis, with the resolution that
he (HilD offered in the Confederate Con-
gress in 1862, in favor of putting to death
all who entered the limits of the Confed-
eracy to oppose its establishment, was the
climax of this most astonishing speech.
The defender of JEFF Davis and the Con.
federate government as humane to the
Union prisoners, brought face to face with
his own record advocating the raising Of
the black flag. was an episode that illus
trates the character of the man and his
cause in manner not soon to be forgot
ten. Why should not the man who thought
Iindscriminate massacre OF Union prison
ers proper course for the Confederate
government to pursue at the commence
ment of the war, defend Jefferson Davis
for the Andersonville horrors? The advo-
cate was worthy of his cause. Judged by
his own act he must be as destitute of hui
mainly as demon.
But it was not until near the close of his
speech that the spirit and purpose of the
Speaker were revealed. Then he adj
dressed honied words to the democracy of
the North and sent defiance 10 the repub-
licans. Then he brought up ante bellum
rQcollections. charging the republicans
with having driven the South out of the
Union by persecution, denouncing them
as fanatics and tyrants, and claiming the
Confederates as martyrs. LET fanati-
"cism," he said, do its MULTIPLYING acts,
"trample on the constitution, abne-
gate the pledges of the fathers. in
"cite raids on our people, &c.
The following quotation from bis perora-
ton is one that shows the secession spirit
in every line. Having made loving adj
dress to the democrats he adds:
But you, gentlemen, who
prosecuted us by your inf
delities until you drove us out
Of the Union ; you, who then
claimed to be the only friends
of the Union which you had
before denounced as a league
with hell and a covenant with
death; you, who follow up
the war when the soldiers
who fought it have made
peace and gone to their
homes; to you we have no
concessions to make. Mar
tyrs owe no apologies to ty-
rants, and while we are ready
to make every sacrifice for
the Union. secession. however