Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-01-21
National Affairs.
GREAT SPEECH fHon. BENZ. HILL,
OF GEORGIA, ON AMNESTY.

OF GEORGIA, ON AMNESTY.
The House then proceeded TO the considera-
ton Of the amnesty bill and was addressed
hy Mr.. Hill, Of Georgia. He d.sclaimed all
desire on the part of himself and his associates
from The South to reopen ill-feeling between
The sections. The country had already suffer
ed enough from feuds. lie and his associates
had come here with the patriotic idea to re-
member nothing but the country and the
whole country, aud turning their backs upon
all the horrors of the past to look with all
carnesness to find glories for The future
The gentleman (Blaine) who was the ac-
knowledged leader Of the Republican party in
the House, and the aspiring leader of the Re-
publican party OF the country, had, however.
willed otherwise and seemed determined that
the wounds which were healing should he re-
opened and that the passions which were
hushed should be reinfamed lie wished the
House TO understand that he and his ascot
ales did not reclprocate either the purpose or
the manifest desire of the gentleman; and
while they felt ii their imperative duty to vim
dictate the truth of history rs regards their
section, they did not intend TO say anything
calculated to aid the gentleman in that work
OF elimination and recrimination, and OF keep
ing up the war by politicians after brave men
have said that the war shall end The gen
teman from Maine had made two points in his
speech-the magnanimily and grace of the
Republican party, and the brutality of those
whom he pleased TO term rebels. As to the
first question he did not propose to weary the
House to-day, because with the history of the
last fifteen years yet fresh in the mind of the
| world il was useless to speak Of the grace and
magnanimity of the Republican party. With
the master enslaved, with intelligence disfran-
chsed, with society disordered, with states
subverted, and with legislatures dispersed
people could not afford to talk of grace and
Inagnanmiiy. If That were grace and mag
nanimity, he prayed God to save the country
in future from such virtues. The gentleman
from Maine had made the grave Indictment
against Mr. Davis that he was guilty of the
murders and crimes at Andelsonvile, and the
gentleman MIR Blaine) stood before the coun-
try with his very fame in peril, ifafer making
such Il charge, he fniled 10 prove it. He (Mr
HID would take up the gen.leman's propo-
stions in their order. He hoped that no one
would imagine that he was here to pass an
eulogy on Mr.. Davis. The record on which
bis fame must rest had been made up, and
his companions and friends had RENTED that
ecord to the only tribunal that would given
an impartial judgment--honest posieriiy. In
the meantime no eulogy of his could help ii
no censure from the gentleman (Blaine) could
could damage it and no act or resolution of
the House could affect it, The charge against
Mr. Davis was that he was n deliberate, will
ful, scheming murderer Of thousand of his
felew-citiZens. Knowing the high character
and reputation OF the gentlemen from Maine he
(llill) had supposed, when he heard the charge
fall from his lips, that he had certainly made
recent discovery, and he listened for the
evideGce But what was it? Nothing but the
partial report Of a congressional committee.
The testimony read WAS exclusively eX-pnrte
testimony. taken while the gentleman now or
trial before the country was in prison without
hearing, and without an opportunity of
hearing. If there was any principle held
sacred in the A nglo- Saxon mind il was that
an Englishman WAS not TO be condemned until
he should be confronted with his Witnesses.
But the testimony was not only ex-parte, hut
was muilated, palpaby muiilated, most
adroity mutilated In this connection Mr.
| Hill referred to the statement Of DR. Jones, one
of the witnesses on the Wirz trial who had
been sent by the Confederate government to
make report MS to the condition Of A n der
sonvie but whose report had never reached
the Confederate authorities. That report
| had, in the hands of Judge Advocate, been
mutilated, and DR.. Jones had called the at:en-
ton OF the court to the fact, one Of the sup
pressed statements being that homcsick ness
and disappointment amoug the prisoners had
been more destructive Of life than any physi-
cal causes.
During the whole month OF the Wirz trial
the Federal government, with all the means
at its disposal had not produced n single
alrocty. Even the day Of his execution
| Wirz had been offered a communication Of his
sentence if he would impicate Mr.. Divis, but
| Virus answer to his counsel was: "Mr.
Schade, you know that | have always told
yon that do not know anything about JefTer-
son Davis. He had no connection with me as
| tn ,plio NJ a. md pyiI Ia I
not become traitor against him or nybody
else, even to save my life" But, said Mr.
Hill, what poor Wirz, within two hours OF
| his execution, would not say for his life, the
| gentleman from Maine says to the country for
the sake of keeping his party in power ISensa-
ton Sir, Christianity is falsebood hnmani-
iy isl lie; CIVILIZATION is a cheat; or the man
who would not make II false charge for his ife
was never guilty Of wllful murder. Mr. Hill
went on 10 argue that on the logic of Mr.
| Blaine's speech (holding Mr.. Davis responsible
for the acts of Mr.. Winder) President Grant
might be held responsible for the acls of
| Mcdonald and Joyce and he asked whether
Mr.. Blaine meant TO establish ruo of con-
struction that would authorize the country to
arraign President Grant for completely 10 the
whiskey frauds? Was Mr.. Grant responsible
| he aksed, for credit moblier, for the Sanborn
| contract, or for the frauds in the District Of
! NOluHiDtd n no YET bfhnl Uuu also Iult-
| ly sent to the Senate Of the United States for
confirmation for high Office the name Of
man (alluding 10 Mr. Alexandra II. Shep-
herd, Of Washington who stood charged be-
| fore the country with the grossest peculation
and frauds on this District, after the charges
had been made and while they were pending.
He (Mr. Hill) was neither The author nor the
disciple Of such political logic But if the
gentleman's (Mr. Blaine's) proposition with
regard TO Mr. Davis were true. then by the
same logic General Grant, instead Of being en-
titled to a third term was entitled to twenty
terms in twenty penieutiaries Laughter
The argument was false; it was Il libel on
American rules Of law, and was without pre-
cedent No precedent for il could be found
in any civilized country. He (Mr. Hill) ac-
quilted General Grant OF completely 10 the
whislfey frauds and the revenue frauds and
the facts acquitted Mr. Davis Of completely
with any atrociiy anywhere Mr. Hill pro-
ceeded to quote the law Of the Confederate
government on the subject Of the treatment Of
prisoners in which it is provided that the ra-
lions for prisoners Of war shall be the same in
quantity and quality as those furnished TO en-
listed men in the army Of The eoniede;acy.
That law, he said, was passed by the Confede-
rate Congress, was approved by Mr.. Davis,
and was, so far as Mr. Davis agency was
concerned, executed The gentleman from
Maine had gone so FAR as 20 say that Mr.
Davis had sent General Winder 10 Anderson
vile for the purpose Of organizing den Of
horrors. The answer TO that was an order
locating the prison, which Mr. Hill proceeded
to read. and which provided that il should be
in a healthy locality with peD', of pure
water-a running stresm-and if possible
shade trees. and in The immediate neghbor-