The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-01-26
W AsHlNGToN, I
Jan. Is, 1861

has been the amnesty discussion, ant
no recent event has caused so mucl
feeling or excitement. Blainc's
speech on Monday, in support of his
pretended desire to exclude jeff. Da
Wis from the provisions of the amnes
-ty bill, was meant for bombshel
that should fire the hearts and excite
the passions Of Southern members
1t was premeditated attempt to stil
up the bad blood which all the taunts
of ''eN-Confederate Congress" etc.
had so far failed to touch. Mr.
Blaine said there were no reasons why
the seven hundred men of the South
now under disabilities should not be
given amnesty, but he would exclude
JEFF. Davis; not because he was the
head of the Confederacy, but because
ne was responsible for the atrocities
of Andersonville. Then, in an inge-
NOUS speech, such as Ben. Butler or
Morton might have made, he held
aloft the bloody shirt, waving it in
the sight Of his fellow Republicans
and Haunting it in the faces of South
ern members, knowing and hoping
that the result might be a re opening
of the half-hcaled wounds of the war
"a revival of its bitterness and hate.
He not only failed, but it is certain
that in a party sense he has commit
ted a blundcr, only equalled by the
disaster to his own ambitious
schemes. To-day the country, as re-
here by people from every
section, and of every political faith,
brands James G. Blaine as an ambi-
tious marplot, who, in this centen-
NAL year, when the whole nation. in
a spirit Of magnanimity and frater-
nifty, is seeking to bury out Of sight
all traces and remembrance of an un
fortunate strife, from the terrible re-
suits of which the country has al
ready suffered enough, would again
'eyiye the bitterness Of the struggle.
Mr.. Blaine will find that the people
North and South are determined to
'eturn to the era of good feeling, and
hat in this year Of jubilee generous
md patriotic sentiments will be up-
oefmost:s 1t came out during the de-
'ate that the graves Of Union SOL
Tiers had been decorated in the South
he same as Confederate graves, and
hat the same tender charity had
)een observed in the North, from
which Blaine might have learned a
essen concerning the hearts Of the
people.
Mr.. Cox, in his reply to Blaine,
proved from the record that no long
Il ago than last winter an amnesty
ill precisely Ike the enc introduced
" Ar Randall Had passed the Re-
publican House upon the unanimous
recommendation OF the Committee on
suIes, Of which Blaine was an ex-of- |
icio member. In that committee he
fered no amendment excepting JEFF
Davis, nor referred to any, but con-
urred in recommending the passage
f the bill as it was. He, did, how
yer, after the bill had been reported
end word privately to a colored
1ember Of The House to make an OBJ
ection which he was ashamed to
lake himself. This showing not on
Y made Blaine very uncomfortable,
ut it placed the Republicans who
ow follow him in the unenviable po-
ltion of going back on their own re-
ord.
Mr.. Kelly, the veteran Republican
nd "father Of the House. made a
lanly plea for universal amnesty,
noting Lincoln and Greeley as its
rst advocates. He expressed sur
rise at the course of Mr.. Blaine, and
ointed to the fact that all tile facts
ow charged against Jefferson Davis
'ere known ten years ago, and if he
ad been responsible for Anderson
lille, he should have been tried and
OufiCtcu Gilcil.
The speech Of General Ben. Hill, OIL
georgia, was a powerful effort. All
is utterances bearing directly upon
he questions of the hour were patri-
tic and full ofpromise, for the future
tut he permitted himself to be led
ut of his real purpose by the infam-
natory speech Of Blaine, and went
90 far into questions relating to the
onduct Of the war. proved, how
yer, that the sufferings of prisoners
n southern prisons, beyond those in