Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1876-01-18
TIE AMNESTY BILL.

day of last week, Mr. Randalls amnesty bill
was put upon its passage and defsatsd-yeas
172, nays 81, two-thirds not voting in the af-
frmative, because of Mr. Randall's refusal to
accept Mr. Blaine's amendment, excluding
Jefferson Davis from the benefits of the bill
On Tuesday the House resumed the con-
sidsra,iou of the amnesty bill, and Sir. Hill,
of Georgia, took the floor. Alter expressing
regret that Mr.. Blaine had plunged the House
into this discussion, re-opening wounds that
were being healed and re>inAaming passions
which were being hushed, he declared that
the South did not eciprOcate sach purpose,
or manifest such desire. Dir. Hill then pro-
eeeded to defend Mr.. Davis from the charges
made against him by Mr.. Blaine. He was
not here to pass eulugy upon Mr.. Davis
His record had been made up and gone before
an impartial Judge, aud no eulogy from him,
no words of the gentleman could damage him,
and no resolution of the House could affect
him. Re had supposed when the sentlsnan
uttered his charges that he had discovered
Iome new evidence, but, to his surprise, he
discovered that they were nothing on earth"
but partisan report of a committee of Con-
gross, made when passions we're at their
height and the testimony taken -er pdrfe,
when the accasSd was prisoner and in Jail,
with no opportunity to be heard-the tes-
timoDy taker enemies in the midst of fury
and rage. IF there was anything in the
Anglo Saxon law, it was the high prezogative
OF the accused to confront his accusers The
testimony was not only taken while he was in
prison, and by his,enemies, and in hatred, hut
even this testimony had been mutilated-
And this testimony, he said, with these mu.
tilations, had been fled away in the decu-
msnt rooms as history.
He next referred 10 the Nirts trial, and
said that here was a trial that lasted three
months, and over hundred and City wit,
nesses we're examined with the whole country
under military despotsm, and every one seek
ing favor With the government; yet with all
these there TasDot word elected TO connect
the name of Jefferson Davis with the scenes
at Audersonvile. Even the day eff his e1-
ecuton WirE had been offered communication
of his sentence if he would implicate Mr..
Davis, but Wires answer to his counsel was
"Ar. Sohade. you know that 1 have always
told you that do not know anything about
Jefferson Davis lie had no connection with
to what was done at aniersonvifle. I
would not become traitor against him or
anybody else even to save my llfe."
Mr.. Hill argued that on tho logic of Mr.
Blaine's spesch, (holding Mr.. Davis response
BILE for tie acts of General Winder,) Presi>
dent Grant might be held responsible for the
acts of Mcdonald and Joyce. Was Grant
responsible for the frauds in tho District of
Columbia? And yet he had Absolutely sent
| to tho Senate for confirmation of a high Of
fee the name Of man (alluding to A r.
! Shepherd, Of Washington, who stood charged
with the gvossest populations and frauds on
this District. Such an argument was false,
and libel American law. He declared
that whatever horrors had existed Anderson>
vile not one of then could be attributed te
single order of the Confederate government,
| and that every ons of them grew out OF the
| necessity OF the occasion, which necessity was
fastened on the COufsderates by the conduct
| OF the other EidS. He challenged Mr.. Blaine
| to meet hi@ face to face, fact TO fact, in the
discussion of the question, declaring that the
tirrs past when the country could ACCEPT
the impudsnce of assertion for the force Of
argument or the recklessness of statement
for the truth of history. lie then read from
the report of Mr.. Stanton. Secretary of
War, showing that the mortality amongst
Confederate soldiers in Northern prisons was
greater than that Of Feda-2l soldiers ia South
ern prisons, the ratio being twelve per cent
of Confsderates sad niue peg xest. of
Federal prisoners
MI NH HcuI INTO Oeb4lIeO statement OF
the effort made by the Confederate authors
ties for a prompt exchange of prisoners
Whenever taken, which efforts were foiled bv
a refusal of the federal authorities to make
and live up to eIcnange caTtels, quoting
largely from federal authorities to support his
position. At this point Mr.. Hills hour ex-
pired, but, by unaAimeu. consent, he was al
LEVIED to proceed without any limit as to time
4 oolloquy thea ensued between MesIr4.
Blaine and Hill, in which the former tried to
fix the responsibility of resolution presented
in the Confederate Senate in 1862, providing
for the trial aud punishment by court martial
of any person claiming TO be federal soldier
and caught in the Confederate States after a
certain date, Mr.. Hill contendiug that he had
no recollection of such a resolution, though
he may have been its author. Quoting from
Mr.. Baines description of the outrages and
crueltics practiced at Andersonville, Mr. Hill
said let him add ''But the atrocities of An
dersonviIle do not begin to compare with the
atrocities of E!uira, Camp Douglas or Fort
Delaware. and of all tho atrocities. both at
Andersonvile and Emira, tho Confederate
government stands acquitted from all respou-
sibility."
But" said Mr.. Hill, ''why bring up such
subjects? War is always horrible. Wara
ways brings hardships, death, sorrow, ruin,
devastation. And he is unworthy being
called statesman, looking to the pacifcaton
of the country, who will parade the horrors
!! ,aseparable from war for the purpose of keeps
Png up the strife which produced those hOr-
rOrs. Ny message to the gentleman from
Maine is this There are no Confederates in
this House there are no Confederate an-
billions, desires or purposes in this House
But the Soath is here, and here she intends
to remain. Enthusiastic demonstrations on
the democratic side and in the galleries. /
Let fauaticism do its worst. Let it pass its
multiplying acts, trample on the constitution,
abrogate the pledges of the fathers, iucite