Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-06-24

pines. In no war III modern times, ne
declared, had there been less of brutal
ity and retaliation than in the war i'll
the Philippines. If everything that had
been said of Gen. Jacob Smith were
| true, he could find its counterpart on
both sides during the Civil war. He
| then proceeded to read report from
Gen. Grant to the government at Wash
ington, telling of the arrangements he
| had made to carry desolation every
| where through the Shenandoah valley,
to seize all men under 80 years of age
as prisoners of war, to destroy crops
and make the valley barren waste"
| Before Phil Sheridan got through he
made it a barren waste' said Gros-
| yenor He then read from the letters
of StOnewall Jackson" edited by his
| wife, a statement that Jackson believed
that the black flag should be raised and
no quarter given as the best means of
resisting invasion and saying that he
had urged this policy upon Lee. He also
| read telegram from Gen. Beauregard
urging the passage of a bill for the
execution of prisoners. BY this
means" the telegram read, England
| will be stirred to action
things to rekindle the embers of sec
tionalism, but to show how deplorable
war always was.
when that bill was introduced in
the Confederate Congress" interrupted
| Bartlett, Ga, had not Lincoln issued
proclamation to seize the citizens of
the valley of Virginia and try them by
cOurtmartial and had they not been
| seized?"
II do not know" replied Grosvenor.
THAT is history" declared Bartlett.
IF that is true" responded Grosve-
nor, lit furnishes only another reason
to excuse those of our soldiers who re-
taliated when the natives in the Phil
ippines sneaked up and cowardly muir
dered their comrades"
j. r. Williams, ILL.,, followed in oppo-
sitOn to the bill. Corliss, Mich, made
some remarks explanatory of the re-
cent defeat of his Pacific cable bill.
w. W. Kitchin, n. c., opposed the
Philippine bill and the Philippine policy
CT the administration.
| MahOn, Pa, maintained that the Fill
pinOs We're not fit for independence
Speaking OF the cruelties charged
against some of our officers and men
in the Philippines, he declared that
, they We're not to be compared with the
| harbarities of the Civil war. He read
from reports tales of the horrors suf-
fered by the Union soldiers in Ander-
sonVille.
DO not the official figures show" in
terlupted Richardson, the Democratic
leader. that a greater percentage Of
Confederate prisoners died in Northern
than Union prisoners in Southern
prisons?"
II have the official figures here" re-
sponded Mahon. Il will put them in
the record" He read an order tC
shoot the prisoners at Andersonville !
! the Union army got within seven miles
of the prison.
IF the North was justly indignant
over the atrocities at Andersonville,'
interrupted Neville. Neb., why SHOULD
not the American people now be indig
ndnt over the brutalities in the Philip
!, pines? Why parade the Civil War hor-
rOrs IS an eXcuse?'
If the administration was directly
! responsible for the atrocities alleged t
have been committed in the Philippines
: the Republican party should be swep
out Of power
while the Union prisoners were suf-
: ferinG at AndcrsOnville," interposet
Richardson, did not the Confederate
= government have up standing offer t'
' exchange those prisoners, officer for of,
! fcer and man for man? and was no
/. this proposition rejected?'
5 Yes. Eut the men in AndcrsonvillC
7 were broken, emaciated, many of then
maniacs. The North refused to ex-
! change able bodied men for men who
q could not perform military service re
z piled Mahon.
i II ask again." Interrupted Richard
: son, did not more Confederate prison
= crs die in Union prisons than Union
\ prisoners in South prisors?'
1 II deny it. ana Will put the reports III
g the record
1T is true, and | can prove it," as
y serted Richardson
, You want the South to support Tho
- government in prosecuting the war in
Il the Philippines interEosed Neville
| why do you now seek to besmirch the
:, ssoutb?'
I do not desire to besmirch tho
SOUTH responded Mahon. Il only de-
+, sire to show, as Gen. Sherman declared
that war is hell
"As 4 Republican, MahOn concluded
II say that I do not fear this assault
upon our army. The American people
: will stand by the boys in blue when we
go upon the hustinrs for the control Of
the next House.
At O'clock the House took recess
until o'clock.
, At the night session. Bartlett, Dem,
! Ga, replied to the remarks made at the
: afternoon session by Gen. Grosvenor
: ana Mahon as to the treatment OF
> Union prisoners detained in Confed-
} crate prisons.
: He produced figures from Sec. Stan
f tons report from July 16 1866, showing
f that of 100000 Confederate prisoners in
: Union prisons, 26.576 or over y per cent
! died. against 22,576, or about 8 per cent.
of the 100000 Union prisoners who died
| in raT1fa1 q nricOnS