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THE JACKSON COUNTY )
PUBLISHING- COMPANY. \
VOLUME I.
Pst
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY,
Lthe J* ckson County l*ulli*hin
4'oni|Ky.
JEFFERSON , J A OK SON CO., GA.
pprCK. N. w. COR. PUBLIC SQUARE. UP-STATRS.
: ' V ' MALCOM STAFFORD,
MANAGING and business editor.
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idates for office will be Cash.
I Address all communications for publication and
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MALCOM STAFFORD,
Managing and Jiusiues* Editor.
Wessimuif L business (lards.
. A. B. MAIIAFFKY. W. S. JU’CAIITY.
VIAHAFFEY & McCARTY,
M ATT<) it XKVS AT LA AY,
Jefferson, Jackson Cos. <*..
Vtll practice anywhere for money. Prompt nt
ention given to all business entrusted to their
are. Patronage solicited. Oct3o ly
ni.EY C. HOWARD. ROB’! 1 S. HOWARD.
I T©VTA IEB> A !iOWAK!,
IL ATTORNEYS AT LA AY,
Jefferson, Ga.
Will practice together in all the Courts of Jack
on and adjacent counties, except the Court of
Minary of Jackson county. Sept Ist ’75
17 A. Bin J4.HKO.Y
U WATCHMAKER AND JEWELER,
At Dr. Win. King’s Drug Store, Deuprec Block,
Athens, (la. All work done in a superior manner,
ml warranted to give satisfaction. Terms, posi-
Mij CASH. JulylO-Gm.
STANLEY & rmON,
JEFFERSON. GA.,
TAF-ALERS in Dry Goods and Family Grocc
* * ries. New supplies constantly received.
Cheap for Cash. Call and examine their stock.
I tine 10 ly
MltS. T. A. ADAMS,
Mroad Street, one door above Kational Bank,
ATHENS,
I. KhPS constantly on hand an extensive stock
IV of SEASONABLE MILLINERY GOODS,
onijirising, in part, the latest styles and fashions
I-adioM* Elats Bonnet*, Ribbons
Flowers, Cwloves, &<*., which will be
°'i at reasonable prices. Orders from the coun
promptly tilled. Give her a call. dlß3m
11 hOITOH l>, Attorney at Ijiw,
u * BELTON, GA.,
" ill practice in all the adjoining Counties, and
' p prompt attention to all business entrusted to
lh .' are - Collecting claims a specialty.
June loth. 1875. ly
T°N. OVIIIX
\, ARXKSS MAKER. JEFFERSON, GA.
\ cw aU( I good buggy and wagon harness always
. uind. Repairing same, bridles, saddles, &c.,
0!u ' 0,1 "horl notice, and cheap for cash.
June 12—iy ’ 1
• J -FU)Yn, I J. B. SILMAN,
n Povington, Ga. Jclferson, Ga.
1 M>Y|> ,v siiaian,
A TTC >R N EYS- AT-L A AY.
, 'll practice together in the Superior Courts of
"unties of Jackson and Walton.
Junel2—iy
\\ *• PiliK, Attorney at Law,
J ' JEFFERSON. JACKSON CO., GA.
p Ctlces 'n all the Courts, State and Federal,
■"'nipt and thorough attention given to all
' L of ingal business in Jackson and adjoining
Untl . June 12, 1875
, Medical Notice.
JJ 1 "- •!. O. ||( ;VF having located in Jeffer
es S( 'j? ; or the purpose of practicing Medicine,
jd’oetfudy tenners his services to the citizens of
L, " Wn and county in all the different branches
.ue profession. After a flattering experience
•neteen years, he feels jnstitied in saying that
prepared to successfully treat any curable
'reC* 'ncident to our climate. He is, for the
riir° nt ' with Judge John Simpkins, but
*°*e his family here ion.
with Col. J. A. B. Mahaffey.
Reference can be seen in the office of T. 11.
Esq., C. S. C. octlfi
\y "* respectfully call the attention of the
public to their elegant stock of
pry Goods of all Kinds,
* A nv.MADR CLOT unci,
[? ‘ INK CASSIMERES, HATS, CAPS,
Trimr m es; Ladies’ Bonnets, Hats and
'Lu , n iP^ S: Hardware. Hollow Ware, Earthen
Wy'' 5, 00 ' Books. Paper, Pens, Inks, Envel
l*a ali !- >U 1 * Bacon, Lard. Sugar Coffee,
11,(3, Patent Medicines, i fact everything
tin,. ' ,o, nid in a General Store. Prices to suit
nCa * Jefferson, June 12, 1875. tf
THE FOREST NEWS.
The People their own Rulers; Advancement in Education. Science, Agriculture and Southern Manufactures.
He dioml templars in Council*.
GOOD TEMPLARS’ DISTRICT CONVENTION.
Hall Stonewall Loixie. No. 214,1. O. G. TANARUS., \
•Jefferson, Ga., Jan. 21, 187 G. /
The convention of delegates from various
Lodges of Good Templars in the 9th Con
gressional District, met this day with the
Lodge at Jefferson, Jackson county, pursu
ant to previous arrangement.
Called to order by D. G. W. C. TANARUS., J. W.
Quillian. Miss Sallie S. Candler, G. W. V.
T. of Grand Lodge of Geo., being present,
was appointed Vice Templar; W. H. Simp
kins, P. W. C. TA NARUS.; Rev. G. 11. Cartledge,
Chaplain ; J. P. Caldwell, O. G.; Mrs. A. M.
Cartledge, I. G.; R. S. Adams, Marshal, pro
tern. Opened in usual form of subordinate
lodge, after which, by request, G. W. C. T. of
Grand Lodge of Geo., J. G. Thrower, ex
plained the object of the Convention, in a
brief and pertinent manner, to be the organi
zation of a District Grand Lodge for the 9th
Congressional District.
J. P. Williamson, Sr., J. N. Telford and
Mrs. E. G. Sanders were appointed a Com
mittee on Credentials. Pro. Cartledge, in a
brief and appropriate manner, 011 behalf of
Stonewall Lodge, welcomed the Grand offi
cers, delegates and visitors, which was re
sponded to b} r District Grand Lecturer, 11.
K. Shackelford, in a very eloquent and chaste
address—replete with information as to the
progress of the Order and encouragement to
the brotherhood.
The committee on Credentials reported the
following named delegates as duly accredited
to represent their respective Lodges, viz :
Belton Lodge, No. 418, AY. Y. Bates and Miss
M. E. Ilewen ; Lawrenceville, No. 327, A\ r .
J. I). Skelton and Mrs. J. M. Shaffer; Even
ing Star, No. 379, AY. IT. Simpkins and J. N.
Telford ; Morning Star, No. 313, J. P. Cald
well and Miss S. S. Candler; Toccoa, No.
203, AY. L. Harris; Social Circle, No. 401,
AA\ J. AAhitehead and Mrs. Anna AA hitehead ;
Harmony Grove, No. 037, I). J. Sanders and
Airs. E. G. Sanders; Stonewall, No. 214, J.
P. AA’illiamsou, Sr., and G. 11. Cartledge;
Magnolia, No. 390, B. F. Mills ; Star of Beth
lehem, No. 305, AA r . B. Rutherford and Mrs.
AL C. AViley ; New Salem, No. 417, A\ r . T.
M. Brock and Miss A. M. Sanders; which
report was adopted.
At the suggestion of G. AY. C. TANARUS., J. G.
Thrower, and on motion, adopted the Consti
tution of District Grand Lodges of Califor
nia, as read by Bro. Thrower, with such alte
rations as circumstances here require.
Proceeded to the election of officers, and
endorsed the action of G. AY. C. T. Thrower
in appointing Bro. J. AN . Quillian, of Even
ing Star, No. 379, D. G. AY. O. T. for this
District, and he was duly elected to that po
sition for the ensuing year. Sister E. G.
Sanders, of Harmony Grove, No. 437, was
elected D. Y. T. Bros. AY illiamson, Telford
and A\\ 11. Simpkins were appointed tellers.
Bro. A\\ 11. Simpkins, of Evening Star, No.
379, was elected I). AN". K.. by ballot.
Suspended order of business at this junc
ture, until two o'clock, and repaired to the
Methodist Church and listened to very im
pressive and eloquent addresses from Rev.
NY. B. Rutherford and D. G. L., 11. K. Shack
elford.
After refreshment, convened again for bu
siness.
The committee on credentials made the
following additional report, which was receiv
ed and adopted :
Evans Lodge. No. 76, A. A. Bell: Qnillian
Lodge, No. 408, C. W. Meadows,; Oslin
Lodge, No. 318, J. EL Rich and Mrs. Sal lie
King.
Proceeded with the order of business and
elected the following additional officers : Miss
M. EL Hewen, of Belton, No. 418, D. AY. E.
S.; W. Y. Bates, Belton, No. 418, I). W. TA NARUS.;
Rev. G. 11. Cartledge, Stonewall, No. 214,
D. W. Chaplain ; IL EL Mills, Magnolia, No.
390. D. W. M.; Mrs. Sallie King, Oslin, No.
318 I). W. I. G.; R. S. Adams, Pleasant
Hill, No. —, I). AY. Sentinel.
The newly elected officers were then duly
installed by G. AY. C. TL, J. G. Thrower.
Read and confirmed minute of the proceed
ings. J* AY. QIILLAIN,
I). AAL C. TANARUS., Presiding.
AY. C. Howard, Sec’y pro tern.
The District Grand Lodge being properly
organized, the following assistant officers
were chosen and installed :
C. AY. Meadows, of Qnillian Lodge, No. 408,
I). AAL Ass’t Secretary ; Miss A. M. Sanders,
of New Salem, No. 417, D. AY. Asst Marshal;
Airs. I. M. Shaffer, of Lawreneeville, No. 327.
1). AY'. R. 11. S., and Miss Willie Giles, of
Evening Star, No. 379, D. YY. L. 11. S.
Resolved, That this District Grand Lodge
adopt the system of County Grand Lodges,
as laid down in Constitution.
Granted leave of absence to Bro. Skelton
and Sister Sanders for the session.
Bro. A. A. Bell offered the following reso
lution, which was passed :
Resolved, That a voluntary tax of 10 cents
per quarter, per mend>er, be raised by eacli
Lodge in the District, for the use of County
Grand Lodges, subject to the order of the
County Deputy.
Agreed to hold two meetings of this Lodge
during the year, and Toccoa was selected, bv
a rising vote, as the place, and the 17th of
July, 1876, the day, for next meeting.
Recognized the delegation from Social Cir
cle and "Pleasant Ilill as in the Ninth Con-
gressional District.
Proceeded under the head of “ Good of the
Order,” when the delegates from each Lodge
represented, made brief and interesting state
ments as to the condition and prospects of
the Lodges.
Secretary instructed to procure books, &c.,
needed for use of District Grand Lodge.
On motion of B. F. Mills, Resolved, That
this Lodge hereby tenders their thanks to the
citizens of Jefferson for their hospitality, and
to the management of the Air-Line Railroad
for passim* visitors and delegates at half fare.
By A A. Bell— Resolved, That the thanks
of this body be and they are hereby tendered
to the Editor of The Forest News, for his
kindness in publishing the proceedings of
tiiis Convention.
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY, GA., SATURDAY, JAN’Y 29, 1876.
The Lodge then adjourned, to time and
place of next meeting, after arranging for
public addresses at night.
J. AA r . Quillian, D, AA\ C. T.
AA\ 11. Simpkins, D. W. Sec’y.
SPEECH
OF
HON. BENJ’N 11. HILL,
OF GEORGIA,
In the House of Representatives, Tuesday,
January 11, 1876.
“ The House having nnder consideration
the bill (H. R. No. 214.) to remove the disa
bilities imposed by the third section of the
fourteenth article of the amendment of the
Constitution of the United States, the pend
ing question being on the motion of Mr.
Blaine to reconsider the motion by which the
bill was rejected”—Mr. Hill said :
Mr. Speaker : The house will hear wit
ness that we have not sought this discussion.
Nothing can be farther from our desire and
purpose than to raise such discussion.
Mr. Atkins. I rise to a point of order.
The whole house desires to hear the gentle
man from Georgia, but it is impossible for
them to do so unless gentlemen retain their
scats.
The Speaker. The point of order is well
taken, and gentlemen will retain their seats ;
and order must be preserved not only within
the bar but outside the bar, and the chair
directs the doorkeeper to give especial atten
tion to the maintenance of order outside the
bar.
Mr. Hill. 1 say, Mr. Speaker, that noth
ing could have been farther from the desires
and purposes of those who with me repressnt
immediately the section of country which on
yesterday was put upon trial, than to re-open
this discussion of the events of our unhappy
past. AVe had well hoped that the country
had suffered long enough from feuds, from
inflamed passions, and we came here, sir,
with a patriotic purpose, to remember noth
ing but the country and the whole country,
and, turning our backs upon all the horrors
of the past, to look with all earnestness to
find glories for the future.
The gentleman, who is the acknowledged
leader of the republican party on this floor,
who is the aspiring leader of the republian
party of this country —representing most
manifestly the wishes of many of his associ
ates—not all—has willed otherwise. They
seem determined that the wounds which were
healing shall be re-opened, that the passions
which were hushing shall be reinflamed. Sir.
I wish this House to understand that we do
not reciprocate either the purpose or the
manifest desire of the gentlemen on the
other side, and while we feel it our impera
tive duty to vindicate the truth of history as
regards the section which wc represent, feel
ing that it is a portion of this common coun
try, we do not intend to sav anything calcu
lated to aid the gentlemen in their work of
crimination and recrimination and of keep
ing up the war by politicians after brave
men have said the war shall end. The gen
tleman from Maine on yesterday presented
to the country two questions which he mani
festly intends to be the fundamental princi
ples of the Republican party, or at least of
those who follow him in that party. The
first is what he is pleased to term the mag
nanimity and grace of the Republican party ;
the second is the brutality of those whom he
is pleased to term “the rebels.” Upon the
first question I do not propose to weary the
House to-day. If. with the history of the
last fifteen years fresh in the memory of this
people, the country is prepared to talk about
the grace and magnanimity of the Republi
can party, argument would be wasted. AVith
masters enslaved, intelligence disfranchised,
society disorganized, industry paralyzed,
States subverted, Legislatures dispersed by
the bayonet, the people can accord to that
party the verdict of grace and magnanimity,
may God save the future of our country from
grace and magnanimity.
Y 5 o
I advance directly to that portion of the
gentleman’s argument which relates to the
question before the House. The gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Randall) has pre
sented to this House, and he asks it to adopt,
a bill on the subject of amnesty which is
the same as the bill passed in this
House by the gentleman's own party, as I
understand it, at the last session of Congress.
The gentleman from Maine has moved a
reconsideration of the vote by which it was
rejected, avowing his purpose to be to offer
an amendment. The main purpose of that
amendment is to except from the operation
of the bill one of the citizens of this country,
Mr. Jefferson Davis. He alleges two distinct
reasons why' he asks the House to make that
exception. I will state those reasons in the
gentleman’s own language. First, he says
that “Air. Davis was the author, knowingly,
deliberately, guiltily', and wilfully, of the
gigantic murder and crime at Andersonville.”
That is a grave indictment. 11c then charac
terizes in his second position what he calls
the horrors of Andersonville. And he says
of them:
“ And I, here, before God, measuring my
words, knowing their full extent and import,
declare that neither the deeds of the Duke of
Alva in the Low Countries, nor the massacre
of Saint Bartholomew, nor the thumb-screws
and engines of torture of the Spanish Inquisi
tion, begin to compare in their atrocity with
the hideous crimes of Andersonville.”
Sir, he stands before the country' with his
very fame in peril if he, having made such
charges, shall not sustain them. Now, I
take up the propositions of the gentleman in
their order. I hope no gentleman imagines
that I am here to pass in eulogy upon Air.
Davis. The record upon which his fame must
rest has been made up, and he and his
friends have transmitted that record to the
only judge who will give him an impartial
judgment —an honest, unimpassioned poster
ity. In the meantime, no eulogy from me
can help him, no censure from the gentleman
can damage him, and no act or resolution of
this House can affect him. But the charge
lis that he is a murderer, and a deliberate,
willful, guilty, scheming murderer of “thous
ands of our fellow-citizens.” Why, sir,
knowing the character of the honorable gen
tleman from Maine, his high reputation,
when I heard the charge fall from his lips I
thought surely the gentleman had made a
recent discovery, and I listened for the evi
dence to justify that charge. He produced
it; and what is it? To my utter amazement,
as the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Kelley) has well stated, it is nothing on earth
but a report of a committee of this Congress,
made, when passions were at their height,
and it was known to the gentleman and to
the whole country eight years ago.
Now, I say first, in relation to that testi
mony, that it is exclusively ex parte. It was
taken when the gentleman who is now put
upon trial by it before the country was
imprisoned and in chains, without a hearing
and without an opportunity to be heard. It
was taken by enemies. It was taken in the
midst of fury and rage. If there is anjbhing
in Anglo-Saxon law which ought to be
considered sacred, it it the high privilege of
an Englishman not to be condemned until he
shall be confronted with the witnesses
against him. But that is not all. The testi
mony produced by the gentleman is not only
ex parte, not only exclusively the production
of enemies, or at least taken by them and in
the midst of passion, but the testimony is
mutilated, ingeniously mutilated, palpably
mutilated, most adroitly mutilated. Why,
sir, one of the main witnesses is Dr. Joseph
Jones, a very excellent gentleman, who was
called upon to give his testimony in what is
called the AAfirz trial, and which is produced
before this House, and attention called to it by
the gentleman. The object of the gentleman
was to prove that Mr. Davis knew of these
atrocities at Andersonville, and he calls the
attention of the House to the report of this
committee, and thanks God that it has been
taken in time to be put where it can neither
be contradicted nor gainsaid, as a perpetual
guide to posterity to find out the authors - of
t hese crimes. One of the most striking and
remarkable pieces of evidence in this whole
report is found in the report made by Dr.
Jones, a surgeon of fine character, and sent
to Andersonville by the Confederate authori
ties to investigate the condition of that,
prison. That gentleman made his report,
and it is brought into this House. AY hat is
it? The first point is as to the knowledge
of tin’s report going to any of the authorities
at Richmond. Here is what Dr. Jones
says:
“ 1 had just completed the report, which I
placed in the hands of the Judge Advocate,
under orders from the Government, when the
Confederacy went to pieces. The report
never was delivered to the Surgeon-General,
and I was unaware that any one knew of its
existence until l received orders from the
United States Government to bring it and
deliver it to this Court in testimony.
Now, he was ordered by the United States
Government, the first time this report ever
saw the light, to bring it and deliver it on
the trial of AAfirz. In accordance with that
order he did bring it and deliver it to the
Judge Advocate General. And when the
report itself, or that which purported to be
the report, was presented to him while he
was a witness, he discovered that it was
mutilated, and he asked permission to state
that fact. Hear what he sa} T s on that
subject:
“ I beg leave to make a statement to the
Court. That portion of my report which has
been read is only a small part of the report.
The real report contains the excuses which
were given by the officers present at Ander
sonville, which I thought it right to embody
with mv report. It also contains documents
forwarded to Richmond by Dr. AY bite and
Dr. Stevenson, and others in charge of the
hospitals. Those documents contained im
portant facts as to the labors of the medical
department and their efforts to better the
condition of things.”
All that part of the report is suppressed ;
and with that suppression this magnificent
receptacle of truth is filed away in the docu
ment room for the information of posterity !
The committee ask him :
Question. Are your conclusions correctly
stated in this extract ?
Answer. Tart of my conclusions are stated
—not the whole. A portion of my conclu
sions. and also my recommendations, are not
stated.
Q. YYfoll, touching the subject of exchange?
A. Y'es, sir; the general difficulties envi
roning the prisoners and their officers.
Q. YY'hat became of your original report ?
A. This is my original report.
That is, he had there the extract as far as
it went.
Q. Did you make this extract yourself ?
The committee seem to suspect that he was
the man that simply made the extract and
brought it before the committee. Now, here
is his answer:
I did not. My original report is in the
hands of the Judge-Advocate. I delivered it
into his hands immediately upon my arrival
in AY'ashiugton.
And this committee of Congress to which
the gentleman refers, absolutely tells us that
this mutilated report was the one introduced
in evidence against this man AA r irz, and it is
the one incorporated in this book.
Now, I want to call attention to another
extract from that original report—a part not
included in this book. There are a groat
many' such omissions ; I have not been able
to get all of them.
Dr. Jones in his report is giving an ac
count of the causes of the sickness and mor
tality at Andersonville ; and he says, among
other things :
“ Surrounded by these depressing agents,
the postponement of the general exchange of
prisoners and the constantly receding hopes
of deliverance through the action of their own
government, depressed their already despond
ing spirits and destroyed those mental and
moral energies so necessary' for a successful
struggle against disease and its agents.—
Homesickness and disappointment, mental
depression and distress, attending the daily
longing for an apparently hopeless release,
are felt to be as potent agencies in the de
! struction of these prisoners as the physical
! causes of actual disease.”
Ah ! why that homesickness, that longing
and the distress consequent upon it, and its
effect in carrying those poor, brave, unfortu
nate heroes to death ? I will tell this House
before I am done.
Now, sir, there is another fact. AA'irz was
put on trial, but really Mr. Davis Was the
man intended to be tried through him. Over
one hundred and sixty witnesses were intro
duced before the military commission. The
trial lasted three months. The whole coun
try was under military despotism ; citizens
labored under duress ; and quite a large num
ber of Confederates were seeking to make
favor with the powers of the government.—
Yet. sir, during those three months, with all
the witnesses they could bring to AVashing
ton, not one single man ever mentioned the
namqof Mr. Davis in connection with a single
atrocity at Andersonville or elsewhere. The
gentleman from Maine, with all his research
into all the histories of the Duke of Alva,
and the massacre of St. Bartholomew and the
Spanish inquisition, has not been able to
frighten up such a witness yet.
Now, sir. there is a witness on this subject.
AAfirz was condemned, found guilty, sentenc
ed to be executed ; and I have now before me
the written statement of his counsel, a North
ern man and Union man. lie gave this state
ment to the country, and it lias never been
contradicted.
Hear what this gentleman sa3’s :
“On the night before the execution of the
prisoner AA'irz. a telegram was sent to the
Northern press from this city, stating that
AYirz had made important disclosures to Gen.
L. C. Baker, the well-known detective, impli
cating Jefferson D ivis, and that the confes
sion would probably be given to the public.
On the same evening some parties came to
the confessor of AVirz, Rev. Father Boyle, and
also to me as his counsel, one of them inform
ing me that a high Cabinet officer wished to
assure AVirz that if he would implicate Jeffer
son Davis with the atrocities committed at
Andersonville his sentence would be commut
ed. The messenger requested me to inform
AA irz of this. In presence of Father Boyle
I told AYirz next morning what had hap
pened.”
Hear the reply :
“Captain AA'irz simply and quietty replied :
‘ Mr. Schade, you know that I have always
told you that I do not know anything about
Jefferson Davis. He had no connection with
me as to what was done at Andersonville. I
would not become a traitor against him or
anybody else even to save my life.’ ”
Sir, what AYirz, within two hours of his ex
ecution, would not say for his life the gentle
man from Maine says to the country to keep
himself and his party in power. Christianity
is a falsehood, humanity is a lie, civilization
is a cheat, or the man who would not make a
false charge for his life was never guilty of
willful murder.
lie who makes a charge must produce his
witnesses. They must be informed witnesses.
The gentleman from Maine makes his charge,
but produces no witnesses. lie says the men
sent Ivy Jefferson Davis to Andersonville were
his officers, executing his orders, commission
ed by him, and he therefore charges Mr.
Davis with these atrocities by inference. It
was only when the gentleman reached that
portion of his argument that I thought I be
gan to discover the real purpose of his move
ment. I will not charge him with it, but a
suggestion came immediately to my mind.
What was the proposition which the gen
tleman proposes to establish ? It is that
those high in authority are to be charged with
the sins and treacheries of their agents, com
missioned by them and acting under their
orders. Is the gentleman artfully—l beg
pardon —under the cover of the preju lice and
passion against Jefferson Davis, seeking to
assault President Grant ? If Jefferson Davis
sent General Winder to Andersonvillc, why
President Grant sent General Joyce to St.
Louis. [Laughter.] Nay. more, sir ; is not
the very Secretary of the White House, the
private confidential Secretary, indicted to-day
for complicity in these frauds? Does the
gentleman want to establish a rale of con
struction b}' which lie can authorize the coun
try to arraign General Grant for complicity
in the whisky frauds? [Laughter.]
Sir, is General Grant responsible for the
Credit Mobilier ? Was he a stockholder in
the Sanborn contracts ? Was he the co
partner in the frauds upon this District ?
With all his witnesses the gentleman never
can find a single man wiio was confidential
Secretary of Mr. Davis, and charged with
complicity in crime, that Mr. Davis ever en
dorsed an}' man as fit for office who was even
gravely charged with any complicity in fraud.
Yet the gentleman’s President, as I under
stand it, absolutely sent to the Senate of the
United States for confirmation to a high of
fice the very man who stood charged before
the country with the grossest speculations
and frauds in this District, and that, too, af
ter these charges were made and while the
investigation was pending.
Sir, I am neither the author nor the dis
ciple of such political logic. And I will not,
nor would I for any consideration, assume
the proposition before this House to punish
an enemy which would implicate the Presi
dent of the United States in the grossest
frauds. Yet, if the gentleman’s proposition
be true, General Grant, instead of being en
titled to a presidential third term, is entitled
to twenty terms in twenty penitentiaries.—
But, sir, he is not guilty. The argument is
false. It is a libel upon the American rule
of law and English precedent. You cannot
find its precedent anywhere in any civilized
country. I acquit General Grant of com
plicity in the whisky frauds and Revenue
frauds, and the facts acquit Mr. Davis of
complicity in any atrocity any where.
Now, Mr. Speaker. I pass from the con
struction of that question to tiie real facts
about Anderson ville. First. I want to call
the attention of the House to the law of the
Confederate Government on the subject of
the treatment of prisoners. I read from the
act of the Confederate Congress on that sub
ject; it was very simple, and directed —
“ The rations furnished prisoners of war
shall be the same in quantity and quality as
those furnished the enlisted men in the army
I of the Confederacy.”
That was the law ; that was the law Mr.
S TERMS, $2.00 PER ANNUM.
\ SI.OO FOR SIX MONTHS.
Davis approved, and that was the law that
he. so far as his agency was concerned, exe
cuted. The gentleman, in his speech, has
gone so far as to say that Mr. Davis purpose
ly sent General Minder to Andersonville id
organize a den of horrors ahd kill Federal
soldiers. Ido nOt quote exactly his language,
but I know it is 4i to organize a den of hor
rors but lam sure I cannot use any lan
guage more bitter than the gentleman used
himself. Therefore, the next thing I will
read is the order given for the purpose of lo
cating tills prison at Andersonville. of
wherever it should be located. The official
order for the location of the stockade enjoins
that it should he in a " healthy locality, with
plenty of pure water, with a running streatth
and. if possible, with shade trees, and 111 the
immediate neighborhood of grist alld saw
mills. That does not look like the organi
zation of a den of horrors to commit murder*
That was the official order. That was not
all. These prisoners at Andersonville were
not only allowed the rations measured out trt
Confederate soldiers, both in quantity and
quality in every respect, but they Were allow
ed also to buy as much outside as they desir
ed ; a privilege. I am reliably informed, which
was not extended to many of the Confederate
prisoners. Ido not know how t hat is. Idd
not wish to charge it if the facts were other
wise. But in the book which the gentleman
from Maine himself produced we find this
testimony, given by a Union soldier, 110
says :
“Me never had any difficulty in getting
vegetables ; we used to buy almost anything
that we wanted of the Sergeant who called
the roll mornings and nights. Ills tiaftie was
Smith, I think; he was Captain Wirz's chief
Sergeant. W e were divided into messes,
eight in each mess; my mess used to buy
from two to four bushels of sweet potatoes A
week, at the rate of §ls Confederate money
per bushel/’
They got §2O of Confederate money for §1
of greenbacks in those days.
“ Turnips we bought at §2O a bushel. We
had to buy our own soap for washing our own
persons and clothing; we bought moat and
eggs and biscuit. There seemed to he art
abundance of those things ; they were in the
market constantly. That Sergeant used to
come down with a wagon load of potatoes at
a t ime, bringing twenty or twenty-five bushels
at a load some times.”
Now, sir, Mr. Davis himself alluded to that
privilege which was allowed to the Federal
soldiers. The Confederate authorities not
only allowed them to purchase supplies as
they pleased outside in addition to the rations
allowed them bv law—the same rations allow
ed to Confederate soldiers— dmt he says :
“ By an indulgence perhaps unprecedented,
we have even allowed the prisoners in our
hands to be supplied by their friends at homo
with comforts not enjo3'ed by the men who
captured them in battle.”
'fhe Confederate Government.gave Federal
prisoners the same rations that Confederate
soldiers in the field received. Federaf prison
ers had permission to buy whatever else they
pleased, and the Confederates gave their
friends at home permission to furnish them
the means to do so. And yet, Mr. Speaker,
it is true that, in spite of all these advantages
enjoyed by these prisoners, there were hor
rors, and great horrors, at Andersonville.—
What were the causes of those horrors? The
first was want of medicine. That is given as
a cause Dr. Jones in his testimony ; that
is given by this very Father Hamilton, from
whom the gentleman from Maine read. In
tiie very same testimony which the gentleman
read. Father Hamilton says;
“1 conversed with Dr. White with regard
to the condition of the men, and he told me
it was not in his power to do anything for
them ; that he had no medicine, and could
not get any, and that lie was doing everything
in his power to help them.”
Now, how was it that medicines and other
essential supplies could not be obtained ?
Unfortunately tliey were not in the Confed
eracy. The Federal Government made med
icine contraband of war. And I am not
aware that any other nation on the earth ever
did such a thing before—not even the Duke
of Alva. sir. The Confederate Government,
unable to introduce medicines according to
its right under the laws of nations, undertook
to lain the blockade, and whenever possible
the Federal navy captured its ships and took
the medicines. Then, when no other resource
was left, when it was suspected that the wo
men of the North—the earth’s angels, God
bless them—would carry qrnnine and other
medicines of that sort, so much needed by
the Federal prisoners in the South. Federal
officers were charged to capture the women
and examine their petticoats, to keep them
from carrying medicines to Confederate sol
diers and to Federal prisoners, and they were
imprisoned. Surely, sir, the Confederate
Government and the Southern people are not
to he blamed for a poverty in ruedicines r food
and raiment enforced by the stringent war
measures of the Federal Government—a pov
erty which had its intended effect of im
measurable distress to the Con federate armies,
although it incidentally inflicted unavoidable
distress upon the Federal prisoners in the
South.
The Federal Government made clothing
contraband of war. It sent down its armies
and they burned up the factories of the .South
wherever they could find them, for the ex
press purpose of preventing the Confederates
from furnishing clothes to their soldiers, and
the Federal prisoners of course shared this
deprivation of comfortable clothing. It was
the war policy of the Federal Government to
make supplies scarce. Dr. Jones in Iris tes
timony and Father Hamilton in his testi
mony, which I will not stop to read to the
House, explained why clothing was so scarce
to Federal prisoners.
Now, then. sir. whatever horrors existed at
Andersonville, not one of them could be at
tributed to a single act of legislation of the
Confederate Government or to a single order
of the Confederate Government, but every
horror of Andersonville grew' out of the ne
cessities of the occasion, which necessities
were cast upon the Confederacy by the war
policy of the other side. The gentleman
from Maine said that no Confederate prisoner
was ever maltreated in the North. And when
NUMBER 34.