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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. : TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTiOW. I u u 3 “ 50 1 g"For every Club of Ten subscribers, an ex- Ljcopy of the paper will be given. RATES OF ADVERTISING. I (kk Dollar per square (of ten lines or less) I, t hc first insertion, and Seventy-live Cents Er each subsequent insertion. I tfTAll Advertisements sent without specifica ■ „nofthe number of insertions marked thereon, Kill be published TILL FORBID, and charged accordingly- ;/S|> ) W gyßi<iness or Professional Cards, of six lines L r '” s Seven Dollars per annum; and where t ydo not exceed ten lines, Ten Dollars. Contract Advertising. I The following will be the regular rates for con rwt advertising, and will bejstrictly adhered to u all cases: SqUAItHS- lW- AML i* Ml. ti 111. 1 a 111. 7~ *1 00 82 50 $6 00 80 00 812 00 Vo 200 550 11 00 17 00 22 00 hree " .. 300 G 75 1G 00 21 00 30 00 : m .. 400 950 18 75 25 00 36 00 ■j ve ' . 500 10 25 21 50 20 00 42 00 Ijj . G ; 00 12 00 24 25 33 00 48 00 Velvc 11 00 21 75 40 00 55 00 SI 00 Ween.... 15 00 30 50 54 50 75 50 100 00 Vcntytwo 17 00 34 00 GO 00 00 00 125 00 {jsTA square is one inch, or about 100 words of he type used in our advertising columns. Marriage and obituary notices not exceeding ten jncs, will be published free ; but for all over ten nes. regular advertising rates will be charged. Transient advertisements and announcing can idates for office will be Cash. I Address all communications for publication and f|ll letters on business to 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.