to which he was attached had passed that place on its southward march.
Whatever may be said in extenuation of such imposture because of the exigencies of war, there can be no such excuse now for the attempts of Mr. Blaine, by gross misrepresentation and slanderous accusation, to revive the worst passions of the war; and it is to be hoped that, much as the event is to be regretted, it will have the good effect of evoking truthful statements in regard to this little understood subject from men who would have preferred to leave their sorrowful story untold if the subject could have been allowed peacefully to sink into oblivion.
Mutual respect is needful for the common interest, is essential to a friendly union, and when slander is promulgated from high places the public welfare demands that truth should strip falsehood of its power for evil.
I am, respectfully and truly your friend,
We next introduce
THE TESTIMONY OF GENERAL R. E. LEE,
who was Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate armies, who has been widely charged with being particeps criminis in this matter, but whom the world will ever believe to have been as incapable of connivance at a cruel act as he was of the slightest departure from the strictest accuracy of statement.
The following is an extract from his sworn testimony before the Congressional Reconstruction Committee:
"Question. By Mr. Howard: 'I wish to inquire whether you had any knowledge of the cruelties practiced toward the Union prisoners at Libby Prison and on Belle Isle?' Answer. 'I never knew that any cruelty was practiced, and I have no reason to believe that it was practiced. I can believe, and have reason to believe, that privations may have been experienced by the prisoners, because I know that provisions and shelter could not be provided for them.'
"Q. 'Were you not aware that the prisoners were dying from cold and starvation?' A. 'I was not.'
"Q. 'Did these scenes come to your knowledge at all?' A. 'Never. No report was ever made to me about them. There was no call for any to be made to me. I did hear—it was mere heresay—that statements had been made to the War Department, and that everything had been done to relieve them that could be done, even finally so far as to offer to send them to some other points—Charleston was one point named—if they would be received by the United States authorities and taken to their homes; but whether this is true or not I do not know.'
"Q. 'And of course you know nothing of the scenes of cruelty about which complaints have been made at those places (Andersonville and Salisbury)?' A. 'Nothing in the world, as I said before. I
