Mr. DIXON. What does he say? If genlSheridan will tell us that the whole South is as stated I shall at once admit his testimony. GenlSheridan has told us no such thing. No officer has said so. Instances of opPression and cruelty have been pointed out, and no doubt instances exist; and instead of “whitewashing” I deeply regret it. I trust I have a heart to feel as well as other men. I trust I do not desire to see the colored people of the South abused, nor do I desire to see the white people of the South abused. I have some feeling for the colored people there and I have also some feeling for the white people. But, sir, I desire truth. Between us let there be truth on this subject. Let the truth come out, and when it does it come out I am ready to submit to it. But I am not willing to sit here day after day and hear these general denunciations against the southern country which I believe to be false; nor am I willing to be accused of “whitewashing” because I say the testimony is not sufficient. Sir, it is not enough for the Senfrom Massachusetts to tell us that instances of abuse prevail. That is not the charge. A single letter from Georgia does not prove it. But the Senator says that the fact that the individual in the case mentioned was only sentenced to 5 years in the penitentiary proves his charge. I cannot go into the facts of that case; I do not know what they are. The senator showed that there had been a conviction and punishment. Whether that punishment was sufficient or not does not appear. I know that in the State of Massachusetts it has been very difficult to bring men convicted of the most heine us crimes to capital punishment, One Governor went out of office before it could be done, and another distinguished man denounced the execution of the sentence as almost a judicial murder. We know very well that different ideas prevail with regard to punishment. They may prevail at the South. What I wish to say is this, and this is all, that I believe these statements by which the northern mind is abused are grossly exaggerated, and they ought not to go forth without a denial.