Virginia Free Press

Mr. Blaine Explains Again.

There was an exciting scene in the House of Representatives on Monday. Mr. Blaine made another personal explanation and severely criticized the Judiciary Committee which has been investigating certain transactions of the gentleman during his congressional career. In view of the near approach of the assembling of the National Republican Convention at Cincinnati, Mr. Blaine doubtless thought it a suspicious moment to again re-kindle the fires of hate against the Southern people—fires that might illume his pathway to the White House. Therefore, wanting to appear a martyr and with the martyr's staid, he complained that he was being unfairly investigated by confederate soldiers. He was most effectively responded to by Gen. Hunton and Hon. J. Proctor Knott, the latter gentleman pointedly telling him in reply to his complaint that his investigators were confederates, that 'either of them was his (Blaine's) peer in any sense of the word, and that in point of honor it was to disparagement to the gentleman from Maine to say they were his superiors.' This was received by the republicans with hisses and other marks of disapprobation, whereupon Mr. Knott quickly said: 'That is all right. There are three kinds of animals in the world that hiss—snakes, geese and fools.' Mr. Blaine played this card with the hope of winning the Cincinnati stakes. Whether he has thus added to his presidential capital is yet to be seen.