Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-08-24

20 any state, directly or indirectly, nor
continue, for 9 day, any intrusion into
their domestic affairs
Jefferson DaFis ~ . Moral Criminal.
George W. Carts writes in Harper's
Magazine for July:
At the time of oar writing, the most
conspicuous offender ever capitalIy in
dicted in this country ats alons ia n
spacious casemate of Fortress Monroe,
with only Bible upon his table, and
two silent santinela watching him by
day and night. Perhaps, as he alta
there or PAGES the foor, be remembers
the hapless victims Of ofAndersonvilla and
Belle Isle, or recalls the long horrors Of
the war which has smeared 60 many
lovely fields With blood. In Tho tsFrible
quiet Of his prison does he ever ask him
self whether It was worth while TO dare
such q grievous sorrow 10 his country
for such q canse7 Does he ever argue
with himself that even IL the theory of
State sovereignty were true, it Was
not wise to assert ii ct such q cost Of
misery, merely for the sake Of pefpetu-
ating something which must suFpass any
conceivable injustice Of the nation To-
ward State2 Has be never learned
that many things may be lawful which
are not expedient, and that nothing but
the most prolonged injustice of which
legal redress 10 hopeless is worse op-
precision than the remedy Of civil war7
Technically be is @ political prisoner
As such he will be tried. But he in also
arrAigned before the conscience and
heart Of bis faithful fellow citizens aa
moral criminal Of the worst kind. Even
fanstical candor cannot plead that he
was ignorent of the System aaie horrors
Of the Georgia priaons--the starving,
the freezing, the slow reduction of hu-
man beings 10 idiocy By exposure. by
hunger, by. contact with 6lth and dis
ease. IL was intended to weaken them
into despair and Submission, andit had
that effect. hwas also intended to CON.
pei an exchange Of sound and efficient
men for HIS service, and there 1t failed.
Bat the 6rst result was constant.
Here, for instance, is q note written in
| pencil from the United States military
prison at Nashville, by an honest in-
dustrious, sober, patriotic neighbor of
the Easy Chairs, who has been faith
full soldier of the war from the beginning.
he says that he was captured before
Petersburg last August, and was sent
from Richmond to Salisbury. There be
and his eomrades-there we're ten thous-
and, in his estimate, during the period Of
his imprisonment-were starved, and
starved, and starved. They died, and
died, and By seores and hundreds took
the oath 20 the rebels and were placed
in their ranks. he aud a few others per-
sisted aa long As he could. Bat hunger
and weakness and horror gradually did
'their work and he succumbed.i From
August until April he had suffered more
than We can imagine, and then he yield
ed. He was put in the rebel ranks, and
arms placed in his hands and those Of
hia companions. about half an hour be-
fore Btoneman arrived. Ho did not Ere
q shot against his hag--none of them
did-And they went directly over 70
Stonaman, bat As coming from the rebel
ranks they we're held as prisoners. j
This Is one case, bat enoagh, With
| slleviations-one case, not the worst.
but how tragicaL Yet there were thous-
Ands and thousands like him who suf-
fered ell that be suffered, and than, con
sumed with loathsome diseases and
broken hearts, with reeling brains, sank
into the conTulsive agoniss Of death,
or laughed ont in stark madness, or
drivelsd slowly on in idiocy. And they
were young, and brave, and noble men
who we're thus treated. They were guilt
less Of every crime, and done nething
but defend their country. AT hons, far
away upon Western prairiss, among
New England hills, upon ths shores ei
the lakes, along the sea coast, mothers,
and wives and daughters sickened with
the long suspense, the horrible suspicion.
Their hair whitensd, their eyes grew
dim with hopeless watching, their cheeks
thinnsd with acute fear, their hearts
broken alse, and they died amidst theiE
appalled, children So awful O sorrow,
SO terrible suffering, both in itself and
in what it occasioned, no HISTORY records.
AMI Ii was the crime of this man whc
now sits alone with his Bibla and the
silent ssntinels in Fortress Morroe.
Il is vain to plead for him As politi
cal offender. The war was little com
pared With the crimes OF the war. Over
the graves Of the dearly beloved, shol
dead upon the battle. 6sld, we can hear
aud see that political differences NAL
coma I'd war. But over the Golgoshal
Of Millen and Andersonville-over thG
spots where the pens stood in which
heroic men we're treated as beasts are
never treated-We call marder murder
and crime crime; and all murders and
ell crimes are lesE black than these.
Whatever the verdict Of the jury MAJ
be upon the charge ofstreAaon---whAt
ever the punishment, If the acensed b
convicted as a trAitor--howaver, in cas-
of his execution, be may Be ranks'
ameng political victims, the verdict o
every generous heart and Of history j
sure against this man as criminal no
less than the infamous English Jsffesys
Viewed merely as political leader, hi
whole public career is unlightsd With
, single noble action, and his speeche
: viii be vainly searched for one gsneroui
, emotion. If hia infamy in history vii
, be singular, IL will be in every point de
, served. The narns kind of gloomy odiuz
that settles upon the nAne Of James IL
but tenfold dseper, as he was in6nitsI,
more criminal, viii gather and darker
around that Of Jefferson Davis.
SPFcT, VEnT.-Tha Titnsvills Morn
iag Herald asked ths operAtor At Funks
.