The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-11-06
JEFF. DAVIS.
PETITIONS FOR HIS PARDON.
Memorials from the Mississippi Legislature
and Georgia Convention.
&c. Ae. kes
M ! S S Is SIP PI.
Our jackson Correspondence.
Jackson, Miss, Oct IS 1865.

son. attended the session yesterday bill was passed
allowing him the salary OF Governor for the last two
years Of his term under the confederacy relief he
being, as stated by Mr.. Lyes, iwhout dollar in the
world" Another resolution inviting him TO seat
inside the bar and also address the Legislature
future occasion, also passed. Mr. d. r Poster
elected Trustee of the State University the fifth
ballot The most important event Of the day. however,
was the reading and unanimous adoption Of the follow
ing memorial by both houses. II was drafted by Mr.
Hycr editor Of the Natchez Course and was received
with tremendous eclat:--
MEMORIAL TO THE PRESIDENT OF rnR UNIFIED STATES on
HALF JEFFERSON DAVIS.
To lHB PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
The Legislature Of the State Of Mississippi, freshly
elected from the body OF Its people, and representing
fully and clearly the Wishes views and opinions OF that
people, do unanimously and most respectfully present
this memorial.
The late civil war has ended Mississippi has returned
10 her loyalty and allegiance TO the government of the
United States Her surviving sons have come back TO
their homes and families again TO mngle in the pur
suits OF peace Her representatives have once more
met in her executive, judicial and legislative hail. TO
counsel and together for the peaceful interests OF the
State
ssThose opposed eyes,
Which, like meteors OF troabled Heaven,
All of one nature, OF one substance bred
Did lately meet in the intestine shock,
And furious close OF civil bntchery,
Shall now, in mutual well beseeming ranks,
Thanks to the generosity and maganmity that has
far accompanied the victors triumph in this great
who lie in the silent grave, where the call OF
a much loved state and tie honest convir-
tons Of duty have sent them untimcly TO
seek that pardon that earthly king " not
asked for President bcstow. But among
those few forms that still absent there s one known
throughout the State familiar TO the thoughts Of every
household honored form, without whose presence in
midst the Of the conquered cannot be les
sened nor the triumph Of the victor In civic struggle
The Legislature respectfully alludes to Jefferson
Davis, confined by your orders in military prison.
has uaf Sfnta nrad In harh nv
his younger dayso promise and by his maurer years of
honor representative in Congress and her Senator
in those noble halls rife with the eloquence and patriot
ism OF Clay Calhoun and Webster, in whose starry
circle OF brilliant influence over the opinions OF
men he shone forth with no reflected ustre
her gallant representative upon those well
remembered fields OF Mexico where his sword led the
way to triumph OF arms and the glory Of our flag;
the Secretary Of War for the nation whose adminsra
ton Of the high and responsible duties OF that Office
without blenish or single sain-a son whose
purity integrity character devotion TO principle,
forttude when suffering and generosity when success
full have endeared him to every heart whose name is
household word the accents Of whose voice are re-
membrance upon ears and the glance OF whose eye
is sweet recoectionthat son 10 still away, not shar
ing in present toll and labor in recognizing the
social structure sharing either AZ he and should
wish, the privaons, the suffering and the personal
lanitics that the fortunes Of war have so amply en-
tailed upon people Between US and him there Is
Deep widespread and never to DO forgotten sympathy
| and association.
II was no lawless spirit Of mere revolt that prompted
the people OF Mississippi % their during the late
contest They contendcd not for power, or punder
| or extended rule" but, they honestly believed
"for their hcarths their affairs and their homes y
The attempted revolution was the peoples word and
Jefferson Davis their chosen instrument Called 10
the prominent position he occupied he but the rep
resentave Of the people Of the revolted states His
sim If IL be sin, our sin His failure, which want
OF success has made crime, ws our crime and 1t j.
thought o? bitter pognancy 10 W. and our people when
the dark clouds OF civil war are vanishing and the sun
| shine OF constitutional freedom Is again giving
warmth us and the atmosphere OF civil law s again
| being breathcd, that our destiny Is not shared
| by him that we are free and no Is in
bonds that our families ARE STRIVING h ns to To, wipe
nizc in sorrow absent and imprisoned husband
and father; that the dark cloud passing away from us
still overshadows him. the sunlight we are beginning to
visits not his prison. is tho atmosphere OF free
| dom . breathe in,igoratng his person.
The liberation OF Jefferson Davi aud his return 20 the
State OF Mississippi can work danger the great
ton whose councils you have IN the providence Of
God, been called TO preside His arm Is powerlcss for
injury his intellect great and noble TO inspire him
with single thought Of renewed contest; his heart too
much in sympathy with our people not 10 compel him
/ TO live with u.s. loyal citizen henceforth
Vengeance cannot DO proper right arm OF any people
earthly power. vengcancei Is mine. aud will repay"
saith the Lord. vindication Of national power IL not
needed, when the sword has terribly accomplished
that work further examples necessary To pre-
vent recurrence Of the late strife. land Redeemed
with blood homes devastated and desolacd cities and
towns with little left but blackcncd broken and empty
walls; fields once rich with harvests and crops now
SILENT waste and barren, are sufficiently eloquent for
that purpose And II vengeance further vindcaton
needed for future safety on our people, should they be
vcarously punished
well, know that II there is such thing moral
impossibity Is morally impossible that his
be justly chargcabe with assassination, with cruelty or
| with crime. His heart entertained, his hand
never gave help TO any such atrocty. IL cannot in
" s1a II. Ss
dungeon, ts canod, the galIows, 10 be made
the cure alls for political offences nor can 1t har
monxe and unite people II Jefferson Davis prison,
place Of exile grave TO be revisited every hour
in thought and every In fact by thousands OF men
who hold allegiance TO the national government II
would be In that case Mecca whose shrine would
feel bound day and year TO remember that he
sacrificed for the people among whom he was born with
whom he was educated whose preudices and opinions
he entertained and whose fate and fortunes be wished
TO share.
wa-vicories over prejudice. passion and revenge vic
tories any spirit policy that would keep the peo
Pile Of this portion OF the Union sullcn subjects instead
of willing brethren The cruel has not reached the
homes and hearts Of the great and prosperous North
but IL has down with giants weight upon every
are all around us We meet them at every strp; see
them every hour Of the day. and hear them with ears
but too we'll accustomed 10 the sound IL It just
wise IL be beneficial, that another costly sac
rGce shall be mvde Of our blood aud treasurer And
Jefferson Davis is OF our blood and he . our
for the nation, for the world, that the gulf Of feel
ing which has separated the North ard south should
the cessation Of the civil war has brdged that
gulf We believe that II cannot be done until the am
ncsty extended to us reaches HIM ami that as we are
being restored your councils he should be restored
The country will be safer with you In our hearts
and him In hands than Il can be with him In
hearts and thoughts continually and his person In your
custody.
The walls Of military prisons have told enough OF suf
fering Enough blood has been shed,
- whose guiItlcss drops
Arc every woe score complaint
Gainst him whose wrongs give edge unto the swords
That make such waste In brief mortality
Open the doors Of jefferson Davisl Let him breathe
the air Of personal freedom Return. him
the State Of Mississippi Make her his bondsmanl He
will NJ readily 10 any call here when guarded
and confined ~ he now h. Let fortunes be his and
the halo OF honor that surrounds your position and
will become radiant with the true and uniimmcd
glory Of Official and personal magnaniinty.