The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1865-1866, 1865-09-22
Appeal for Jefferson Da-
Wis. &c:

in the Convention, appealing to the mcr-
cy of President johnson, in behalf Of the
late President Of the Confederate States.
Fiat he was such, and that these States
were confedcrated, and in a Government
de tucto, is one of those fixed facts which
cannot he gainsayed. The legitimacy of
both may be denied, but it is a mere
miserable afectation to employ any peri~
phrasis to describe or define them. The
resolution also appeals in behalf of Vice
President Stephens, aud Mr.. Magrath,
late Governor Of this State, and Mr..
Trenholm, late Secretary of the Treasury
OF the Confederate States. In the appeal
for each and alI.of these we fully concur;
and We entreat for them, not pardon, but
mercy. We will leave to others to dis
tinguish between these several Objects
Now, We have but one remark to make.
These appeals are eminently proper, com.
ing, not her"Iy from the people of South
Carolina, but from those CT all the several
States of the Confederacy. How should
any of their pcop;e he able to lift their
heads if harm should come to any Of
their leaders? President johnson must
perceive that to save these people from
shame, he mnst shelter these, their rep
rcseptative men, from harm. We have
no doubt that he viii. do so, and we are
willing TO leave this matter in his hands.
He can entertain 10 base or little revenges.
We take it fur granted that he will dis
miss-without impcdiment or bond--all
these eminent persons Of State-that he
will give to Mr. Davis the freedom ofthe
country, or the use of frigate to convey
him to foreign shores. lie can do no less.
What can the Cnited States power gain
by making him a victim on the scaffold!
lie will be distinguished all over the
world as martyr to constitutional
freedom. Nor will it affect his claims
as such, even if you should prove him in
error in his faith It. was his faith! hut
he cannot be proved in error. His de-
fence will be found, and that of the South,
in the written Constitutions fcvery State
of New England and the North. But
should this a%ail not, what would Europe
say-what the world-what the future
at the spectacle of this blind old man
upon the scafold d-h:s people subdued-
their arms cast to the groani-thcir
homes and hopes ruined-thcir conccs-
sion ample, their surrender complete !;
and they, with hands uplifted and with
one voice, appealing for mercy to the
conqueror, which that conqueror-c cvery>
where secure, everywhere triumphant
no longer .bsfied, no longer doubtful of
his complete authority refuses, in the
iusolcnce Of victory, in the bitterness of
revenge, IN the malignity Of ofhate-refuses
to accord! What spectacle, what a
shame-what a reproach, for the finger
Of scorn, through successive, ages. And
/. his case is that Of the Vice-P President, OF
Mr. Magrath and Mr.. Trenholm. They
have been true to the principles in which
they had been trained, and which find
their justification in the laws of faith,
conscience and country, enunciatcd by all
the colonies and States, amidst the roll
sjpg storms and thunders of l77G. We
have no reason to doubt that President
johnson is prepared to relieve all these
unhappy men from their bonds. We
should not be surprised to hear, ever
while we write, that he has entered tht
cells of the captises, and said to them
rGo, be free!" This would be noble
This would be magnanimous. 1t would
be worthy of great man. 1t woult
prove him worthy of great people
Columbia Phanir, 18Th inst.
NEGRO Mass MEET1NG.-Among lat
Northern news We find 1.-The following ac
count Of a negro Mass Meeting in Nortl
Alabama.
"a negro mass meeting-a straug
significant feature in Alabama politics
was held at Huntsville, Alabama, Angus
%. About two thousand former slave
were present. They were addressed b
General Fisk, of the Freedmen's Burcau
who told them that whatever was detri
.acntal to the black man was detrimen
tai alike to the white man. rHc ha
hoped to be able to lease some abandon
ed plantations to them; but as Prcsider
johnson, he believed, "was going to pal
don all the rebels" their prospects wer
not SO good in this respect as they ha
been. He advised them to live moral,
to work on shares, and to disabuse the
minds of the notion that their old master
- estates were going to be cut up among
them. He told them that they shoul
have justice and fair play, but otherwi:
they must "work out their own salvation
The conduct of the assemblage is state
to have Leen unexceptionable, and I'll
Generals speech produced good efe
on all present.
Ten young gitls were burnt to deaf
during q Church festival at Treves,