The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-06-16
Prisoner jefferson Davis-HOW to
Dispose of His Case.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer

u ~
cry reason to regard him as one who
has done them Il great injury. In com
mon with other Southern leaders at the
Charleston Convention, and in connec-
ton with Ben. Butler, Daniel S. Dick
inson, John A. Dix, Caleb Cushing
and others, who encouraged Il move
ment that they afterwards sought to
put out with fire and blood, they pur-
sued course Of policy that led to the
disruption Of the convention, the break
ing up of the Democratic party, and,
consequently, left the way open for the
success of that organization which, un-
der the lead Of Abraham Lincoln, and
OF Salmon p. Chase and William Ii.
Seward, entertained principles that were
incompatible with the preservation of
the Union, and whose tenets, carried
into practical effect, caused the late ter
rible civil war that has desolated the
country. But the circumstances that
have transpired will not allow us to
consider the matter either in personal
or party aspect, or take any other view
than that which is dictated by national
honor and national interests. In this
spirit we have been led into the follow
ing reflections.
We observe that in late official re-
port to the Government, by its surgeon
at Fortress Monroe, Dr. CooIer, that
functionary says Of the prisoner:
"Slight noises, which are scarcely
perceptible to Il man of robust health,
cause him much pain, the description
of the sensation being rs one tlayed
and having every sentient nerve ex-
posed to tie waves OF sound. Want OF
sleep has been a great end almost prn-
cipal cause Of his nervous cXcitablity.
This has been produced by the tramp
Of the creaking boots Of the sent!nels
on post round the prison rooln and the
relieving Of the guard at the expiration
of every two hours, which almost in
variably wakcis him. Prisoner Davis
says he has scarcely enjoyed over two
hours OF sleep unDrol:en at one time
since his confinement. Means have
been taken, by placing mating on the
floors for the scntncls to walk on, to
alleviate this source Of disturbance, but
with only partial success. His vital
condition is low, aml he has b"t little
recrpcrative force. Should he be at,
tackled lr anY OF the severe forms OF
disease 10 which the t.Ac-watcr region
OF Virginia is subject, i, with reason,
fear for the result.
This is the treatment that is accorded
20 Il man who, for fonr years. was at
iha head Of more than oDe-third Of the
States Of the American Union, and rep
resented their Government both ut
home and abroad. 1t is the kind Of
revenge that is taken upon an indlVid-
ual who was the chief exponent Of n
national sentiment, embracing coln-
try nearly as large as the Continent OF
Europe, exclusive Of Russia 1t indi-
Gates the manner in which the dignity
Of the country is displayed toward the
great combatant, who for years welded
a power that resisted forces that would
have ovcrthrown any Of the mighty
monarchies upon the Continent Of Eu
rope 1t is completing the record that
we are making up for future history
b. that it will appear that the great
hero Of eleven sovereign States, after 4
long and desperate struggle with their
twenty-five compccrs, at last, by thc
fortunes of war, fell into their hands.
There were many times when triiiing
change OF circumstances would have
sufiiccd to have thrown the balance III
to the other scale. A long career of
success shonc resplendent upon the
banner of these Southern bclligcrcnts
in this strife. The names Of Ball Run
first, and second of Shiloh. the Seven
Pines, of Gaines Mill, of Fr2drricliS-
burg, of Cedar Mountain, of Harper's
Ferry, of Chanccllorsville, Of Antic-
tam, of Chcamauga, Of Murlrecsboro,
of Gettysburg, Of Spottsvlvania, OF
Cold Harbor, of the Wilderness, OF
Charleston, and Richmond, and Peters.
burg, suggest the greatest military
events, both in their magnitude and in
the bravery and determination of their
contestants that appear in the modern
history. Prisoner Davis as he is
called in this Fortress Monroe dispatch.
had under him military commanders
as consummate as Marlborough, Wei
lington or Prince Eugene. lie com
manded Others who possessed the fire
the dash, the intrepidity and the heroic
bravery of Mar3hals Ney, Murat, Nan
mes. and Davoust, the great military
palladins that surrounded Napoleon J.
| FOR four wears "Prisoncr Davis was al
Richmond, with his so-called Confedo
rate Government, within one hundred
and twenty miles of the seat OF the
American Government. "A million oI
soldiers under arms, the best in tht
world. were not adequate to his capture
1t required a force as large IS thai
which fought upon both sides at Aus
tcrlitz. Of Jena. of Eylau, or Waterloo
or Fricdland, to protect our Ooycrh
mcnt in its Federal Capital. Men talked
about its being a rebellion. an insur
rac,ion, but, in fact, it asserted equa
belieerent rights with ourselves anc
all the nations of Christendom. il
runs were heard for months with trem
bling and alarm at Washington, and it
hosts were seen in great numbers from
it, capital spires and donies. Its GOV
crnmcnt was as strong and as perfect il
every respect, as much founded in tn
choice of the people, as the one tha
ruled over us at Washington.
While we, blinded by the fumes o
rage and passion, had outlawed all thi
mighty mass Of people at the South o
us, who were contending for the Con
, stitution as it hal been interpreted b.
/, the ablest American statesmen, thei
I.eJ, ,,J ,bia,-oD, outa had nwakpup