The daily Mississippi clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1866, 1866-04-18


Jefferson Davis and liquidation.
Tie following letter, by the brother of
Jefferson Davis appeared some time since
IN tie Vicksburg journal. 1t was written
TO rebut certain charges made by Lieut..
Gen scott in his recently published me
Inoirs
Thou shall not bear false witness against
thy ueighbor"
Among the commandments there is none
more important than this and which civ
| ilized society has more uniformly enforced
/ by moral precept and legal sanction; hut
/ which. it seems, is entirely disregarded hy
/ the acknowledgement
In his memoirs, written by himself, on
page liz, in note speaking of a prisoner
/ taken AT Chippewa, a Lieut.-CoL John Nor
/ rylliou Wilson, this statement occurs:
This gallant officer, always since an i'm
| valid and friend of SCOTS, who was, in the
time of William " in the household of the
| Queen, and since in the government of
| Chelsea Hospital, still lives
He invested all his little savings and
! wife dowry in Mississippi bonds, repudi-
| ated mainly by jefferson Davis. 1t was
| SCOTS strong statement of this interesting
case at the time, in published article, that
brought upon him atterwurd the persecu-
| lions of Mr.. Davis, as Mr.. Pierces Secreta-
| ~ of War" etc.
1t would be difficult to conceive state
Inent more atrociously false aud malicious.
| Jefferson Davis never was member OF either
| house Of the State Legislature, OF took any
part in public affairs, either State or corpo-
rate. Until 1885 he was IN the United
States army in that year he resigned and re-
turned to Mississippi and engaged in plant
ing in the remote part of Warren county
where, owing to some domestic atiiction, he
lived in seclusion, taking no part in public
affairs for seven or eight years. In 1874 he
was chosen one of the electors of Mississippi;
in 1S45 it was proposed to bring his name
before the convention as the nominee for
| Congress in this district. He was known to
| be opposed TO reputation of State debts, and
| his nomination objected to on that account
| by a portion Of the Democratic party and
| shortly before the meeting of the conveu-
ton, an article appeared in the Nicksburg
Sentinel, signed Cato said to be written
| by Gov McNutt, calling on him to declare
| his opinions. To this he promptly replied,
| avowing his opinion in favor of paying every
| just debt that Mississippi owed; all of
which will appear. if reference be made to
the files Of the Nicksburg Sentinel and other
papers of that time, as well as to hundreds
Of persons now living.
1t was contended that there should be no
| split In the party that he could not he
| nominated entertaining and aVowing such
| opinion or, if nominated by a divided par
y.
nation and was elected; though opposed by
Gov. McNutt and the party in - e a.
| puUat1on. tie took his seat IN Congress
December, lS45, his first service in a deliber-
ative body
Soon after the war against Mexico was
declared he was elected colonel of a reg
iment of volunteers, when he vacated his
seat took command of what was known as
the First Mississippi Rifles, and FASTENED to
Join the army on the Rio Graude
tot. Of
} interesting case, at the time, in published
article, that brought upon him afterward
the prosecutions OF Mr. Davis, as Mr. Pierce's
Secretary of War
Is it not perfectly absurd to say that
, Scott's article could affect jefferson Davis
I then boy seven or eight years old, who
! never, in all probability, heard of SCOTS
l | strong article, written at the time, or OF
. | Lieut.-Col. John MoTTyllion Wilson; OF
s that he could, in any way, be effected by it
| should make ii cause of persecution thirty
r | years afterwards or Is it all probable that
e | Scott believed his own statement
{ 1t viii be remembered that what the lieu
b | teuant-general calls persecution" was the
2 | refusal of the Secretary of War to allow q
+ claimer for back pay as acknowledgement
from the time Scott was in Mexico, aut
G which the Secretary showed concusively hC
: was not entitled to. This resulted in an
T angry correspondence in which the pecula
7 lions and frauds upon the Treasury were ex
= posed to such an extent, that it was belIev
a ed If the frauds had been known he coult
t never have been a acknowledgement; but
+ as il was. he only obtained il by Emporium
L ate solicitations, not only by himself auC
P others, but even by ladies, engaged to go t,
Il the capital and to use their influence to oh
e tain votes. 1t was also said it would entail
e no charge upon the Treasury; was inteude,
n merely as a compliment to CRAFTY an ole
II soldier; but no sooner was il obtained thar
# he presented a claim for back pay, for ia
n tions, forage, transportation, etc
n To the Acknowledgements acting as his owl
5, trumpeter, and drawing upon his magma
tion for facts, Mandatory of himself, Their
b can be no objection, except that 1t IS humih
= ating TO every American that an officer O
his rank could make such an ass of himself
but the malice and revenge, that after
c lapse of ten years, could induce him to selec
i a time when Mr.. Davis is powerless, and tn
i ISLANDERS unknown to him, to utter such false
hoods, must be regarded by all who valu
honor. truth and manhood as below eve
It contempt.
Y This Is now published at the place wher
\ the facts and circumstances are known. an
can be established by any of the people VIII
= took part in the politics of the time.
4
d We are informed that on the last trip {
Y the Magenta, young man, who was pa
seuger, had become very anxious to try hi
g luck at cards. In the course eff time h
ii found his match. and consequently was 500
IT relieved of all his spare change. Remors
il worked upon the poor victim in such mar
uer, that after writing letter home he ble1
4 ! out his braius.-Natchez Courier, 10th.