Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-07-30
photographic.
FROM WASHINGTON.
More Of lhe bud iclary COmmittee's
Report.

More Of lhe Jud iclary COmmittee's
% Report.
The committee submitted mass of testi-
mopy showing that the rebel authorities,
under the direction of Davis, declined to
| give negro soldiers and their officers the
treatment due prisoners of war. 1t is shown
that Gen. Kirby Smith objected to the cap
| ture of negroes in arms, and letter from
him to Gen. Dick Taylor is quoted, In which
he says: II have been unofficially informed
| that some of your troops have captured ne
groes In arms. Ihope this may not be So"
A message of JEFF. Davis is also quoted, in
which he proposes that Union officers in
| command of negro troops shall, when cap-
tured, be dealt withas criminals engaged
| In insurrection.
Withre regard TO the maltreatment of Union
| prisoners generally, 1t is shown that jeff.
Davis declared the Union troops inceldi-
aries and robbers, who had forfeited their
| claims to be treated as prisoners of war.
A great mass of testimony Is adduced to
show that the prisoners were treated i'm ac-
| cOrdance with the views of Davis, as above
| set forth. The documents cited are all of
| rebel origin, and show that prisons at the
South were In a frightiul condition. The
| facts were further brought to the notice of
the Confederate authorities, but twas Otno
avail. Hr 1909 ~
A letter from one Sabna Dismukes, dated
at Stalesburg, South Carolina, October IL
| 1864, to JEFF. Davis, says, with regard to the
| sutterings OF the prisoners at Florence: "If
sueh things are allowed to continue they
| will most surely draw down judgment up
| on our country. 1t Is a most horrible ma
tiOnal sin, that cannot go unpunished. live
cannot give them food and shelter, tor
Gods sake send them back to Yankee land,
but not staTve the miserable creatures to
DEATH" Accompanying the letter was an
article giving the details of Il visit made by
the writer to the prison at Florence. The
account is most horrible one. The pris-
oners are described as having no hope OF
relief except by death. All are in rags
and bare feet, aud crawling with vermin.
While the writer was there rain storm
took place, and he described the avidity
with which the prisoners welcomed 1t,
opening their mouths to catch the drops,
while one would wash off another with
his hands and then receive from him the
like kind office.
| A great mass of similar testimony is SUBJ
mitted, all going to show that Davis was
fully aware of the condition of the prison.
les. ..-.
Considerable space is devoted to the
Vaccinations of Clement G. Clay, Beverly
|
son and Others in Canada, during the war,
and It is shown that portion of the rebel
secret service money was paid to one
Hyams, who rendered services In convey
ing boxes of smallpox clothing to be sold
at Washington. H
connection with these matters large
number of documents is submitted. In
all of these schemes it is shown Davis was
concerned, and the committee argue that
the fact is bar to the plea that he and his
associates were Incapable of the crime OF
assassination. In further confirmation OF
this view, copies are given of letters from
n foreigner named DeKalb, who proposed
to blow up the capital at Washington when
Abe and his myrmidons and the Northern
Congress members were assembled there
One of these letters is indorsed by Walker
rebel Secretary of War. Another letter
from one Paremore, stating that he had
found means of disposing of the leading
characters at the North in an underhanded
manner is indorsed by JEFF. Davis. AbtheI
letter from Durham, directly proposing
the assassination of Seward, Lincoln, Gree
ly, Prentiss, &C., written to Davis and re.
ferred by him to the rebel Secretary Of
War, is produced. The committee argue
that the letters prove that Davis and his
Cabinet knew that the plot Of assassination
| was going on
COpious extracts from the testimony Civ
en- at the trial of Payne, Mrs. Surratt and
their accomplices, are submitted, all tend
ing to confirm the opinion. 1t is also stated
that affidavits have been taken by the
Judge Advocate General from several per-
sons who swore they were present at an
interview between Surratt, Davis and Ben
jamin, further establishing the guilt of Da-
Wis; but on being brought before the COM
mittee these parties retracted, but without
giving any satisfactory reason for so doing
The report closes with resolutions declar-
ing there is nothing to prevent the trial OF
Davis for treason, and that it is the duty OF
the Executive to investigate the facts con-
nected with the assassination.
The bill 10 EquRIize BOuDties.
It's reported from Washington that the
bill for the equalization of bounties was
passed last night in such shape as not to
require the appropriation of more than
$75,00O,0OO instead of $300,000,000, as was
at tirstStated.