Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-07-17
Jeff Davis.
From the Richmond Times. ! 9


When Napoleon Bonaparte died on
the prison rock Of St Helena, at the
time he breathed his last aud for hours
after his death, one of the most tremen-
dous storms that ever swept the face of
land or sea was fercely raging Dark
clouds draped the canopy of Heaven
like funeral pail, while the struggling
winds, with dread and mournful sounds
seemed to give expression toparoxysm
Of grief and agony Vast waves thun
dered furiousiy against the roek-bound
shores of the lonely island, as IL they
sought to tear it from its adamantine
base Scorching lightnings shivered the
granite crsgs, and high above the walls
Of the tempest and crash of this awful
elemental strife came the booming Of
signal guns from vessels in distress, as
they were whirled through the darkness
of that night and the dangers of that sea
down 10 destruction Amid such scenes
as these the soul Of Napoleon took its
fight Superstition did not fail 10 con-
meet as cause and effect the death of
such great man and the coincidence of
such a great storm The friends Of the
imprisoned and exiled Emperor saw in
this great hurricane manifestation of
Heavens $ anger and vengeance at the
conduct of his enemies and the inhn-
manity of his jailer Certain it is, that
this remarkable tempest was not without
effect upon the mind and conscience of
Hudson Lowe ii t1i
If Jefferson Davis, Ike Napoleon Bo-
naparte, shall die.in prison, we know not
whether there will be physical storm
similar to this TO herald his entrance into
eternity, and strike terror into the hearts
of his enemies. But this we know, that
the death of such man in prison, after
the world now knows whathe has suffer
ed, will arouse moral storm which will
sweep from the centre to the circumfer
ence OF Christendom, and piliory to
shame forever, on the page Of history,
the actors in the dark tragedy of Fortress
Monroe. The death of Davis in prison
win be an indignant theme before which
the deeds Of the Inquisition, the crimes
Of the Bastile, the murders Of London
Tower, and the horrors of the Austrian
Dungeon, will grow radiant with the
Eight ofjustiee and mercy twill be in
vain, then, to place the burden Of such
sin on Miles alone, lie may alone be
the guilty party; but the name, fame and
reputation Of the American people, as
represented by the blood hound party in
power, will have to reel and stagger un
der the gigantic infamy, never to be re-
lieved by death or burial in oblivion
No penance will then atone for the
treatment Of Mn Davis, for the world /
only recollects his virtues and his inju-
ries. For the Radical party there will
then be eternal shame and degradation,
and for Miles there will be peace and
happiness neither here nor hereafter.
Wherever he may go, conscience viii
lash him with her scorpion sting, and the
kissing Of the universe will follow him.
In the song of every bird he shall hear
"0hl the shame, the shame " And
even the rustic of every leaf .breathed |
upon by the summers soft zephyr he !
shall hear the harsh rattle OF the mana |
cles and the piteous means Of his vic'
tim. Will he travel by sea2 Then a |
spectral form from Hampton Roads wall
haunt his imaginations and fill his
the crest Of each wave |
with a winding sheet and shouting ven-
geance iE the loom OF each billow.
We repeat, if Jefferson Davis shall die |
in prison, let all amenable for it prepare |
to meet a tempest and deluge of wrath,
and shame, such as never before avenged |
a deed of wrong to the living and the
dead IS - ~ - -