Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-08-15
Report OF the JudicI9Fy Conn
miffee on ,TeT DaVis


The Committee on the Judiciary have
made a report in which they say it is noto-
rious that Jefferson Davis was guilty Of the
crime of treason according to the Constitu-
ton and laws of the United States, and the
Committee are of opinion that there are no
obstacles to a speedy and impartial trial,
which cannot be removed by legislation
They say that the evidence in possession of
the Committee connecting jeff Davis with
the assassination of President Lincoln iusti-
titles them In saying that there is probable
cause to believe that he was PRIV TO the
measures which led TO the commission of the
deed, but the Investigations which have been
made by the War Department, and bv the
Committee, have not resulted in placing the
government in possession of all the facts in
the case. 1t Is probable, however, that the
further prosecution of the investigation bv
the Committee and by the officers of the
government, will result finally in a full de-
velopment of the whole transaction. The
capture of the rebel archieves has put the
government in possession of q mass of letters,
papers and documents of various kinds only
a portion of which has as vet been examined.
The Committee submit a mass of testi-
mony, showing that the rebel authorities,
under the direction of Davis, declined to
give negro soldiers and their officers the treat
ment due to prisoners of war. 1t is shown
that General Kirby Smith objected to the
capture of negroes in arms, and a letter from
him to Gen. Dick Taylor is quoted, in which
he says: sIhave been unoficially informed
that some of your troops have captured ne
groes IN arms. l hope this may not be so,
and that your subordinates in command Of
capturing parties may have recognized the
propriety of giving 10 quarter to armed ne
groes and their officers" A message of JEFF.
Davis is also quoted, in which he proposes
that Union officers in command Of negro
troops, when captured, shall be dealt with as
criminals engaged in exciting servile insur-
rectiOn. With regard to the maltreatment
of Union prisoners generally, it is shown
that JEFF. Davis declared the Union troops
incendiaries and robbers, who had forfeited
their claim to be treated as prisoners of war.
A great mass of testimony is adduced, to
show that the prisoners were treated in ac-
cordance with the views of Davis as above
set forth. TIL documents cited are all of
rebel origin and show that the prisoners at
the South were in a frightful condition.
The facts were frequently brought to the
notice of the Confederate authorities at
Richmond, but without avail. A letter
from one Sabina Dismukes, dated at States
burg, S. c., Oct. 18th, 1864, to JEFF. Davis,
says with regard TO the suferings of the
prisoners at Florence: stIf such things are
allowed to continue, they will most surely
draw down some awful Judgement upon our
country. It is a most horrible national sin
that cannot go unpublished. If we canno
give them food and shelter, for Gods sake
send them back to Yankee land, but don't
starve the miserable creatures to DEATH
Accompanying the letter was an article from
the Sumter Waterman, giving the details of
a visit made by the writer to the prison at
Florence. The account is o most horrible
one. The prisoners are described as 'flthy,
diseased, famished men, with no hope of re-
lief except by death" All were in rags and
barefoot, and crawling with vermin. While
the reporter was there, a rain storm took
place, and he describes the avidity with
which the prisoners welcomed it: sOpening
their mouths to catch the drops, while one
would wash the other with his hands, and
then receive from him the like kind office"
A great mass of similar testimony is submit
ted, all going to show that Davis was fully
aware of the condition of the prisoners. Con-
siderable space is devoted to the machina-
lions of Clement G. Clay, Beverly Tucker,
George n. Sanders, Jacob Thompson, and
others in Canada during the war, and it is
shown that q portion of the rebel secret ser
vice money was paid to one Hyams who
rendered services in carrying boxes of small
pox clothing to be sold at Washington. In
connection with these matters a large num-
Der of these documents are submitted. In
all of these schemes 1t is shown that Davis
was concerned, and the committee argue
that the fact is a 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 a
foreigner named DeKalb, who proposed to
blow up the Capitol at Washington ''when
Abe and his myrmidons and the Northern
Congress members were assembled there"
One of these letters is endorsed by Walker,
rebel Secretary of War. Another letter
from one Paramore, stating he had found a
means of disposing of the leading Characters
of the North in an underhand manner is
endorsed by JEFF. Davis himself Another
letter from one II. G. Durham, directly pro-
posing the assassination of Seward, Lincoln
Greedy, Prentice, &c, written to Davis, and
referred by him to the rebel Secretary of
War, is produced. The Committee urge
that these letters prove Conclusively that Da-
Wis and his Cabinet knew that plots OF as
sassination were on foot. Copious extracts
from the testimony given or the trial OF
Payne, Mrs. Surrat and their accomplices,
are submitted, all tending to confirm the
opinion. 1t is also stated that fidavits have
been taken by the Judge Advocate General,
from several persons who swore that they
were present at an interview between Sur
raft, Davis and Benjamin, further establish
ing the guilt of Davis, but on being brought
before the Committee these parties retracted,
but without giving any satisfactory reasons
for so doing. The report closes with reso-
buttons declaring there is nothing TO prevent
the trial of Davis for treason, and that it is
the duty of the Executive to investigate the
facts connected with the assassination.-Erie
Dispatch.