The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-09-25

N
n snc 20 Mr., johnson, who regarded IT Is .
sh.cr personality. Nothing in the world
| was further from my thoughts" 49,,
To the query whether he had anything
~ complain of in his present treatment, nc
.renlied that he had not. The present COM
mandant of the fort was so'o'e, auu
gentleman. who. while diligent and faith
ssl In the discharge of his duty 10 his Co
vernment. was also forbearing and conside-
rate az TO all the minute Of his prison life,
and allowed him all the indulgence he re.
ouircd, which was simply not to be insult
ed in the intolerable ways and manners he
had been by the creature who used every
means to torment him before the arrival of
General Burton. One Of us told him that
all the officers Of rank in the old army
with whom we had in any way come in
contact had expressed the opinion that he
ought to have been released q year ago;
that some Of them thought that he, as COM
mander-in-chief of the Confedcracy, was
virtually included in the parole Of these
armies on their surrender, and ought to
have been admitted To parole at once but
| for the malicious assassination charge,
which no one that knew him believed.
Mr.. Davis said: "That gratifies me very
much. ] was brought into frequent con-
tact both in the Mexican war and rs Sec
retarv of War under President Pierce with
many officers, and did then and do now
entertain high sense of the chivalric no.
nour Of many Of Them" w.. ...
"The Government may have been de-
ceved by the testimony, which has since
turned ont to he sheer perjury, tending TO
implicatc me in the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln; or it may have been subject
to one of those manias which occasionally,
like plaques, seize governments ana COM
munitics: or what is most likely, few un-
principled men, seeing an opportunity IN
the excited condition of the nation for OBJ
tanning wealth and position through the
instrumentality of villains suborned for the
purpose. really did impose upon the Govern
memt, and led them to believe for mo-
ment. in the whirl of excitement, the
statements put forth in the proclamation
for my capture. But, gentlemen, my heart
is a stranger to that plot. These hands
are unstaned by innocent blood. No un-
righteous gold has ever, during the Con-
federacy, adhered to these palms" He
uttered the last sentence in most solemn
manner, holding up his hands and raising
his face to Heaven, and with such holy,
child-likc simplicity that it is impossible
for any words, however weird, to convey
half idea-not an adequate one-of that
touching scene.
The coming of the little child into the
inner casemate, and climbing into his IA
theirs arms, who had just leaned upon the
sofa, gave occasion to Mrs. Davis to make
some remarks about her other children,
particularly those in Canada. Bishop
Green then remarked that he would not
have venturcd to introduce the subject,
but as Mrs. Davis had done so herself, he
felt bound to say, as a bishop of her own
chosen church, he did not think she acted
entirely wise in sending her children to
convent to be taught. Mrs. Davis replied:
81 was in Georgia and had no money. No
institution of my own church offered to
teach my poor children. One day, three
Sisters of Charity came to see me, and
brought me five gold dollars, all the money
they had in the world {; they almost forced
me to take the money, but did not; they
then offered to take my children to their
school, in the neighbOrhood of Savannah,
where the air was cool, and they could be
comfortably cared for during the summer
months. Then came an offer from a con-
vent school in Canada, whittier, when l got
permission from the Government, which
was not without great trouble and diff
ficultv, / took them. 1t is true l
do not wish them to he Roman Catho-
lies, but, then, persons. rs good 'as they
can possibly be and become, are and have
been, and doubtless will continue to be,
Roman Catholics. These good people
were the first to offer me their help. l
will never cease to be grateful to them for
it," Mr.. Davis then added, "Bishop, there
never was more unanimity in any nation
of the world than there was in the South
ern Confederacy. 1t would be invidious
to single out any class Of our people for
special praise. The churches and ministry
were all, or nearly all, entirely devoted to
our cause but as l said before, if it would
not be regarded as invidious, would say
that the Catholics of the South were con-
spicuously devoted to our cause. l could
relate to you cases of great suffering and
trial to which they were subjected, and in
no case did any of them ever finch. will
relate one case of an extraordinary kind.
Il must suppress this story for the present;
it shall he published hereafter with some
Accomplishments, if / live.) Besides,
Bishop, Pho Mono was the only Prince in
the world that really wished we'll to our
cause, and sent us his blessing. cannot
help liking the Catholics. The happiest
hours of my life were once spent in
Catholic monastery. BY the way, Bishop,
| see our church in the North is
establishing sistcrhoods in imitation Of the
Catholics. How do they work % So
WE'LL" said the Bishop, "that l intend in
PRODUCING them into my diocese as soon as
possible. Indeed, there arc many good
things and good people among the Catho-
lies; but | think, Mr.. Davis, that our
church is good enough for u.s." Ourself:
Gentlemen, it is to me incredible how to
reconcile it TO reason, in mad-house world
like this, where not only physical disease
afflicts more or less nine-tenths of the
whole population, but where morals and
mental depravity affects the whole race,
and when the Heaven-sent healers, sealed
and Amounted for their mission, are 50 few.
Oh. it is terrible that they should waste
their strength by imposing one OH another,
and, worst of all, stir up strife and blood
shed in carrying out their great commits
sion. Let us all love one another, dear
Bishop, and bear each others infirmities,
and particularly and especially at this great
junction of our country's history let our
moderation be known to all men,"