Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-06


JEFFERSON Davis and the Assassination
Conspiracy.
The report of the House Judiciary Com
mittee on the implication of Jefferson
Davis inthe plot to murder President Lin
coin, contains some strange and startling
evidence against the Confederate prisoner
in Fortress Monroe. Setting aside the
testimony of individuals, which the Cop
perhead friends of Mr.. Davis object to as
venal and unreliable, the testimony of
documents-of the wSr records of the
Confederate Government-are damning 10
Mr.. Davis. In these records are found
propositions made over and over again for
the assassination of Lincoln, Seward,
Grant and the Northern leaders. How
were these communications treated ?
Were they torn 10 shreds and tossed into
the waste paper basket as unworthy the
attention of honorable men engaged in An
honorable struggle for independence By
no means. They were carefully read and
ponde-ed v e by Mr.. Davis himself re
tanned by him in some cases for days, as
though for more careful study, and then
endorsed over by this "illustrious pris-
oner y as Dan. Voorhees, calls him, 10 the
attention of the rebel Secretary of War.
Throughout the whole struggle the Con-
federate government seems TO have been
struggling with its fears, not with its hon
or, v e the proposal to murder Mr.. Lin
conl. Is it to harsh to suppose that his
actual murder was the result of its final
yielding, in the hour Of its greatest trial,
to the plot which they had so long medi-
tated7
But to the evidence. We select from a
mass of evidence submitted by the Recon-
~struction Committee. The first is a letter
written by one " Parramore " as early as
1861, and is as follows:
Bosrox P. o., THOMAS CoUNTY, GA,
SEPTEMBER. IL, 1851.
Jefferson DGris:
SIR: Having q desire TO be a benefit to the
Confederate States is the only excuseI can
offer for addressing you a letter and be-
lieving the best plan would be TO dispose of
the leading characters Of the North for
that reason I have tried and experimental
IN certain particulars that will de this with
out difficulty. Although it is quite an un-
demanded manner OF warfare, and not
knowing whether It would meet with your
appreciation or not, prevents me from Civ
ing you q full account Of the materials used;
although ! believe one of them would take
the life of a Southern man in any manner
they could. Ifyou wish it write to me and
get the whole process. Hoping yeu good
health and future victory.
fsignedl J.s PARRAMoRE.
After this delicate and diplomatic pro-
posal is digested the readers mental stOm-
ach will be ready for the blunter terms of
Nj. Il. c. Durham, of the esd Regiment
of Georgia Volunteers, who says:
I propose, with your permission, 10 assist
in organizing a number of select men-say
not less than three TO five hundred-to 90
into the United States and assassinate the
most prominent leaders Of our enemies-for
instance Seward, Lincoln, Greeley, Prentice,
&c. Considering it unnecessary to discuss
the chances of success at this time, l will
only say a few words as to its effect. | made
it a point to elicit the opinion Of many men
upon the subject, in whose good sense Ihave
great confidence and while difference of
opinion is almost inevitable, most have con-
fdence in its benefits 20 us. The most
plausible argument seems to be, that to i'm
press upon the Northern mind that for men
in high places there 10 WELD their influence
in favor of the bsrbarism they nave been
SO cruelty practicing upon US is 10 jeopar-
die their lives-for designing leaders there
to feel that the moment they array hordes
for our destruction, st that moment their ex-
istence is in the utmost peril-would pro-
duce a hesitation and confusion that would
lead to peace and our Independence. With
these suggestions upon the subject, l will
leave it for the time.
Both these letters were read to Davis
and endorsed IA his Ot0H handwriting to
the reb@ Secretary Of War. The Com
mittee say:
This letter was received August "A, 1858,
and is noticed as folloys: casks permission
to take from three to Eve hundred men, and {
ss~sassinate the leading men of the United I
Respectfully referred by the direc-
ton of the President to the Hon. Secretary
of war. ]. C. Ives, Col. and A. D. C, Aug r
ust "a. "File." :
In addition TO the testimony thus present I,
ed upon this point, the Committee offer a !
letter of Lieut.. R. Aston, which was pro- !
duced at the trial Of the conspirators of the ]
assassination of President Lincoln, from Il
which the following is an extract: 2
81 now offer you my services, and if you a
will favor me in my design, l will proceed, {,
as soon as my health will permit, to rid the /
Of some Of her deadliest enemiss. :
by striking at the very hearts blood of q
seek 70 eachain her in slavery. Icon
slider nothing dishonorable having such a
tendency. ALI ask of you is to favor me +
BY granting the necessary papers, &c, to a
sravel. | am perfectly familiar with the
North, and feel confident that can execute
anything | undertake. | was in the raid
June in Kentucky, under General John s
Morgan, was taken prisoner and escaped q
rom them by dressing myself in the garb u
# a citizen, l went through the Canadas, Il
rom whence, by the assistance of Col. j. P.
9olcomhe, / succeeded in working nv way s.
round and through the blockade. 1 should +
Ike to have q personsl interview with you, 4
n order to perfect the arrangements before
t~arting."
This is the way the rebels proposed to b
AIRY on the war; this is the way Mr.. u
Davis dallied with their proposals. Such p
the character of the " illustrious prison.
T Of Fortress Monroe" II
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