The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1866-07-13
Tie Prisoner Of FORTRESS Monroe.

and veneration to Jefferson Davis, the need
would be supplied by the recently publish
ed book of Dr.. Craven, Of the U. s. army.
The details of the prison-life of man who
has, like Jefferson Davis, filed preemi-
nently conspicuous place -the-eye of the
world, who from being the mighty chiefof
chosen people, struggling for i0dePen-
denee. has been reduced to the copdition Of
a closely confined prisoner; who, in place
of controlling the movements of mighty
armies, is guarded by q cOFporaPs squad,
must awaken the curiosity Of the public in
all parts Of the world Everybody willread
this book. Some will wish to crafty the
natural but vulgar curiosity which illustri-
Gus men always provoke; some will desire
20 crafty their vindietiveBess with a recital
of the suffeFings of the representative victim
of their wrath; and others will expect TO-
derive instruction from the reported CONVEX
sation of a man whose intellect, as well as
his position, confer on him so fatal promi-
neuee- as the embodiment of the Southern
movement. All of these persons will find
something to repay them in the perusai of
DR.. Craven's book. But the Southern peo-
pie, alone, will read it with feelings which.
while untainted by curiosity, are halloWed
by the afeetionate regard with which their
thoughts so naturally turn towards their
fallen leader. eng oas sigs % ,a-.4g-s
It is noticeable throughout this remark
able book, at least if we may Judge by the
published extracts. that the sympathies Of
the writer appear to be altogether enlisted
for his distinguished patient. This fact is
not to be explained by any harmony of Opin-
ion on political questions, for DR.. Craven
is an officer of the Federal army; nor by
previous association, for the physician and
his patient were strangers &c each other
until they met within the walls of Fortress
Monroe. It can therefore be accounted for
only by that extraordinary superiority of
intellect, and that remarkable purity of
character and elevation of moral tone, which
impress all who approach Mr.. Davis
Even within the casemaled dungeon which
was his prison, these characteristics do not
seem to have deserted him. On the con-
trary,y they appear to have become even
painfully conspicuous, when observed
against the sombre background of adyersi-
ty., The same effect, although, perhaps, in
a less degree, will be produced on the read
ers of the book. The wonder will be how
a man who for twenty five years had deVot-
ed himself to politics, could have laid up
so large a store of that kind of philosophy
in which our politicians are generally SO
deficient. how a man who had aspired to be
only statesman could have collected IN
formation on all the wide range of subjects
embraced in fine arts and the physical
science; how a senator and Soldier should
be equally capable of discussing law with
Webster, politics with Seward, painting
with Ruskiu, mechanics with Stevenson,
metaphysics with Cousin, and poetry with
Wilson. There seems to be no effort on
the Bart of DR.. Craven to exhibit these
powers on the part of his subject. He does
not play the part of a Boswell by seeking
to hold his hero up to perpetual admiration;
or of Howard by asking sympathy for4<he
unfortunate prisoner. And yet admiration
and sympathy are the feelings which will
most surely take possession of every read
er's mind on perusing this work.
But the people of the South, who know
Jefferson Davis SO we'll, will be, more than
all, affected by that vein of tenderness to-
wards them, of love for their cause, of hope
for their future, which runs through all thai
the illustrious captive says. They could
have wished to be spared the recital of that
cruel scene which depicts the agonies Of
the prisoner when the manacles were placed
on his limbs; but they cannot but feel that
the ignominy of this outrage win fall, moi
on its victim, but on it's authors. The iron
which entered the noble soul Of Jefferson
Davis. sank as deeply into theirs. What
he suffered, they suffer in unison with him
They know too, and the world knows, thai
the factions which could applaud so gross 6
crime against humanity in the person Of one
man, are quite as capable Of continuing an
equally enormous crime against whole
people. Fessa
The Southern cause, triumphant, would
have needed neither eulogium nor symps'
thy. The glory of victory would have made
it illustrious. The heroes who sleep be-
meath the skies of Virgins and Tennessee,
would have been It's saints and not it's mar
tyrs. But the Southern cause defeated il
incarnated in the person of the lonely prise
ner of Fortress Monroe. Through him il
appeals to the world and to history for thai
righteous and impartial judgment to which