The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-07-11
] JEFFERSON DAVIS In PRISON.
Scenes and Incidents of the Life G!
the eX-C8nfGderate President
In the Casemate at
Fortress Monroe.
EXTRACTS FROM TEE POST SUR
GEoNs DIARY.

CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE.
nitely the vaster one outside the court
room. To old English or other books fol
his perusal, what objection could be urged
Such indulgences were given to the worst
criminals before trials; and even after con
viction the prison Libraries were open 70,
their use. A mind so active as his had
been for forty years could not suddenly
bring its machinery to a pause. 1t must
either have food or prey upon itself, and
this was his case at present. Except for
the purpose of petty torture, there corld be
no color of reason for Withholding from him
any books or papers dated Mr. to the
war.
June l0.--Mr. Davis out of sorts, very
ll-tempered. Complained that his clean
linen, to be sept over twice a week by Gen
eral Miles, had not been received Genera
Miles had takea charge Of has clotting, ana
seemed to think a change ofltnen t,cice q
aceek enough. 1t might be so in Massa
chnsetts. But now even this wretched oil
lowance was denied. The General might
know nothing Of the matter; but If so
some member of his staff was negligent. 1t
was pitiful they could not send his trunks
to his cell, but must insist on thus dealing
out his clothes, as though he we're con,
vict in some pepitentiary. If the object
were to degrade him, it must fail. None
could be degraded by unmeritea insult heap
ed on hel plessness but the perpetrators.
The day would come that our people would
be ashamed of his treatment. For him
self, the snferjags he uas undergoing
cou!d do him good with his people THE
South.) Even those who had opposed him
would be kept silent, if not won over, by
public sympathy. Whatever other opin.
ions might be held, it was clear he was Sc
lected as chief victim, bearing the burden
of Northern hatred, which should be more
equally distributed.
Sunday, July ll.-Was sent for by M
Davis, and called in company with Captain
R. 0. Buckley, Officer of the Day.
Found prisoner very Responding, the
failure of his sight troubling him, and his
nights almost without sleep His present
treatment was killing him by inches, and he
wished shorter work could be made of his
torment. He had hoped long since for a
trial, which should be public, and therefore
with some semblance Of fairness but hope
deferred was making his heart sick. The
odious, malignant and absurd insinuation
that he was connected in some manner
with the great CRIME ard folly of Mr.. Lin
coins assassination, was his chief personal
motive for so earnestly desiring an early OPP
portauity of yindication. But apart from
this, as he was evidently made the repre-
sentative in whose person the action of the
seeding States was to be argued and deci-
ded, he yet more strongly desired for this
reason to be heard in behalf of the defeat
ed, but to him still sacred cause. The de
feat he accepted, as a man has to accept all
necessities of accomplished fact but to
vindcate the theory and justice of his
cause. showing by the authority of the Con
stitution and the Fathers of the Country
that his people had only asserted right
had committed no crime; this was the last
remaining labor which life could imposejon
him as public duty Mr.. Davis then
spoke of ex-Presideut Franklin Pierce in
terms of warm admiration, as the public
man who had studied constitutional law
and the relation of the States to highest
profit, remarking, that i he were given any
choice of counsel. Mr.. Pierce would be
one of those whose advice he would think
most reliable. He also spoke of Mr..
Charles Eames, of Washington, as walk
ing encyclopaedia of constitutional law, very
accurate and ready in his reference to pre-
adding that be had seen report
that Messrs. Reverdy johnson. of Mary
land and Charles 0'Connor, Of New York,
had protested their readiness to assume his
defence, when approached BY some Of his
friends for that purpose, for which he felt
both personally and for his people.
His own fate was Of no Importance in this