Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-29
JEFFERSON DAVIS IN PRISON.

founded. The New York World of the 9th,
in an article upon the subject, unjust to the
authorities in some respects and too severe,
in our opinion, quotes from Surgeon Coop
ER's report, and says truly, that his incar-
ceration and the surveillance TO which his |
apartments have been subjected, has been
such as to break down his constitution, and |
to place him in imminent peril Of death as |
consequence.
DIR. COOPER Who under direction of the
President, made inquiry into the facts, and
whose report is brief and confined wholly to
the medical aspects Of the subject, says;
slight noises. which are scarcely perceptible TO
a man in robust health, cause him much pam inc
description of the sensation being as one hayed
aud having every sentient nerve exposed 10 the
waves Of sound. Want Of sleep has been great
and almost the principal cause Of his nervous eL-
ritability This has been produced by the tramp
of the creaking boots of the sentineis on posi-
round the prison room, and the relleVal OIL the
guard at the expiration Of every two hours, whcn
almost invariably weakens him. PrtsOHer DdUs
sdes that he hds scarcely enjoyed opsr t'co houfs %
siceu uHJroEeh at one tine stnce MS coabteb'eu.
Means have been taken by placing mating on me
fuors for the sentinel 10 walk on, 10 alleviate tns
source of disturbance, but with only partial sue.
cess. Ills vital condition IS low, ana he mas ous
little recuperative force. Should he be attacked
by any of the severe forms of disease TO which me
tide water region of Virginia Is subject, L, WIN
reason, fear for the result.
We cannot think with the World that the
officials to whom the Government entrusted
the keeping of this distinguished prisoner
have, deliberately and with malice prepense,
so performed their duties as to produce these
results, and therefore believe thatitsstrlctures
are unnecessarily severe, and Its objurga-
| tons misplaced. There are men in the coun-
| try whose senses are so stepped and sodden in
passion, that they could look with complacen-
! CIV on any torture which Mr.. Davis could be
made TO undergo, and smile with satisfaction
to see his Iifesacrifced by the prolonged agony
of imprisonment but to the honor
of human kind they are few, and
| further to its honor, there are fewer still,
who, charged with the responsibility would
dare thus to demean themselves in contempt
of the civilization and humanity of the
age. Men whose breasts harbor such dia-
bolical feelings are generally towards, who
would shrink from reducing them to prac-
tice-savage takers who thunder in the
index" only. But there is no evidence that
the persons in the immediate charge Of Mr..
DAVIS have been so actuated though Sur
geon CooPER's report leaves no doubt that it
is the duty of the Government to so order
| his confinement that neither hrs health
shall be jeoparded, nor his life taken by
useless rigors, or the petty annoyances Incl
dent to imprisonment Such an occurrence
though unintentional, would be a reproach
to the American name, and one which would
admit of no explanation from any party,
high or low, in any way responsible for it.
The merits of Mr.. DAVIS case do not en-
ter into this question; nor in anything which
may be done pro or con, should the govern
ment consult the antipathies Of foes, or SYM
pathies Of friends. A competent officer, de-
tailed for the duty has furnished the facts
They present n naked issue. In this mans
trial, as regards the law and the facts, is in
volved a most momentous question TO tht
American people-one that since 1879 ha'
divided public opinion-one that, practi
callv, has been decided by the stern logic o
force-one, however, that is profoundly in
teresting to the statesman and the student o
government, and whose settlement, in thu
calmness of reason and under the forms o
law, is essential to the pacifcation of thu
country, and the vindication before the worl'
of the conduct Of the Government. Should
he die in prison, under any circumstances
: afetr the official PRONUNCIATION of DIR. CooP
Frs statement, il will be difficult to con
vince the Judgment of the world that tn
event was not welcome TO the Govern
mcnt, even though it was not connived at
and will be the most painful and humiliat
ing fact in American history for it will sa,
in effect, that a prisoner of State, arraigne'
= for high and fragrant crime, the officers o
the law and a dominant public sentlmen
expressing almost perfect conviction of In
guilt, was held in unnecessarily prolonged
and rigorous durance, in full knowledge o
his failing physical powers, and in disre
gard of his perfect willingness to be con
fronted by his accusers and Judges, and tina
he was thus permitted to die unheard, il
order that the Government might be shielded
from all possibility of failure to establish
legally the wisdom and justice Of its conduc
toward him and those he represented.
While we exonerate the Government from
any purpose to persecute Mr.. DAVIS, o
TO do him foul by indirection, in the mamie
of slow death we think that the speed.
and public trial." vouchsafed to him by tn
Constitution which he is alleged to have at
T. tempted to ovorthrow, is his due, and should b
c unhcsitatingly awarded; and, that preyious t
impending the trial, the Government SHOULD
be solicitous to afford him fair opportunit
to prepare for his defense and, that by al
4 means il should seek to free itself from tn
o slightest reason for reproach by holdn
him for trial, it has said that it wa
70 done in the name Of Justice and if tn
{ Government would divest itself Of all susp
c cion Of prejudice it must respond to tn
- surgeons report by prompt action, even
Is State reasons are permitted to postpone IA