The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-08-08
JEFFERSON DAVIS, BARBARITIEs.
Report Of the Judiciary Committee Of the Senate.
Davis Demands that no Quarter be given
to Negro Troops or their Officers.
ASTOUNDING FACTS AND STATEMENTS.

nc 0uuiSidiy SoHniCCee OF the SENATE on
jeff. Davis submit mass Of testimony show
ing that the Rebel authorities under the di-
rectlon OF Davis, declined to give negro sol
diers and their officers the treatment due to
prisoners OF war. 1t is shown that General
Kirby Smith objected to the capture of me-
groes in arms, and letter from him to Gen
eral Dick Taylor isquoted, in which he SAYS
!" | have been unoficially informed that some
OF your troops have captured negroes in
arms. hope this may not be- SO, and that
your subordinates in command of capturing
parties may have recognized the propriety
OF giving no quarter to armed negroes and
their officers" message of jeff Davis is
also quoted, in which he proposes that Union
officers in command of negro troops shall be
dealt with as criminals engaged in melting
servile instruction. With regard to the
maltreatment OF Union prisoners generally, it
is shown that jeff Davis declared the Union
troops incendiaries and robbers, who had
forfeited their claims to be treated as prison.
ers of war. A great mass of testimony is adj
duced to show that the prisoners were treat
ell In accordance with the views of Davis as
above set forth. The documents cited are
all OF Rebel origin, and show that the pri-
soners at the South were in frightful con-
dition. The facts were frequently brought
to the notice of the Confederate authorities
at Richmond, but without avail A letter
from one Sabina Dismukes, dated at States
burg, S. c., October IL, 1864, to JEFF. Davis,
say with regard to the sufferings of the pris-
oners at Florence: +" If such things are allow
ed to continue they will most surely draw
down some awful Judgment upon our coun-
try. 1t is a most horrible national sin that
cannot go UNPUBLISHED. If we cannot give
them food and shelter, for Gods sake send
them back to Yankee land, but don't starve
the miserable creatures to death.n Accom-
panying the letter was an article from the
Sumter Watchnan, giving the details of
visit made by the writer to the prison at
Florence. The account is a most horrible
one. The prisoners are described as filthy,
diseased, famlshed men, with no hope of re-
lief, except by death. All were in rags and
barefoot and crawling with vermin" While
the reporter was there, rain storm took
place, and he describes the avidity with
which the prisoners welcomed it. Opening
their mouths to catch the drops, while one
would wash off another with his. hands, and
then receive from him the like kind Office"
A great mass of similar testimony is submit
ted, all going to show that Davis was full
ly aware of the condition Of the prisoners.
Considerable space is devoted to the machi-
nations of Clement c. Clay, Beverly Tucker,
George N. Sanders, Jacob Thompson and
Others in Canada during the war, and it is
shown that portion of the Rebel secret SER
vice money was paid to one Hyams, who rem
dered services in conveying boxes of small
pox clothing to be sold at Washington. In
connection with these matters, large num-
Der Of documents are submitted In all of
these schemes, it is shown that Davis was
concerned, and the committee argue that the
fact is bar to the plea that he and his as
sociates were incapable of the crime of assas-
sination. In further confirmation of this
view, copies are given of letters from per-
son named DeKalb, who proposed to blow
up the Capitol at Washington when Abe and
his myrmidons and the Northern Congress
members were assembled there One of these
letters is endorsed by Walker, Rebel Secre
tary of War. Another letter from one Par
ramore stating that he had found a means
of disposing of the leading character at the
North in an underhand manner, bears the
endorsement Of jeff Davis himself Another
letter from Fl. c. Durham, directly proposing
the assassination of Seward, Lincoln, Gree
ley, Prentice, &C., written to Davis and re-
ferred by him to the Rebel Secretary of War,
is produced The Committee urge that these
letters prove conclusively that Davis and his
Cabinet knew that plots Of assassination
| were on foot. -
Copious extracts from the testimony giver
at the trial of Payne, Mrs. Surratt and thei
accomplices are submitted, all tending tt
confirm the opinion It is also stated tina
afidavits have been taken by the Judge AID
| vocate General from several persons, VIII
swore that they were present at an interview
between Surratt, Davis and Benjamin, furtl
er establishing the guilt of Davis; but, o
being brought before the committee til
parties retracted, but without giving an
satisfactory reason for so doing.
1 The report closes with resolutions decla
ing there is nothing to prevent the trial
Davis for treason, and that it is the duty
the, Executive to investigate the facts CO
nected with the assassination.