The tri-weekly standard., 1866-08-04
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.

The judiciary Committee of the Senate on
jeff. Davis submit mass of testimony show
ing that the Rebel authorities under the di-
rection of Davis declined to give negro sol
tilers and their officers the treatment due to
prisoners Of war. 1t is shown that General
Kirby Smith objected to the capture of ne
groes in arms, and letter from him to Gen
cral Dick Taylor is quoted, in which he says :
" have been unofficially informed that some
! OF your troops have captured negroes in
arms. l hope this may not be So and that
your subordinatcs in command of capturing
parties may have recognized the proprietv
( of giving no quarter to armed negroes and
/ their officers" A message of jeff Davis is
also quoted, in which he proposes that Union
j officers in command of negro troops shall he
dealt with as criminals engaged in melting
servile insurrection. With regard to the
/ maltreatment of Union prisoners generally, it
is shown that jeff Davis declared the Union
! troops incendaries and robbers who had
forfeited their claims to he treated as prison.
ers of war. A great mass of testimony is adj
! duced to show that the prisoners were treat
ed in accordance with the views of Davis as
above set forth. The documents cited are
all of Rebel ori gin, and show that the pri-
sOnerS ut the South were in trighttul CON
dition. The facts were frequently brought
to the notice of the Confederate authorities
ut Richmond. but without avail. letter
| from one Sabina Dismukes, dated at States
burg. S. c., Octoher IL, 1864. to JEFF. Davis
say with regard to the sufferings of the pris-
oners at Florence: y If such things are allow
ed to continue, they will most surely draw
down some awful judgment upon our coun-
try. 1t is most horrible national sin that
cannot go unpunished. 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 Accom-
panying the letter article from the
Sumter 1RutchmAn, giving the details of a
visit made by the writer to the prison at
Florence The account is u 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
great mass of similar testimony is submit
ted, all going to show that. Davis WAS full
" 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 a 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-
her of documents are submitted. In all of
these schemes, it is shown that Davis was
concerned, and the committee argue that the
TACT is Il bar to the plea that he and his as
Iociates were incapable of the crime of assas
,ination. In further confirmation of this
view, copies are given Of letters from a per-
on named DeKalb, who proposed to blow
Up the Capitol at Washington when Abe and
lis myrmidons and the Northern Congress |
members were assembled there. One of these
etters is endorsed by Walker, Rebel Secre
tary OF War. Another letter from one Par |
ramorc stating that he had found means |
of disposing of the lealing character at the |
North in an underhand manner, bears the
endorsement of jeff. Davis himself Another |
letter from ii. G. Durham, directly proposing |
the assassination of Seward Lincoln, Gree |
lev 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 given
at the trial of Payne, Mrs. Surratt and their
accomplices are submitted, all tending to
confirm the opinion. 1t is also stated that |
affidavits have been taken by the Judge Ad-
vocate General from several persons, who |
swore that they were present at an interview
between Surratt, Davis and Benjamin, furth-
er establishing the guilt of Davis; but, on
being brought before the committee, the
parties retracted, but without giving any |
satisfactory reason for so doing
The report closes with resolutions declar-
ing there is nothing to prevent the trial of
Davis for treason, and that it is the duty of |
the Executive to investigate the facts con-
nected with the assassination.