The Portland daily press., 1866-06-22
Is Jefferson Davis q victimp

The publication Of DR.. Craven's book on the
prison life OF Jefferson Davis, an extract from
which will be found In another column, will
have the effect to direct public attention in an
especial manner towards that troublesome per-
sonage, and to raise anew the old questions of
the justice or the injustice of the treatment
accorded him. The book In fact is to be re-
garded as a special plea in the prisoners be-
half put forth by an ardent personal, though
not political partizan. But the compassion
of physician for his patient is graceful and
becoming, even when we do not fully sympa-
thize with him in his estimate of the charac-
ter of the sufferer. The strong tendency TO
sentimentallsm, also, and the disposition to
increase the interest in his subject by free
use of magnificent epithets which are ap-
parent in the book may be passed over
as requiring no comment. Mr. Davis seems
to have talked to his physician a great
deal about the superiority of the ''aris-
tocratic South" and one cannot help the sus-
picion that the unsophistlcated Doctor has
been somewhat impressed by these preten-
sions. Mr.. Davis says "birth is guarantee
we do not ignore in raising stock, nor should
we in growing men, and he speaks with great
scorn of the yankees" as Slittle better than
money-making people, all of which, con-
sidering that he is himself the son of a horse
jockey, is sufficiently amusing, though of lit
tie consequence. But the plain purpose with
which this book has been published-and we
b;x,l1 ha 70 chox hat
cation must have had the highest official ap-
prevails to convince the public that Jeffer-
son Davis has been treated with cruelty and
injustice, and to furnish a pretext for letting
him escape the penalty of his monstio Gus
crimes.
OF course, it is chiefobject with the prison.
er, In the many conversations with his ply
stefan here recorded, to attempt to lift off from
himself the odium Of any completely with the
death OF Mr.. Lincoln. What he says in rela-
ton to this subject, has an air of honesty,
and we are not disposed to deny him the ben
eft of his own statement of the facts, but
there are links in the chain of evidence which
he has failed to explain away.
In relation to the dreadful cruelties perpe-
trated against our prisoners in the South, he
declares that to make him responsible for this
was "worse than absurd-criminally false."-
"For the last two years Of the war, Lees ar
my had never more than half, and was oftener
on quarter rations of rusty bacon and conn.,,
He also believes that Commissary-Ge Nor
throp and Gen. Winder did the best they
could; that the prisoners were ordered to re-
ceive precisely the same rations given to the
troops guarding them; but dishonest Commits
series and Provost arshals were not confined
to any people,"
OF such an explanation as this we must
say that it is far too imperfect and too brief to
satisfy the just indignation of the loyal peo-
pie who know so well that it was IN his pow
er to prevent these atrocities had he so chos-
en-, and who will sternly hold him to the re-
sponsibility he thinks it possible thus lightly
to put off.
That Davis has any reason to complain Of
unnecessary harshness or disrespectful treat
ment toward himself in prison, certainly does
not appear from the testimony Of his friend
the doctor, though certain foolish copperheads,
anxious to bring discredit upon the govern
ment, have industriousty circulated stories to
that effect. Good food, fresh air and exercise
plenty of books and writing materials. the
visits of his friends, and the constant care of
physician were at his command. Even the
temporary use of the shackles, the applica-
ton of which is SO melodramatically descrih-
ed, is not a thing of which, considering tho
heavy charges against him, and the many rea-