The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-19

VTT5UWCT5 UHWUs,
TO procure mitigation of their missries. Re
taation sitter their release is only SO much
Wanton cruelty since II can have none of the
preventive effect which alone iustihes retaliation.
II Is as absurd and arooious 10 retaliate on
Jefferson Davis tho sutieriDgs OF the Union
prisoners at Andersonvile as II would have
been in the British Government to have tor
tured Napoleon Bonaparte for his treatment
complained, and French historians have never
ceased to repeat the complaints of the usage
he received at st. Helena. But 1t differed
from what Mr.. Davis has. experienced at
Fortress Monroe, as sck.chamber differs
from pesthouse or as q modern excommuni-
cation differs from the Spanish Inquisition.
The general spirit in which the British Gov
ernmeni proiessed TO act may be gathered
from the following Official directions of Lord
Bathurst: in committing so import
ant trust TO British officers, the
Prince Regent is sensible that 1T is not
necessary" mote this expression. mot
necessary" a clear implication that the ordi-
nary principles of sodierly honor suthced to
prevent hard treatment of the prostrate; of
which examples may be found IN Grants terms
to Lee, Shermans TO Johnston, and the whole
military lie OF General Scott), mot necessary
to impress upon them his anxious desire that no
greater measure OF severity in respect to con-
finement or restriction be imposed than what
is deemed necessary ior the faithful discharge
OF that duty which the Admiral, as well as the
Governor OF st. Helena, must ever keep in
mlnd-the perfect security OF General Bona
Da1JeB person.. Whatever, CODSlsbbuI VIII l0lS
great object, can be allowed IN the shape of in
dulgence, his Royal Highness is confident will
Willingly be shown to the General"
ii Sir Hudson Lowe did not always act In the
humane and cOnslderate spirit here lnculCated,
these Instructions at least show in wnat light
the British Government thought it due to its
character 10 appear before the world. The
British version OF his actual treatment. con.
densed by the Tory historian, Alison, Is, IN the
main, Jrue:-
But while all must regret that it should have been
necessary, under any circumstances 70 act with even
seeming harshness towards so great man, yet jus
tlCe can nothing to condemn IN the conduct OF
the Brl ish Government, whatever 1t may do as to
want OF courtesy in the Governor OF the Island 1t
indispensable TO the peace OF the world to pre-
vent his escape; and the expedition from Elba had
shown that reliance could be placed upon either
his professions or bis treaties Detention and secure
custody were, therefore, unavoidable, and every
comfort consistent with these objects afforded
him by the Brush Government He was allowed
the society OF the friends who had accompanied
him III his eXle he had books IN abundance to
amuse his leisure hours; champagne and burgundy
were his daily beverages and the bill OF fare of his
table, which is given by Las Casas proof of the
severity of the British Government, would be
thought the height OF luxury by most persons in a
state OF liberty"
The nearest resemblance (and the distance is
infinite y to any such personal indlgnity as was
pTactised upon Mr., Davis by putting him in
irons, vas the French fiction, invented by Count
Montholon, an0 repeated by Theirs, res soecting
the demand tnat Napoleon, soon after he went
on board the BeleTCp6On, should surrender his
sword. The story, as told by Montholon, is like
the prologue to tragedy. Lord Keith, as the
lively imagination of Montholon represented it,
said 10 Napoleon in a voice stihed with emotion,
England demands your sword" The Emperor,
with a convulsive movement, put his hand on
the hilt. The terrible expression of his cOunte-
nance was his only reply. His expression never
appeared more awful more supe1human. The
ole Admiral covered; his great figure seemed to
collapse; his head, whitened bv years, fell upon
his breast, like that of a culpriu humiliated
before his condemnation The EmnprOr kent
his sword. The good taste OF Thiers avoids the
melo-dramatic tone of this description, but he
conveys the idea that Napoleon would have
done execution with his sword sooner than have
surrendered it, and have sacrificed his life on
the spot, making the weapon a costly trophy to
its captors. English writer's have pronounced
Montholon's story a pure hctiJn; but the
French recital and the English denial equally
assume that depriying the fallen warrior OF his
weapon would have been, under the circum-
stances an unwarrantable lndiguity; the sword
beng worn, not as a weapon, but as a badge or
personal ornament. Compare this story with
the hideous scene described by Doctor Craven OF
the brutal over0owering by soldiers and black
smiths, of Mr.. Davis frantic resistance to be put
in irons, and then Judge between the two sets OF
notions as to what is allowable in the treatment
OF such prisoners.
Mr. Davis is regarded as less monster, by our
people, than Napoleon was by the English dur.
ing the greater part of his career. The massacre
at Jatia, the murder OF the Duke d'EGghien, and
other atrocities charged upon Napoleon, have
no parallel in anything ever done by MIR. Davis,
who, in the character Of a bellieerent, commit
ted no crimes, any further than the war itself
was q crime. His mistake, and that of his con-
federates, was IN supposing that the allegiance
they owned to their States was superior to the
allegiance due to the Federal Government, II
this doctrine were true, it would absolve them
from guilt. That they beileUed it true nobody
doubts: and though this belief repairs no mis-
chief, it should mitigate the usual condemnation
pronounced upon men who were rather deluded
than Intentionally disloyal.
But when we come round to this question of
dsloyalty, it is apparent that if Mr.. Davis is
! held as traitor, retaliatory torture cannot be
inflicted on him as prisoner Of war, even If
| belgerenCy had not ended, or even If retro
| spective vengeance were one OF the rights OF
4 war. As traitor, he has the right OF every
X criminal-the right to speedy and impartial
\ trial, and to exemption from any punishment
| but detention till after judicial sentence. To
pretend that the tortures and indignities in
| Hicted on Mr.. Davis were necessary 10 prevent
his escape, is preposterous. Did Stanton sup
pose broken old man would gnaw through
massive stone walls and heavy iron CRATES with
his teeth, that he thought it necessary to chain
him? The impression made by Doctor Craven's
! book abroad will be most unfavorable to oul
! national character and will be almost as unjust
as uniavorable, since what is discreditable in its
! contents was the work of the single base mind
at the head OF the War Department.