The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-06-26
washington Chronicle.

@6FAS' f1e8 Oh innocence IcsbcQ Dy
the Facts of HiStOry---A Reminis-
cence.
In reading the plea of Jefferson
Davis, put forth by Surgeon Craven,
one is amazed at his utter recklessness
of truth, which goes far toward estab-
fishing the criticism of his character,
by the elder Rhett, published in the
Chronicle of May 18th last.
Davis represents himself as most
aDjustly used man. He claims not
only that while President of the Cen
federacy he was always most averse to
war and anxious for peace, but that
before the establishment of the Con-
federacy he was among the most lnno-
cent of any agency in that event.
Hear his own words on the latter
point:
If the real purpose in the matter is
to test the question of secession by
trying certain persons connected
Herewith for treason, from what class
or classes should the persons so Sc
lected be drawn? From those who
called the State Conventions, or
from those who, in their respective
conventions, passed the ordinance of
secession? Or from the authors of
the doctrine of State rights? Or from
those citizens who, being absent from
4lair States were uneonnected with
turned TO their homes 10 snare the for
tunes of their States as a duty Of pri-
NAL allegiance? Or from those officers
of the State who, being absent on
public service, were called home by
the ordinance, and returning, joined
their fellow citizens in State service
and followed the course due to that
relation? To the last class | belong
who am the object of the greatest
rigor.
Davis here represents himself as
called home by the ordinance" in
contrast with those who called the
State Conventions and passed the
ordinances of secession. He classes
himself with those who toiLoaoed,
being absent from the State, and I'M
connected with the event
Now, what are the facts?
The National Intelsgencer of Jan
uary IL, 1861, contained communica-
ton from Eaton" (Hon. Lemuel d.
Evans, of Texas,) charging that on
the evening of January 5, 1861, (Only
one month after Mr.. Buchanan s mes
sage protesting against the power of
c0ercion), the Southern secession
Senators of Florida, Georgia, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkan-
sas and Texas" met in Washington
city, and resolved "to assume to
themselves the political power of the
South, and to control all political and
military operations for the present,
and they autographed to complete the
plan of Seizing forts, arsendls, and
cnston1- houses, and 0duised the conUen-
tons nOa0 Sn session, and soon to assem-
bic, to pass ordinances for immediate
are nreahalht theft REPRESENTATIVE N
the Senate and in the House"
When Fernandina was captured, a
letter form d. L. Yulee, one of the |
consplrators, to Joseph Finegan,
president of the Florida convention,
was found, containing the four reso-
buttons passed at the caucus, as fol- |
lows: ~
1. That in our opinion each of the |
Southern States should, as soon as
may be, secede from the Union.
2. That provision should be made
for convention to organize confed-
eracy of the seeding States, the con
VentlOn to meet not later than the 18th
of February, at the city of Montgom-
cry, In the State of Alabama.
3. That in view of the hostile legis-
lation that is threatened against the
seeding States, and which may be
aopc11u1o tod hofora tbo d4L ~ MI |
we askinstructions whether the dele
gates are to remain in Congress until
that date for the purpose of defeating
such legislation.
4. That a committee be, and are
hereby, appointed, consisting of
Messrs. Davis, Slidell. and Mallory.
to carry out the object of this meet
ing.
These resolutions were sent to the
States involved, and, as result, Mis-
sissippi seeded on the 9th of Janu-
airy, or within a week of this caucus.
Florida on the 18th, and so on.
On the 21st of January, an official
copy of the ordinance of secession
having arrived, Davis retired from
the Senate, giving as a reason that,
the ordinance of secession having
passed the convention of his State,
he felt obliged to obey the sumne6ns
and retire from all official connection
sOith the Federal GoUe1nneent"
Then, as now, he pretended to be
" called" by his State; when the whole
world possesses, probably without his
being aware of it, the positive proof
Of his deep and damnable guiltiness-
guiltiness, in the inception of the plot,
outlines in its prosecution, and guilt
mess in its development into the hor-
rible rebellion of which he was the
malicious master-spirit.
Had he ten thonsand lives TO losn