Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-06-12
A View Of the JEFF. Davis Farce Dy d
Llbby Prisoner.
To sbe Ediior Of the cbirAgO RePabli'S0'

y T.
In 1863 was escorted, as prl sSap sol.
war. to the city of Richmond oy davs.
diers. The Journey lasted n'uee" aggra.
The misfortune OF my position .,',.i,,IIy by /
waited in every possible way - tainted
the citizens along the route l hbsr a MUIR
~ a negro. stealer thief q ~. fsmished .
derer | was frequently peaa was every
for want of food, when No At one
evidence of plenty all arou nio, IN the din
MACE was refused adi had military
i,g.roorn of a hotel VIZ t..rts and was /
,,s2mission to get REL 60, tho same
Even driven. like oos' :: he oman air
even ~, for hours, IN the open an, K
house TO avian - dav. orders to fall IN =
on oleak At Lynchburg, fatgued ana /
and msroHp rovost Marshal, with abusive 4
SICK 1a III language, drove me from
and ru lLihnrc I had been placed by the COM
IoU,l of the guard. and was i9rced 70
IND cold, dreary, dismal nignt IN an
IA csttle-shed, filed with filth and vermin'
lived at Richmond, in company with some
On feIlow-oficers and 200 enlisted men,
vas marched TO the Confederate Bastlle
called Libby, and, after being searched, ike
a convict was thrust into dirty unven-
tilated and lousy room TO commence Win
near a hundred others living death--a
semi animated experience Of unutteraole
woe Ny diet was scanty, often rotten ana
worny. and always unhealthy, some
times I was nearly overcome with an m
tolerable thirst, and water was denied me,
though I could distinctly hear the James
river rushing and ripping over and among
the rocks of the rapids. The bare floor
was nv couch, and hungry vermin ban
oueted on me night and day The prison
officials and privileged visitors came only
70 insult. deride abuse and in every pos
sble way annoy me and my fellows. Even
priests visited this hell and we were
Obliged to listen to their reasonable homl-
lies and to their God -dishOnoring prayers
for the success of the rebel rag and that
the starry banner of our love might trail
In the dust All this too in Richmond
within a few blocks Of Jefferson Davis the
then defiant President Of the Confederate
States One word from him could nave
mt an end to the studied inbumanlty
practiced upon me and my comrades 1hat
word was never SPOKEN and our fortunes
went on all the while augmented by new
inventions and more exquisite rehBements,
until they eliminated in the unparalleled
savagisms OF Belle Isle and AndersOnville
Last we k The Greatest criminal OF his
aye, perlured villain corspirator against
his country, humanity and liberty, with
hands still smoking with the blood Of half
a million victims Of his treachcry and
cruelty, himself u military prisoner Ia the
custody of that Government he wickediy
but vaiuly Thought 10 destroy, Was removed
from the fortress where lac has PASSED two
years of nominal {, niuemeut, more like a
guest than prisoner, to this same Rich
mond A splendid steamer takes him, his
friends his family. and his counsel, nj pub
lie expense, 10 the Scene OF his innumera-
bic grimes. He steps daintlly from the
steamer 10 luxurious carriage. supported
byco ms traitors aud pard0ned rebrl {.
His wife, followed by tocO serDaHts. entel
another carriage, and numerous sympa-
thisers with treason swell the cortrge.
Then almost with the "pomp aud circum
stances" of trumphal entrance the great
criminal moves torward-not TO prison.
Oh! no. He passes Libby" where so
many Of his victims have wept and walled
and died; and castle Thunder, from
whose dark and damp dungeons thousands
of patriotic souls have been sent By his
hand, unshriven, 10 their God But be
stops not here. On to Apartments fit for
prince await him, fitted up and aired ready
for his coming A criminal though be is,
whose inhuman deeds eurdle the blood and
invoke an involuntary prayer tor justice,
prisoner only in form, he, Jefferson Davis,
stands in reality the nations honored guest.
o shame, where is thy blush o justice,
where is thy evenly poised scale and thy
keen-edged sword
The criminal passes, with stately tread
and dgnifed reserve, from his parlor to the
Court; and then the Judge announces that
for these years of his Incarceration there
has been and still is no cause in the same
breath stultifying either himself or the
Government which has so long held him in
durance. The civil law then throws its
protecting Rgis around him, and the un-
heard of moczery of admitting him to bail
is accomplished. Davis, the traitor, is sent
forth the accredited missionary of evil, and
Greeley, the philosopher, achieves the
browning folly of his life.
No wonder theSouth is jubilant over their
greatest success since the first gun of the
war was fired by the old Ruffin, of Virginia;
no wonder they glory in the consummation
of their apotheosis, and that We hear, as
the first fruits of their latest triumph, of
the attempted assassination Of Judge KEEL
ley at Mobile by the worsbippers of the
great demi good Of treason. Thus are trail
tors punished and treason made odious
TIMoN
Sor-ru RrNn Ind Nav % 1867 ...- q.