The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-06-25
About the Pardon ee fer n.v,.

.o,f A.. y DoSiey, VINO mas interested him.
ss.a IN procuring a pardon for JEFF. Davis, has
Hiven an account Of his efforts and rebuAfs iu
.he Chicago Tribune. He SAYS that with the
knowledge that Governor Vance, Of North
carolina, had received the signature of Sena.
.or summer and other influential public men
10 nus Application for pardon on the ground
That he would consent TO advocate negro suf.
rage at the South, he endeavored 10 induce
JeH. DAVIS TO consent to the same condition,
and thereby secure his pardon. This Davis
oeclined TO do. Subsequently Mr.. Bagley
waited upon the fallen chief and solicited him
TO make application for pardon, assuring him
mat he had every reason 10 believe the appii-
| piled
"Had you uttered these sentiments some
time ago, they would have pnt YOU In the Old
Capitol prison. / fully appreciate your mo.
nNcs, but You must be aware that i cannot ap.
proach the Executive with an application for
pardon, rs you propose. / cannot even address
the Attorney General except through the ge-
neral commanding here. Ny case is entirely
different from Eances. have had a hundred
thousand dollars put on my head, am now a
prisoner, subject TO whatever the Government
sees III to impose upon me, and You must see
that L cannot sign the petition as You propose,
nor even discuss the matter"
Mr.. Bagley did not permit himself to become
discouraged In his self imposed task. bnt i'm
mediately proceeded 10 make application 20
senators and others for their signatures to the
petition for pardon, and encountered n series
OF rebnns that would have thoroughly dis.
Outraged a less persistent man. We quote
from his letter:
senator Howard, on the subject, said
DID you ever hear of a man in such q condi-
tlon that he could not apply for pardon if he
would? If Mr.. Davis would go 10 work and
help us TO give equal rights to the negroes and
poor white people Of the South, there 10 no
power In the country that could keep him ont
OF Congress but 10 tell YOU tina he couldn't
apply for patdOn is nonsense
- VA fnrNn ntT --LI r.. Il
true he could not directly apply 10 the Presi.
dent, as you propose, because his letter wcul!
have TO be opened by the tttorney-G eneral ;
but this IL a mere formality.'
Judge Advocate General Holt said: His
application would have TO be first submitted
TO the General In of the fortress !;
but that would be a matter of no difficulty n
Mr.. Bagley then made n set at the presi-
dent, to learn from him in advance if he
would pardon Davis if application for his
pardon was made, and, as he saws, satisfied
himself that the President would risk reputa-
tloh, b"PefGment, or, perhaps, life Itself, TO
pardon the chief of the rebellion, and was
earnestly solicitous TO have him apply per
sonally for pardon. Mr.. Bagley's account of
his interview with the President is as fol-
lows:
President Johnson said " MIR. Bagley, you
must be aware that you place me in a very
delicate position, to request of me before
hand to promise to pardon a man who has
never made application for pardon"
L lelhltu - w nen the lOru SENDS me 10
rebclltous men, He sends me with certified
promise that if they will apply for pardon
they shall have IT."
He answered 1--WE have made our procla-
nation long ago, and Mr.. Davis knows its con-
ditions."
l continued: but he thinks his case pccu-
liar, and that he cannot approach the Presi-
dent with IN application. -
He answered his case Is not different from
any other. except that he is in prison, and he
ought 10 have been tried long ago. We have
urged ii upon Congress TO try him, and they
have not seen fit 10 do So
added There is no court on earth that
has power to try him
He said 1.-The supreme Court has
1t was answered Technically it has, but
actually il has not. The Confederacy is dedd,
and you cannot place II now mt the bar for
trial. 1t has been tried by the God of battles
with n jury of Il million men i'll arms, and will
twelve men now T,rtrSe the sentence? Will
they co"dcD,n il in the person of Davis? He is
condemned already. But if he will accept the
condemnation 10y applying for pardon you
have the power 10 pardon him.
He replied "lf the case comes before us /
shall act upon IL according to the power that
is given TO me-, irrespective of the opinion of
any one. They may abuse me in the future,
rs they have III the past, but shall do my
duty. But l Will say this, that l have no ami
mostly against any man.
l told him what senator Sumner had said
about negro suffrage and Governor Vance, and
w pA'FOSlNDi 4 az ibh' w ~ Jaws
He replied 4" Will negro suffrage healcvcry-
thing : Will it put arms and legs on our
wounded soldiers ! do not mean it for you,
but for those people who think negro suffrage
will cure evcrythIng.'
i concluded: Then l will tell Mr.. Davis
thathis ease is not beyond the reach of pardon,
and encourage him TO make application and
left.
The above conversations, it Will be observed,
took place before the release of Davis upon
bail. Baglcy is still obtaining names 10 his
petition.