Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-05-14

] AL24 49,
huugers for human life.
II Is not to-day for the first time, tina
the prison has been more ennObled thar
the Throne and the Altar, by the pre-
sepce and even the immolation there
Of the noble victims of Tyranny, th'
great rebels whose memories are th'
gIories of humanity. Often their doors
turning on the harsh hinges, have opened
to send the wise, the great and the good
TO the pyre or the sesffold. The cell ofthC
Martyr ofliberty Is irradiate with holy
light HA1IFDEE and BUNYAN made
the name of the Gate House and Bed
ford prison immortal the dungeon o.
the victim Of spiritual despotism retains
the traces Of the consoling presence o.
the Holy Spirit Of God.
The helpless prisoner of despOtic power,
I incarcerated in violation Of the constitu-
uOnaI law that is ~powerless to set him
free, becomes the object Of the sympa-
thies, the compassion, and the venera-
ton Of all mankind, except those, the
vermin Of the race, who glUt their re-
venge and satiate their sordid malice
with the slow toTtures that wear away
his Life and secure for him Immortality,
for them an eternity Of infamy.
The imprisonment Of JEFFERSON DA-
Wis. the heroic President OF the Confed-
crate States in their vain and untortu-
nate struggle 20 win political independ.
snce, has been for nearly tive years, the
! shame, the stain, the blot and the dis
grace Of the United States, because to
imprison him the populace had to set its
hoof upon the neck Of the PROSTATE Con-
stitution. He was not a prisoner Of UdT;
and there can be no SGte-prisoners, held
by order or warrant Of a Minister, until
the Constitution has been assassina-
ted. II charged with completely in
a murder, he could not be le-
gaHy held without lawful judicial
process. Indicted for treason a. he was,
he could only be imprisoned by virtue
Of process under that indictment. In
his person civil liberty itself was man
acled, and all the constitutional guaran-
tees and those Of the old English rights
Of freemen were outraged, and the
safety OF every citizen endangered.
Whether it was mere ~ststeeraft or per-
sonal hatred or cowardIy fear Of popu-
lar Glamour that held him a prisoner
without lawful right, for nearly two
Years, viii perhaps never be certainly
known. For four years Commander-in-
Chief Of the army and navy Of a recog-
nized b~elligerent power, when no hsz-
Yard Of a renewal Of the conflict de-
manded his incarceration, such as that
by which England pretended to justify
her Imprisonment Of the deposed En-
peror Of France On a barren reek in
the middle of the Atlantic, this Prisoner
Of the Nation was chained and fettered,
not to prevent his escape, Of which there
was no fear, bus to degrade and wound
him, and still more, perhaps, to crafty
the vulgar revenge snd malice Of the
~populace. The indignity did not de-
grade hin, but only the nation THAT ap-
proved it and exulted at it.
For twenty-five long months this frail
and feeble and half blind invalid, with
the pity, the sympathy and at last the
love and admiration Of millions cluster
ing around him, has been lawlessly and
against common right deprived Of his
freedom. During all that time it has
been wen known, TO the shame and
scandal Of the country, that the creature
wh9 az judge disgraces the District Court
of the United States for Virginia, would
not dare, il he were even disposed, TO
issue a writ Of Hsbeas Corpus to release
him from this illegal Imprisonment and
that If he did, the oath Of the highest
officer Of the Government to support,
protect and defend the Constitution
would be disregsUded, and The writ be
disobeyed. For the Constitution OF the
United States has in that respect and
many others become q dead letter; and
Is rank a ~despotisa as that Of Philip II
has been created on its ruins. There is
no longer any security for private liberty,
anywhere.
For many months this Prisoner Of
State was closely confined, like the
basest criminal, his friends and even his
wife and children denied access to him.
the letters that came to him opened and
read by his j~anitOrs in uniform, and even
receipt Of the public journals by him
prohibited, as If it were dangerous to the
safety for him to be allowed to
read. And while he was thus immured, not /
permitted to confront his accusers, not
allowed the privilege Of selfjgstifcatisn.
The most Infamous means were employed,
and the highest prices paid by the gov
srument for perjured testimony, to fas-
upon him in the public estimation
the guilt Of completely in the assassina-
ton o. the President Of the United
Upon the trial Of other persons
before an unlawful and now eternally
Infamous tribunal, hours upon hours
spent in endeavors to elicit evil
ience, not to convict those who were
upon trial, but the solitary prisoner Of
Fortress Monroe, 70 whose ears no sound
from that sccursed Court of blood came
the Potomse. On the trial Of
the same lonely and defenceless
was again srraigRed ia his absence,
Is an accomplice Of the accused in the
guilt Of inhGmanity and it was as much
Jefferson DAVIS IN his barred cell who
vas put on trial, as the friendless
wretch who vas % be saeFi6ced to the
vengeance Of the popnlace.
These infamies have not harmed him
It whose defenceIess bosom hatred and
SO aimed its brutal blows. These
PRACTICES, murderous and cruel, and to
which men became h~abituated under the
Twelve C1EsARs, endangered the hfe OF
DAVIS, and were intended to do IL; bat
hey have dishonoured the Republic
lone. Republics guilty Of such injus-
ices are doomed, and rot before death,
Ike HEROB.
At last, after two years Of profound
it is a%scertaiUed that the creature
g~ho-profanes the Jndgment-Sestin that
,Ourt where a MARSHALL once presided,
nd who is OF opinion that a jury can be
to convict Mr.. DAVIS, viii issue
writ Of Hsbeas Corpus, and that the
resident VIII graeicusly permit. it to be
It issues; the President orders
hat it shall be obeyed The laws end
be rights OF man exist in Virginia 1T
lis sudeFance. It is obeyed, aud At last