The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1876-02-18
LETTER FROM HON. JEFFERSON
DAVIS.

WA NGroN, Feb. Cleft. Davis
has written the following letter to
Judge Lyons, Of Richmond, Va:
NEW ORi.EA NJ, Jan. -.
I1the yiott. .JoO1t.s LYo4s:
Mn DEAR FHlEND-No FOUR kind let
ter of the 18th inst. WAS forwarded from
Memphis, and has becen received ut
this place. l have been so long the
object of malignant Islander and the
subject of INSCRIPTIONS falsehoou by
partisans of the class of Mr.. Blaine,
that though l can not say it has become
to me Il matter of indifference, ii has
ceased to excite my surprise even in
this instance, when it reaches the eN-
tremity os accusing me of cruelty to
prisoners. What matters, to one whose
object is personal and party advantage,
that the records, both Federal and Con-
federate, diSprOve the Charge: That
the country is full of witnesses who
bear oral testimony against it: And
that the effort to revive the bitter ami
mosities OF the war obstructs the pro.
gress toward the reconciliation OF Sec
tons: 1t is enough for him if his self
| seeking purpose be promoted. II
would, however, seem probable that
such expectations must be- .iisaPpoint-
ed for only those who arc Willfully
blind can fail to see, in the circunl-
stances of the case, the t,liacy OF Mr..
Rlaine's statements.
The published fact of an attempt to
suborn Witt, while under sentence Of
death, by promising him pardon if he
| would crlminatc me in regard to the
| 4 jacksonville prisoners, is conclusive
| as to the wish of the Government to
make sucl, charge against me, and the
FL sJD shows tbn1 II ~
could be found to sustain it. May we
not say, the evidence of my innocence
was such that Holt and Conovcr, with
their trained bands of SubOrncl wit
nesses, dared not make against me this
charge which Wilt for his life would
not make, but which Blaine for prcsi-
dental nomination has made now:
To review leading facts of the case:
The report of the Confederate commits
sioner for the exchange OF prisoners
shows how persistent and liberal were
our efforts to secure the release Of cap
tives. Failing in those attempts, l
! instructed General. II. II. Lee to go
under II flag of truce and seek an inter-
view with General Grant, to represent
| to him the suffering and death of Fed
cral prisoners held by us, to explain
the causes which were beyond our con-
troll, and to urge in the name of hui
| manity the observance or the cartel for
| the exchange of prisoners. TO this, as
oull previous appeals, II deafrar was
| turned.
| | will not attempt from memory iU
write the report made to me of the in
cidentS of the mission. Lee no longer
lives to defend the cause and country
which he loved so well and served sc
efficiently, but Gen. Grant cannot fail
to remember SO extraordinary II visit
and his object ions to executing the cartel
are well known to the public. But
| whoever else may choose to forget my
efforts in this regard, the prisoner ut
| Understandable and the delegates whom
| | PERMITTED them to send to President
Lincoln to plead for the resumption OF
| the exchange of prisoners cIlnuOt fail to
! remember how willing | was to restore.
| them to their homes and to the comforts
| of which they were in need, provided
| the imprisoned soldiers Of the COnlcd-
cracy should be in like manner released
| and returcd to us.
| This foul accusation, through directed
| especially against me, was no doubt in
tended, or naturally mnSt be, for the
arrangement OF the South, by whose
authority and in whose behalf my
deeds were done. il may be presumed
| lnaJ inc feelings INC Il'tDIIS Oh
! Southern soldiers were understood by
me, and in that connection any fair
mind would prcccivc in my congratu-
latory orders to the army after vic
tory, in which the troops were most
commended for their tenderness and
generosity to the wounded and other
captivcS, as we'll the instincts OF the
person who issued the order as the
| knighty tcmpers of the soldiers to
whom it was addressed. 1t is admitted
that the prisoners in our hand were
not as we'll provided as one would like
to have had them, but it is claimed
that we did as well for them rs we
could. Can the other side says as much?
TO the bold allegations of ill-trcat-
ment of prisoners by our side and hui
name treatment and adequate supplies
by our opponents, it is necessary to
offer two facts:
I'irst-It appears from tho reports of
| the United States War Department
that though we had 10000 more Fed
eral prisoners than they had Confede-
rates. 5000 more of Confederatcs died
in Northern prisons:
SpconI-Thc want and SUFFERING of