Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-02-17

diction. and afiixing penalties by
! &c p~ostfacto legislation, are part OF
the proceeding which had its APP
propriate end in the assumption by
Congress of the Executive func-
ton of granting pardons. To re-
move political disabilities, which
there was not legal power to i'm
pose, was not an act of so much
grace as to form a plausible pre-
text for the reckless diatribe of
Mr.. Blaine. The papers preserved
by DR.. Stevenson happily furnish
proof of the causes of disease and
death at Andersonville. They are
now, l believe, in Richmond, and
it is to be hoped their publication
will not be much longer delayed.
have no taste for recrimination,
though the sad recitals made by
our soldiers returned from North
ern prisons can never be forgotten,
and You will remember the excite
ments they produced and the cen
serious publications which were
uttered against me because | would
not visit on the helpless prisoners
in our hand such b~arbarities as,
according to reports, had been in
ficted upon our men. 1mprison-
ment is a hard lot at the best, and
prisoners are prone to exaggerate
their ~suffenngs and such was prob
ably the case on both sides; but
we did not seek by reports of com
'mittees with Photographic illustra-
tons TO Influence the passions of
our people. How was it with our
enemy? Let one example suffice.
You may remember a published
report of committee of the United
State Congress which was sent to
Annapolis to visit some exchanged
prisoners, and which had offered
to it the photographs of some ema-
ciated subjects, which were offered
as samples of prisoners returned
from the South. When a copy of
that report was received | sent it
to Colonel Ould, Commissioner for
the Exchange of Prisoners, and
learned, as | anticipated, that the
photographs, as far as they could
be .identiied, had been taken from
men who were in our hospitals
when they were liberated for ex-
change, and who the hospital sur
geon regarded as convalescent, but
too weak to be removed with safety
to themselves. The anxiety of the
prisoners to be sent TO their homes
had prevailed over the objections
of the surgeon. But this is not all.
For | have recently learned from
a priest who was then at Annapolis
that the most wretched looking of
these photographs was taken from
a man who had never been a prison
or, but who had been left on the
"sick list, at Annapolis when the
command to which he was attach
ed had passed that place on its
southwark march. Whatever may
be said in eXtenuation of such i'm
posture because of the eXigencies
of war, there can be no such ex-
cuse now for the attempt of Mr..
Blaine, by gross Misrepresentation
and slanderous accusation, TO re-
vive the worst passions Of the war,
and it is to be hoped that, much as
the event is to be regretted, it will
have the good effect of evoking
truthful statements in regard to
this little understood subject from
men who would have preferred to
leave their sorrowful story untold,
if the subject could have been al
lowed peacefully to sink into OBJ
livion.
a Mutual respect is needful, for
the common interest is essential to
a friendly union, and when SANDER
is promulgated from high places
the public welfare demands that
truth should strip falsehood of its
power for evil, .|
| am, respectfully and truly,
Sax. Your friend,
(Signed) JEFFERSON DAVIS.