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

cold.
DO you know they are going to
bury me with her2-thoseL who
found her. aa They could not
wrench the hand open. Perhaps
they did not try much. 1t was
only a poor, unfortunate, nameiess
woman, who was found dead in the
street. 1t did not matter. 30 ar
JEFF. DAVIS ANSWERS BLAINE.
WASHINGTON, February 6.-The
following letter of Jefferson Davis
was telegraphed this evening in re-
ply to ex-Speaker Blaine's remarks
on the floor Of the House. Mr..
Davis will not be replied to in turn
in the form Of a letter, so say Mr..
Blaine's friends. The ex-Speaker,
however, intends to bring the sub
iect before the House and there
pay his respects to Mr.. Davis in
another revival of the bitterness
and horrors of the late war:
~ New ORLEANS, La,
IL "a VI February 81, 1876
Hon. James Lyons,
My DEAR FRIEND: Your very
kind letter of the l4th instant was
forwarded from Memphis and has
been received at this place. l
have been SO. long the object of
malignant SANDER and the subject
of INSCRIPTIONS falsehood by part
isans of the class OF MI. Blaine
that, though / cannot say it has
become to me a matter of indiffer-
enGe, it has ceased to excite my
snrprise-even in this instance,
when it reaches the extremity of
accusing me of cruelty to prisoners.
What matters it to one whose OBJ
ject is personal and party advant-
age that the records, both Federal
and Confederate, disprove the
charge; that the country is full of
witnesses who bear oral testimony
against it., and that the effort to
revive the bitter animosities Of
the war obstructs the progress to
wards the reconciliation of the sec
tions. 1t is enough for him if his
self-seeding purposes be promoted.
1t would, however, seem probable
that such expectations must be
disappointed, for only those vino
are wilfully blind can fail TO e in
the circum stances of the case the
fallacy Of Mr.. Blaine's statements
The published fact of an attempt
to suborn Wirz when under sent
ence of death, by promising him a
pardon if he would criminate me
in regard to Andersonville prison
ers, is conclusive as to the wish of
the Government to make such u
charge against me, and the failure
to do so shows that nothing could
be found to sustain it. May we
not say the evidence of my limo
cence was such that Holt and Con-
over, with their trained band Of
suborned witnesses, dared not
make against me this charge, the
same which Wirz, for his life, would
not make, but which Blaine, for
the Presidential nomination, has
made. Now let us review the lead
ing facts Of the case. The report of
the Confederate Commissioners for
the Exchange Of prisoners shows
how persistent and liberal were our
efforts to secure the relief of cap
tives. Failing in these attempts,
I instructed General r. E. Lee to
go, under a flag of truce, and seek
an interview with General Grant
to represent to him the suffering
and death of Federal prisoners
held by us, to explain the causes
which were beyoned our control,
and to urge IN the name of hui
mainly the observance of the car
tel for the exchange of prisoners.
'To.this, as to all previous appeals,
q deaf ear was turned. | will not
attempt from memory to write the
report made to me or the incidents
of this mission. Lee no longer
lives to defend the cause and coun-
try he loved so we'll and served so