The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-02-16


Lyons, of Richmond. Virginia:
NEW ORLEANS, January "a.
Hon. james LyoRs.
MY DEAR FRIEND: Your very kind letter
of the l4th instant was forwarded from
Memphis and has been received at thi;
place. L have been so long the objedt Of
| malignant SANDER, and the subject of un.
scrupnlous falsehood. by partisans of the
class of Mr.. Blaine, that though | cannot
say it has become To the a matter of indiffer-
! ence, it has ceas, to excite nv surprise
even in this instance, when it reaches the
| extremity of accusing me OF cruelty TO
/ prisoners. What matters it TO one whose
object is personal and party advantage, that
the records, both Federal and Confederate,
diSprOve the charge; that the country is
fun OF witnesses who bear oral testimony
against il, and that an effort TO revive the
| bitter animosites of the war, obstructs pro-
| gress toward reconciliation of the sections :
| Ii is enough for him. ii his self-seeking pur-
! pose be promoted. 1t would, however, seem
probable that such expectations must be dis
| appointed. for only those who are wilfully
| blind, can fail to see in the circumstances
of the case the falacy of Mr.. Blaine's state
ment. The published fact of an attempt to
| Suborn WirZ. when under sentence of death
/ by promising him pardon it he would Grim
/ mate me in regard to the AHdersonville
! prisoners, is conclusive. As il was the wish
| of the gentleman to make such a charge
! against ME, aud his failure TO do so shows
| may we not say that the evidence OF my in
| nocence was such that Holt and Conover,
| with their trained band OF suborned wit
| nesSes, dared not make against me this
| charge, which Wiz, for his life would not
| make, but which Mr.. Blaine, for Presi-
| Dental nomination has made. Now, let us
| review the leading facts OF the ease: The
report of the Confederate Commissioner for
! the exchange of prisoners, shows how per
| sistent and LIBERAL were our efforts to secure
he n he rs n N
! atJemp pts. | instructed General Robert f.
/ Lee to go, under a flag OIL truce, aud seek
/ an interview with Gen, Grant; 10 represent
/ to him the suffering and death OF the Fed
! eral prisoners held by US: to explain the
| causes, which were beyond our control
| and to urge, in the name OF humanity, the
| observance of the cartel for the exchange
| of prisoners. To this, as to all previous
! appeals, deaf ear was turned. | will not
| al attempt, from memory. to write the report
| made to me OF the incidents of this mis-
| sion. Gen. Lee no longer lives to defend
| the cause and the country he loved "a well.
| and served so efficiently; but Gen. Grant
cannot fail to remem Der so extraordinary
| visit, and his objections 70 executing the
/ cartel are well known to the public. But
| whatever else he may choose TO forget of my
! efforts in this regard-lhe prisoners at An
dersonille and the delegates / permitted
| them to send to President Lincoln to plead
! for a resum ption of the exchange of prison
| ers-he cannot fail to remember how will
| ling / was 10 restore them 20 their homes
and TO the eomforta of which they we're in
| need. provided the i'm priSoned soldiers OF
the Confederacy should, In like manner, be
| released and returned to us. This foul ac-
| cusatiOn, though directed especially against
me, was no doubt intended for, and nat
urally must be the aTragnment of the
| South, BY whose authority and liz whose be-
| half my deeds were done. 1t may be pTe-
| sumcd that the feelings ana the habits of
| the Southern soldiers were understood by
me, and in that connection any fair mind
| would perceive in my con gratulatory orders
| to the army after victory that the troops
were most commended for their tenderness
| and generosity to the wounded and other
| captiveS, as we'll as the INSTINCTS OF She per-
| sons who issued the order, and the knightly
| tempers OF the soldiers to- WHOM it was adj
dressed. 1t Is admitted that the prisoners
| in our hands were" not as well divided as
| we would have liked 70 have them, but it is
claimed that we ala a. Well for them rs we
| could. Can the other side say as much TO
| the bold allegations OF the illtreaimen OF
the prisoners by our side, and the humane
| treatment and adequate supplies by cur OPP
ponents? 1t is only necessary to offer two
| facts:
First-It appears from the reports CT the
! United states va qepatt i.i Sht rpat though
we had sixty Thousand more FEDERAL pris
Oners than they had C0nfederates, sis thou
sand more of the ConIederates died in
| Northern prisons,
| SEcOnG--1ne want ana SuIferlD2S OF our
| men in northern prisons caused me to ask
for permission to send out cotton and buy
| supplies for them The request was granted
but only on condition that the cotton should
be sent to Eew York. and the supplies be
bought there.
General Beale, now of st. Louis, was ag-
thoriZed to purchase aud Distribute the
needful supplies. Gar SYM pathY rose with
the occasion and responded TO It's demands,
not waiting for ten years to Vaunt itself
when it could serve no good purpose to the
sufferers. Unoer the melloWing influences
of time, and demonstrations at the north OF
a desire for the restoration Of peace and
good will, the southern people have forgot
ten much and forgiven much or tAe wrongs
they bore. II it be less so among their
invaders, it is but another example OF the
rule that the wrong doer is less able to for
give than he who has suffered causeless
wrong, it is not, however, generality among
those who braved the hazards of battle that
the unrelenting YindietiYenees u tp be
found-the br4Fe lhe generous and gentle
it is the skulkers Of the fight who display
their flag on an untented field. They made
no sacrifice to prevent the separation OF the
States; why should they be expected to
promote confidence and good will, so essen
tial to their union. When closely confined
at Fortress Monroe, ! was solicited 70 add
my name TO those or maEy esteemed gem
tlemen who had signed a petition Tor my
pardon, and an assurance was given that OF
! nv doing so the President would order nay
liberation Confident of the justice OF our
; cause and the rectitude of my own conduct
| | remained, subject To the ineXcusable pri-
vatiOns and tortues which DIR. Craven ha,
but family described. when after two years
of close confinement ! was admitted to bail
AS often-as required | appeared for tria
under the Indictment found against me, bal
in which Mr. Bldine'S tictions do not APP
2 pear. The Indictment was finally quashet
on no application of mine, nor have | evel
evaded on avoided a trial on any charge the
general government might choose 10 brins
against me, and have no view OF the future
which makes it desirable to me TO be in
cluded in ali amnesty bill. Viewed in tbs
e abstract, or as a general question,
would be glad 10 see the REPEAL Of al
laws innicting penalty OF political dis
| abilities on all classes of people; that /
i might, as prescribed by the constitution, b
a left to the courts to decide the cause and OF
fer penalties. According TO legislation- tn
:. discrimination made against orr people
unjust and i'm oolitic. If tie fact be eq uallt
aud the purpose fraternity among the clti
zens Of the United states. Conviction an
? sen. ence, without hearing. without juris
o diction, and affiXing penalitl, BY eI pos
: factO legislation. are part OF the proceeding
e which had its appropriate in the assumptto
by Congress of the executive function. b
granting pardons to remove political disa
bilities, which there was not legal power t
i impose, was not an act of so much grace 3
y to form plausible preteXt fer the rockies
diatribe of Mr.. blaine The papers preserv
4 ed by DIR. Stevenson happily furnish fu
proof of the causes of disease and death 3
e Andersonville. They are now, believe, i
Richmond, and it Is to be hoped their pull
r LEGATION will not De much longer delayed.
have no taste for recrimination, thong
the sad recitals made by our soldiers RI
. turned from northern prisons ca
As never be forgotten. And you will remeu
e. Der the excitement those produced, and II
censorious publications which were uttert
against me because | would not visit Il
helpless prisoners in our hands with sue
N barbarities as, according TO the reports, Ia
been inflicted on our men. lmprisonmel
g. &. hcr A Iak at has and nriGnnQrs a