The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-02-24
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
His Reply to Blaine's Vindictive
Diatribc.
The Condition of Northern and
Southern Prisoners.

Southern I~'risOncrS.
Jefferson Davis has written the fol.
lowing letter to Judge Lyons, Of Rich
nond, Va;
New ORLEANS, La,
January 9Th, 1876
Hon, James Lyons
My DEAR FRIESD-Your very kind
letter Of the lith inst. was forwarded
from Menu his, and has been received
at this place. have been 50 long the
object Of malignant Islander and the
subject Of INSCRIPTIONS f%alsehood by
partisans Of the class Of Mr., Blaine,
that though ! cant say it has become
TO Inc u matter Of Indifference, it has
ceased to excite my surprise, even in
this instance, when it reaches the cX-
trrmity Of accusing me Of cruelty 10
prisoners. What matters it to one
whose object is personal and party adj
vantagei That the records Of both
Federal and Confederate disprovc the
charge; that tie country is full Of wit
nesscs who bear oral testimony against
it, and that the effort TO revive bitter
animOsllics OF war obstructs the prog
resS toward reconciliation Of the sec
tons. 1t is enough for him in his sell
seeking purpose TO be promoted. 1T
would however seem that suCh expet-
t~ations must be disappointed, for only
those who are wiIIulIy blind can fail 10
see in the circumstances OF the case
the lalIacy Of Mr.. Bluine's statement.
The published fact Of an attempt to
suOOrn WIZ when under sentence OF
death, by promising him pardon if he
could crlmlnalG me in regard to the
AudcrsonviIle prisoners, is conclusive
rs to the wish Of the Government to
to make such charge against me, and
failure to do so shows that nothing
could be found to sustain it, May we
not say that the evidence Of my in
nocence was such that Holt and Como
yer, with their trained band of suborned
witnesses, dared not make against me
this charge 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 COnfcd
crate Commissioner for the exchange
Of prisoners shows how persistent and
liberal were our efforts to secure the
reliei of ~oaptives. Failing in these at
tcmpts, ! instructed Gen. X. +. Lee to
90 under flag Of truce and seek an in
terview with Gen, Grant-to represent
to him the suffering and death of the
Federal prisoners held by US, and to
explain tho causes, which were beyond
our control, and also to urge, in the
name of humanity, the observance Of
the cartel for the exchange Of prison-
ers. To tins, rs to all previous APP
pcals, a deaf year vas turned, | will
not attempt, from memory, to write the
report made TO me Of the incidents OF
this mission. Lee no longer lives 10
defend the cause and country he loved
80 well, and served so efficiently but
Gen. Grant cannot fail to remember SO
extraordinary n visit, and his objcc.
tons to executing the cartel are well
know to the public. But whoever else
may choose 10 forget my efforts in
this regard, the prisoners at Anderson
Vile and the delegates | permitted them
to send to President Lincoln, to plead
for the resumption Of the exchange Of
prisoners, cannot fail to remember
how willing | was to restore them to
the homes and to the comforts OF which
they were in need, provided the i'm
prisoncd soldiers Of the CVnlederaCy
should be in like manner released and
returned to us. This foul accusation,
though directed especially against me,
was. no doubt. intended, and naturally
must be the arralgnmcnt Of the South,
by whose authority and in whose be
half my deeds were done. 1t nay be
presumed the feelings and habits OF
Southern soldiers were fully under
stood by me, and in that connection
amy fair man would perceive in my
COngratulatory orders to the army at
ter Il victory, in which the troops were
most commended for their tenderness
and generosity 70 the wounded and
other captivcs, as we'll as the instincts
OF the persons who issued the order as
the knlghtly tcmpers Of the soldiers to
whom it was issued. 1t is admitted
that prisoners in u hands were not as
well provided foI rs we would liked to
have had them, but it is claimed that
we did as wei! for them rs we could.
Can the other side say as much?
To the bold allegations of i'll treat
ment Of prisoners by our side, and the
humane treatment and adequate sup
plies BY our opponents, it is only nee.
essary to offer the facts:
/. 1t appears from reports Of the U.
5. War Department that though we
had 10000 more Federal prisoners
than they had ConIederatcs, 5000
more of the Conlederates died in
Northern prisons.
2. The want aud suffering OF men in
the 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 New
York, and the supplies bought there.
Gen. Bealc, now of st. Louis, was au-
thorized TO purchase and distribute the
needful supplies.
Our sympathy rose with the occa.