The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-02-24

my pardon, and m assurance was CIV
en- that on my doing so the President
would order my Liberation. Confident
of the Justice Of our cause and the rec
titude OF my own conduct, ! declined
to sign the petition and remained sub
jcct TO inexcusable privations and tor
lures, which DR.. Craven has but faint,
described, when, after two years Of
close confinement | was admitted to
bail. As often rs required appeared
for trial, under the indictment found
against me, but in which Mr.. Blaines
lctions do not appear. The indict-
ment wa, finally quashcd, on no appli
cation OF mine, nor have | ever cvadcd
or avoided a trial on any charge the
General Government might choose to
bring against me, and have no view OF
the future winch makes it desirable TO
me to be included in an amnesty bill,
Viewed in the abstract, or rs q general
question, ! would be glad to see the
repeal Of all laws ~inflicting the penalty
Of political disabilities on classes Of
people, that it might, as prescribed by
the Constitution, be left to the courts
to decide the cause aud offer penalties
according to legislation. The discrin
nation made against our people is I'M
Just and impolitIc, il the fact be equalI-
" and .he purpose he fraternity among
the citizens Of the United States. Con
victlon and sentence withou. a hearing,
without juris fiction, and a~iliXing penal
ties by ex post racto legislation, are
part Of the proceedings which had its
appropriate origin in the assumption
by Congress OF executive function by
granting pardons. To remove poIiti-
cal disabilities which there was not c
legal power to impose WAS not an act
Of so much grace a. to form q plausible
prctcXt for the reckless dlatrlbc OF Mr..
Blaine. The papers preserved by Dr.
Stevenson happily furnish full proof OF
The cause OF disease and death at An
Jacksonville. They are now, believe,
il Richmond, and it is to be hoped
their publication will not be much
longer delayed,
have no taste for rccrimination.
though the sad ~recitals made by our
soldiers returned from Northern pris
ons can never be forgotten, and you
will remember the excitement they pro.
duced, and the censoriOuS publication
which was uttered against me because
| would not visit on helpless prisoners
in our hands such barbarities as, nc
cording to reports, had been inflicted
on our men. Imprisonment is q hard
lot at best, and prisoners are prone to
exaggerate their sufierings, and such
was probably the ease on both sides
but We die not seek, by reports of
committees, with Photographic illus
tra,ions, to iLGame the passions of our
people. How was it with our enc
mics2 Let one example suffice. You
may remember the published report
of the Committee of the United States
Congress which was sent to Annap
oils to visit some exchanged pris-
oncrs, and which had appended to it
the photographs Of some emaciatcd
subjects. which were offered rs samples
Of prisoners returned from the South.
When a copy of that report was re
ccivccd, / sent to Col, Ould, Commits
%sioncr, for the exchange OF prisoners,
and learned, as | anticipated, that the
photographs had been taken from men
who were in our hospitals when they
we're liberated roi exchange, and who
the post surgeon regarded as Gonzales
cent but too weak to be removed with
safety to themselves. The anxiety Of
the prisoners to be sent to their homes
had prevailed ovcr objections Of the
surgeon but this is not all, for | have
recently learned from a priest who was
then Ut Annapolis, that the most
wrctchcd looking Of those photos were
taken from u man had never been a
prisoner, but who had been on a sick
list at Annapolis, when the command
to which he was attached had passed
that placc. on its Southern march,
| am respectfully and truly,
Your friend,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.