Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-02-16


titude OF my own conduct, declined
to sign the petition, and remained sub
ject to the incxcusable privations and
tortnrcs which DR.. Craven has but
fainily described. When, after two
years of close confinement, / was ad-
mitted to bail, asollen as was required
] appeared for trial under the indct.
ment found against me, but in which
Mr.. Blades fictions do not appear
The indictment was finally qaashcd,
on no application Of mine, nor have |
ever cvaded or avoided trial upon any
charge the General Government might
choose to bring against me, and have
no view Of the future which makes il
desirable TO me to DO included in an
amnesty bill. Viewed In the abstract
or as a general question, | would be
glad TO see the repeal of all laws in
flicting the penalty Of political disabil.
tiles on classes Of the people, that II
might, as prescribed by the Conslitu.
tion, be left to the courts to hear and
decide causes, and TO afilx penalties ac-
cording to preexisting Legislation. The
discrimination made against the peo-
pie is unjust andunpolitic. If the fact
be equality and the purpose bc fratcr-
nifty among the citizens of the United
States, conviction and sentence with
out hearing, without jurisdiction,
and aiiiSing penalties by OK post iacto
Legislation are part of the proceed
iugs which had it's appropriate end in
the assumption by Congress of the
executive function of granting pardons,
To remove political disabilities which
there was not legal power TO impose,
was not an act of so much grace as to
form plausible prctcxt from the reck-
ess diatribe ofMr. Blaine The papers
preserved by DR.. Stevenson happily
furnish full proof of the causes of dis
ease and death at Andcrsonvile. They
are now, believe, in Richmond, and
it is to be hoped their publication will
not be much longer delayed.
have no taste for recrimlnation,
though the sad recitals made by our
soldiers returned from Northern pris-
ons can never be forgotten, and you
will remember the excitement they
produced and the censorious publica-
tions which were uttered against me
because would not visit on the help
less prisoners in our hands such bar.
barities as, according to reports, bad
been inflicted upon our men. lmpris-
onment is hard lot at the best, and
prisoners arc prone TO exaggerate their
sufferings, and such was probably the
case on both sides; but we did not
seek by reports Of committees, with
Photographic illustrations, to influence
the passions OF our people. How was
it with our enemy2 Let one example
suffice.
You may remember published re-
port OF committee Of the United
States Congress which was sent to An
napolis to visit some exchanged prison.
ors and which had offered to it the
photographs of some cmaciatcd sub
iects, which were offered as samples OF
prisoners returned from the South
When copy of that report was re
ccivcd, | sent it to Col. Ould, Commits.
sioner for the exchange of prisoners,
and learned, as anticipated, that the
photographs, as far as they could be
identified, had been taken from men
who were in our hospitals when they
were liberated for exchange, and whom
the hospital surgeon regarded as con-
valescent, but TOO weak TO be removed
with safety to themselves The ankle
ty of the prisoners to be sent to their
homes had prevailed over the objec.
tions of the surgeon. But this is not
all for have recently learned from n
priest, who was then at Annapolis, that
the most wretched looking of these
photographs wastakcn from man who,
had never been a prisoner, but who
had been lett on the "sclS list" at An
napolis when the command TO which
he was attached had passed that place
on its southwark march.
Whatever may be said in cxtcnua.
tion Of such imposturc because Of the
exigcncies of war, there can be no such |
excuse now for the attempt of Mr..
Blaine, by gross Misrepresentation and
slanderous accusation, to revive 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 cvoking truthful statements
in regard to this little understood sub.
ject from men who would have pre-
ferred to leave their sorrowful story
untold if the subject could have been
allowed peacefully TO sink into oblivion.
Mutual respect is necdful for the COM
mon interest, is essential to a friendly |
union, and when slandcris promulgated
from high places the public welfare de-
mands that truth should strip alsehood |
of its power for evil.
] am respectfully and truly your friend
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
REAL EDITORS AND THE OTH-
ER KIND.
The Boston Post, in an article con-
cerning the crowd Of Indiana editors
recently in Washington, says;
Editors cannot spend great deal
Of their time in travel. When they
do they necessarily part with their
profession. In point Of fact tho real
journalist or editor as some insist is