Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-10-17
MORTON AND JErr DAVIS.

MORTON AND JEFF DAVIS.
The IadiAca " ar Ca0vcrmOr,s sug res.
ti0n ~ President Johnson-Propo.
Aay that. the Rebel Ex.Chfef no
Tried iM Indtans. and Justice As.
snsed Him.
From the Atlanta tGa) Constitution, October
A distinguished Northern states.
man, in writing to Andrew johnson
as President and just after the bail
ing Of Jefferson Davis, referred to
that distinguished State prisoner, and
Mr.. johnson on his
happy "riddance Of his white cle-.
plant" 1t will be remembered that
while Mr.. Davis was in prison in For
trcss Monroe he was a source of very
great anxiety not only to President
j johnson, but to the Federal judiciary
and the leaders of the great Republi.
can party. The manner in which to
dispose of him was constant ques-
tion of debate with them, and it is ccr-
tain that no two of them fully CON-
Cured in their estimate of what
would be justice in his case. The
American people looked anxiously to
see how TRAITORS were to be punished
and treason made odious," and who
were ready to be made responsible
for the fate of Jefferson Davis. Eu-
rope looked on TO see the end Of ssthe
great REBEL" and to Judge of our hon.
or and magnanimity by this unparal-
leled occasion and its incidents. The
war Governor appears upon the
scene at this juncture and in this con-
nection. At this time he was Gov
ernor of Indiana, and not regarded
as man of such violent hates and
desperately revengeful character as
he has been in the light Of his higher
station and the influence OF his great
er power.
Among tho papers of the late Prcsi-
dent Andrew johnson are the origin
ais of the following papers, which are
true copies. Tho first is a telegram,
as follows:
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. IA. 1865, 10 80 m.
Received i:l5 p. m.-cipherl
His EXcellency, Andrew johnson, President Of
the United States:
Ifthere is no question of jurisdiction in the way
Davis can be indicted and tried in Indiana as the
rebel army, 5000 strong, under the command OF
and Grand Jury are now 10 session.. and:if Davis
will be sent here for trial in case he Is indicted he
will be indicted. There will be no difficulty in
getting u jury that will do justice to the Govern
o.P. MosroH,
Governor of Indiana.
To this startling proposition to
shoulder "the white elephant and re-
lieve the Government of all further
anxiety on his account, President
johnson made the following cautious
reply:
(Clpher)
WASHINGTON, November IA, 1874
Governor o. +. Morton, Indianapolis, Ind:
Jurisdiction is one of the questions which have
been much IN our way. The place of trial must
be determined hereafter. If the court and jury
find true bills against him It would not interfere
with trial Mt any other place. Bills have beer
found against him at some two or three places IN
Tennessee and in this district
ANDREW JOHNSON.
We do not know whether Morton
went further in the matter and had,
or attempted to have, bills of indict.
ment preferred against Davis or not
but it is very apparent from the tone
of his telegram, and particularly his
last sentence, that he was anxious to
get his hands upon Davis.
We once asked the ex-President
what Morton meant by his telegram
~ suppose" replied Mr.. johnson
she thought wanted Davis hanged
That Mr.. johnson did not wan
Davis hanged, and the reason why he
did not, we may make plain at anoth.
er time.
General Robert Toombs, reading
this telegram, was of opinion thai
Morton was then fully informed as te
Mr.. Johnson's intended policy toward
the South and sympathized with it
and sent the telegram in the hope
that Mr.. johnson, before .thc asse m.
bling Of Congress in December, would
accedc to the proposition and turn
Davis over to the courts of Indiana
and thereby relieve himself Of the
"white elephant and Congressiona
interference on his account. Genera
T0ombs seemed to think that Morton
at that time would have quietly LEI
the law take its course, whatever the
result to Davis, and that result Gen
eral Toombs thought would have
been acquittal.
1t may be proper to say that Gen
eral Toomb's idea Of Morton's agree
ment with Mr.. JoEnson's Southern
policy is fully borne out in strong
and long letter written by Morton
from New York, on the It'll of Deem
Der, 1865, to President johnson, fully
indorsing his Message to Congress
and his announced policy for restor
ing the country to its normal condi
ton.
Hon. Alexander IL. Stephens, upol
the other hand, is of the opinion thai
the telegram is a plain business prop
osition to get away with Davis by a
quick and certain process, commonly
called changing by the neck until you
are dead, dead, dead"
Other distinguished gentlemen, in.
GLIDING Postmaster General Key, lear
to the one or the other of these opin
ions. We leave it to Senator Nor.
tons biographers and the reader tt
judge what the true purport of thu
telegram was, but again we ask:
"Did the war Governor have a soul
apple tree 2"