Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-04

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ever given utterance to such sentiments.
IL is a matter Of history that during
the early stages OF the war the con-
federates, under General Mccullough,
organized and armed bands of Indians
to fight against the union soldiers, and
at the battle Of Pea Ridge these Indians
used the scalping knife on union prison
ers. Everybody conversant with the
campaign In the southwest will recall
the massacre of several hundred
negroes, butchered in cold blood at Fort
Pillow, although they wanted TO sur
render. The war records do not show
that Jefferson Davis disapproved these
atrocities or sought to punish the perpe-
traitors.
The story of the conspiracy to abduct
and assassinate Abraham Lincoln, as
related on another page of this paper
in extracts from the official war records,
does not leave Jefferson Davis in the
category of Christian soldiers and hui
name warriors any more than does the
Infamous record of the assassins and
fre-fends hired to burn down northern
cities that would have caused the death
and manning Of thousands upon thou
sands Of innocent children. And what
can be thought of Davis in the light Of
the chapter Of the war records devoted
to the recital of the attempt to spread
epidemic throughout the north by the
distribution of clothing infested with
the virus of smallpox and yellow fever?
If any prelate of n church wants to
stand up to laud the deeds and eulogize
the memory of Jefferson Davis, he must
have received his education in a very
queer school.
1t will scarcely be necessary for Pres
ident Roosevelt to notice the screed of
heard about the horrible infamies per-
petrated in his W state of Georgia
upon thousands of defenseless union
prisoners who languished and persisted
in the Andersonville bullpen. For the
wanton torture and immolation of these
victims of the rebellion Jefferson Davis
should have been held as much respon-
sible as Captain Wurtz, who was tried
and executed for his inhuman treatment
Of the Andersonville prisoners.
True Jefferson Davis was not elevated
to the presidency of the snuffed-out con-
federacy by a bullet, but he was put in
his seat and kept there by millions Of
bullets and deadly weapons that
brought mourning into the homes of
two millions of people. His election
was unanimous because no n in the
~confederacy dared to oppose him, and
the southern people had no other candl-
date to vote for.
The contemptuous illusions to Gen
eral Miles by the bishop of Savannah
are as i~nexcusable as they are mali
cious. A glance at the records of the
capture and Imprisonment. of Jefferson
Davis at Fortress Monroe, ~republished
in this issue. will exonerate General
Miles from the aspersions cast upon
him. The great howl about General
Miles harsh and cruel treatment of
Jefferson Davis was raised at the time
blythe disloyal press to make political
capital and to create public sentiment
against his trial by, court-martial.
We do not indulge in these reflections
with any idea Of waving the bloody
shirt or any disposition to ~disparage the
reconciliation of the sections which has
been fostered and furthered by both
William Mckinley and Theodore Roose-
Welt. But no man who has gone
through the ordeal of the war of the
rebellion and stood up against treason
can allow such untimely and ungener-
Gus assaults upon the nations chief X
ecutive and commanding general of its
armies pass without intense indignation.
The loyal people of the United States,
regardless of section, are generous
enough to forgive and clasp hands with
: the brave men of the south, but they
are not yet and will never be willing to
glorify treason.