The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-03
resident Davis
NY cor. ~. O. sIxBLTON.

/ HOW Splcnululy mas tllnc Vl1dlcateu
the life, character ana work OF this
renowned gentleman! no appreciate
tie truth of this, compare the place he
las established for himself in history
| with the combined group Of those WHO
mallgned him lie stunds out like II
grand beacon light. They are lost in
the deep obscurlty of even present his
| tory. Millions are to-day doing hom-
age to his irreproachablc life ana char
actcr. There are none SO poor az to
| do them reverence. Just rorty-thrcc
Years ago, accompanied by q small
bodyguard. after q reward Of 100000
! had been offered for him, he was cap
turcd, President Andrew Johnson Law
ling issued proclamation stating that
) lie was an accessory to the assasstna-
ton or President Lincoln. 1t Is we'll to
remember that President Davis could
llavc remained in Richmond and quiet
lly surrendered when the city was cap
turcd by the Fcdcrals Such quiet sub
mission did not appeal TO the SIT
Galallad Of tho Confcdcracy, and he
wanted to be with his troops. who, he
knew. would fight to the last ditch
When General Lee evacuated Peters
burg, it was largely due to the fact
that the connections with the South
at the point Of starvation. Therefore
President Davis made vigorous effort
to join General Joseph u. Johnston IN
North Carolina. Finding that lie was
about to surrender. he madea desperate
effort to join the Weston Army.
After his capture he was hurried TO
Fortress Monroe. separated from his
family and friends. and for months al
lowed to see no one but Federal SOL
diers:' to send or receive no letter, not
even from his wife; to have no news
papers, no books but the Bible and an
old treatise on military tactics: the
constant presence of two OF the guards:
a light always shining in his inflamed
, eyes; subjected to the constant cruelty,
the leers and jcers OF the young and
brutal General Nelson A. Miles. who
crowned his infamy by having him
thrown down and heavily manacled
All during these months OF complete
and absolute isolation he was being
denounced as a traitor and murderer Of
President Lincoln by President An
drew Johnson. Secretaries Seward and
Stanton. Assistant Secretary of War
Charles A. Dana and other malisnants
and all of that large portion OF North
ern papers which had either been sub
sidIzeI or were governed wholly by
their blind prejudices and craftsmanship.
The sound hearts and minds of many
good Northern people, such as Charles
O'Connor, Horace Greeley, Augustus
Schell. Cornelius Vanderbilt and many
others resented deeply this heartless
cruelty. and demanded that his request
for trial be granted. After delay OF
two years he appeared in the United
States Court Of THIS city, and was al
lowed bail Chief Justice Chase sus-
tanned the demurrer of his counsel. and
Judge Underwood overruled 1t. Presi-
dent Johnson had to determine whether
or not t.. appeal the case to the United
states Supreme Court. After months
of consultation by his Attorney-Gen-
cral. Stanbery. with the ablest lawyers
in the country, he privately, but AFFECT
ly, gave up the charge OF treason and Of
dent Lincoln. The outcome OF this
order. entered on February 10. 1859. in
the United States Circuit Court in
Richmond:
THE District Attorney. by leave of
the court. saith he will not prosecute
further on behalf OF the United states
against the above named parties (re-
ferring to many Southern soldiers and
leaders. including President Davts) up
on separate indictments for treason. It
is therefore ordered by the court that
the prosecutions aforesaid be dismiss
ed.
The lrotion OF the United States gov
eminent. on appeal to the Supreme
Court. Of course. was never called. and
is now filed among its archives.
It is a singular fact that even some
well-informed people, North and South
hold President Davis responsible. to a
large extent9s for the failure of the
Peace Conference at Hampton Roads
In that superb work and standard au-
thority. 1.-THE Rise and Fall of the Con-
fedora te Government" written by Presi.
dent Davis. all the facts from the very
inception of the idea by the Hon. Frank
f. Blair. to the final failure. are stated.
and authorities cited. among which We
quote: Judge Campbell says in his
memoranda. In conclusion. Mr.. Hunter
summed up what seemed to be the re-
suit of the interview. that there could
be no arrangement by treaty between
the Confederate States and the United
States, or any agreement between
them; that there was nothing left for
them but unconditional surrender
page 620)
Again we quote: Some objections
were made to the wording of their COM
missions. because 1t authorized the
commissioners to confer for the pur-
pose Of securing peace to the two coun-
tries; whereas the letter OF Mr.. Lin.
coin. Which was their passport. spoke
of securing peace to the people Of our
one common country But these OBJ
|jcctions were finally waived" (Pase
|617)
Then, again, that Grand Old Man."
Hon. John Goode, in his character
sketch OF Hon. a. Fl. Stephens, publish
ed in this paper some months ago. who
was in the Confederate Congress at
the time of this conference. and who
knew personally every detail of It, fnl.
~ vindicated President Davis's part in
1t In short, We assert that no fair
minded person can read the great work
of President Davis to which we hav,
referred; the "Memoirs OF Jefferson
Davis by his Wife; the prison Lifn
OF jefferson Davis" by DR.. Craven. ana
the Life of Jefferson Davis" by Frank
NJ. Alfriend, published In 1867. with
out feeling that he is easily one Of the
greatest menlin history.