Year: 1866

ltary Commission and he was convicted and
hung. 1t is possible that they can try a
captain in the line for violation of the
laws of war, and they can hang him, and
that they cannot try the Commander. in.
Chief who commands the Captains and
everybody else for the same offense. l
would like to know what kind of o rule this
ls 1t seems to me strange rule that we
cannot convict a superior officer for the same
ofense and before the same tribunal that
we convict a subordinate officer JEFF. Da


vis, the head of this rebellion, is in prison in
Fortress Monroe. They talk to US so SYM
pathetically in reference to his punishment
They must examine him every day to see
whether his health is improving or declining


They must give him the right to 90 where
ne chooses around the Fortress. A few gen.
temen visit him to ascertain whether the
country is rife for his release, but when they
place their finger on the pulse of the nation
they tind that it is up at fever heat, and that
IT he is admitted to bail there will be such
howl throughout the lands as will make these
men tremble in their very seats of power
When they find that this plan will not sue
ceed, then Mrs. Davis land / do not blame
her, for she is woman. and as a matter of
course loves her husband is brought for
ward and then we have piteous story
about his treatment, and somebody applies
that he may be paroled upon his bond of
honor, suppose. The physician then comes
forward again and takes hold of the pulse of
the American people, but he finds that he is
not yet quite ready, that there is a little too
much fever still. My fellow citizens, while
l charge no man with it Individually, yet l
believe to-day there are men in high position
in this land who, if it were not for their fear
of the American people, would to day parole
JEFF. Davis and let him escape from the
country. / do not want to see that done.-
l do not believe it is part of the plan of
the loyal people of this country. All, but
say some of these sympathizers, do you
want to keep man in prison and let him
rot? Well. don't know about that, but
until they rotted. They had no sympathy
haps some are present here to-day who were
confined in that wretched prison. pen.
know one young man in Clinton county who
belonged to my regiment, young man of
the name of Darby, who lost both feet at
Andersonville. They were frozen and rot
ted off. and he to day walks upon wooden
legs. For that poor boy and thousands of
others there was no sympathy in the bosoms
of traitors. While they were suffering and
dying, did you once hear a voice of suppica-
tion or sympathy from the South saying
T" Come here friends of these poor mortaIs,
and give them relief; we are not able to do
it; take them and administer to their
wants" There was no expression of SYM
pathy. Yet when one of these arch traitors
is confined in prison for little while. and
when every attention is bestowed upon him.
we hear some of these people speak of it as a
great hardship and wrong


1t may be that have none of the milk of
human kindness in my nature it may be
that l am hard-hearted in my feelings |
cannot tell, but of this l am certain can
90 with you to the graves of your sons and |
brothers upon the battlefelds of our country.
and l can weep with you over the ashes of
those fallen martyrs-but God forbid that |
shall weep over the pains and penalties or
punishment which may be visited upon trai-
tors or treason in this land


Let our people then do their duty. The |
work is before you. You are the men to
perform it. Let us take no step backward,
but go forward with this great work and
complete it.