The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-02 00:00:00

JEFFERSON DAVIS-HIS OPINIONS.

A book has just appeared in America called
"The Prison We of Jefferson Davis," written by Lieut.
Colonel John J. Craven, M.D., late sturgeon U.S. Vella
teen end physician of the prisoner. The book is an aa.
disguised plea in Mr. Davis'. behalf, and has been writ*
with the encouragement of the friends of the prisoner, if.
not the countenance of officers of the government.

In his conversations with his physician Davis spoke,
freely and frankly of the generals and public men on bolt;
aides. In Johnston he realised the idea of a perfect oom-
mender, remarking that all that Napoleon said of Dank
and Kleber, except the slovenly habits of one rt.
them, might be combined truthfully and said of John-
ston. He spoke of Stonewall Jackson with great
tenderness and with something of reverence. " Ths
confederacy," he said, " lost an eye and an arm is
losing him." He expressed himself in high terms of
General Lee as a great soldier and pure Christian gentle.'
man ; but he was not disposed to say much about Joe
Johnston. He did not have a very good opinion of be
cabinet or the rebel Congress, and was quite severe sa
Toombs, whom he designates "a destroyer, a boa
Jacobin ;" on Foote, a " man of no account," and at
the Rhin faction of South Carolina, which was
never " at home save when in the attitude of contradict,
tion." He thinks " General Grant a great soldier beyond
doubt, but of a new schooL" He says that if Grant bad
started in his career as commander-in-chief earlier in the
war he would probably have failed from the same mums
from which M'Clellen and others did. "If he bed
not started with an enormous account in beak
his checks would have been dishonoured." Davis
owed to General Butler " the beet joke of the
war—Dutch Gap." He spoke highly of Sumner, Sedgy*
and Hunter as gallant soldier, and excellent gentian'. 1
of Pope as " a kind of American gamma, but with good "
scientific attainments." M'Clellan he thinks a good
officer, but too cautious and morally timid in command d
a great army. Speaking of President Lincoln he thought
his death, and particularly the manner of it, a grade
calamity to the South than the North. Mr. Johnson, be
believes, being • Southern man, cannot do as meek
for the South as would Mr. Lincoln probably. •
had be lived. He respects the President's " in*
grity and greatly original force of character ;" touches upon
his "morbidly sensitive pride," as a " Democrat of envie-
tion and self-aseution," while " sitting with nankin.
many of whom he knew pretended to aristocracy," sal
finally credits him with faithfulness to his word, and "
arum* which took the form of angry resistance if urged
to do anything which might clash with his conviction' d
duty." " But for his decided attitude against seceasies be
would probably have been given the place of Mr. Stephen
on the Presidential ticket of the Confederacy." •
Mr. Davis's conversation includes many subjects fan
war and politics to art and science, showing (says hie doe.
tor " a large varied and practical knowledge. The geology,
botany, and all products of his section appear to have is
turn claimed his attention." When he speaks of the wart
it is with something like exact knowledge, a
ready memory and a perception of details as well as general
features. Constantly he alludes to the Southern people
as " my people." " General Miles," he complained, " bad
taken charge of his clothing, and seemed to think a champ
of linen twin a week enough. It might be so in limn
chusette." The South be considers an aristocracy of birth
and aristocracy. " Birth is a guarantee we do not Mine
in raising stock, nor should we in growing men." At chi
North, " the basis of political prominence has been mama
first, and secondly loquaciousness, effrontery, and the ma
of the demagogue." Elsewhere is the same estimate of
Northern traits, capped by a Southern portrait of Benjamin
Franklin—" the incarnation of the New-Fegland cbs•
raster, hard, calculating, angular, unable to conceive arol
higher object than the accumulation of money ;" the*
he allows that Franklin had such virtues as " nuns%
truth, industry, economy, and honesty."
Speaking of the negroes, Mr. Davis remarked, as regards
their future, he saw no reason why they must die oatt
unless remaining idle. If herded together in Wenn
and filth, as in the villages established by out
military power, the small-pox, licentiousness, sad
ss
drunkenness would make short work of them.
remaininfon the plantations, as heretofore, and employed
for wages, they were a docile and procreative pee*
altogether differing from the Indians, and not likely to
out like the latter. Their labour was needed ; and time(
they could mot multiply re fast in freedom as under this
former wholesome restraints, he saw no good argument foe
their dying out.
Fenianism he regards " es a farce to make angels wail

THE COED= CLUB.—The first dinner of Oil
club will take place an the 21st of July, when the 1114b1
Hon. W. E. Gladstone will take the chair. The ark
already numbers 130 members, most of whom are in sus
or other of the Houma of Parliament.
A serious fire broke out in Leeds yeaterdq
morning, in a large building occupied pertly sea mutts
and shoddy manufactory, in Aire-street. The fire woo
first discovered about 7 o'clock, and it was not extinguished
until 2 in the afternoon, by which time the yea
portion of the building was destroyed. The damage k
estimated at 20,0001.
The Boston public library contains 123,00$
volumes. Its largest contributors are Joshua Betas
London, who gave 100,000 dollars' worth of books, sal
Theodore Parker, who left 11,000 books and 3,0
pamphlets. In 1865 nearly 195,000 books were lent, or 4
average of 708 per day. The greatest number given out is
a single day was 1,484. The superintendent reports aeon
deafly improving character in the circulation, and that,
is tending strongly to the more substantial and useful
clam of books.
The Legislature of Massachusetts has passed I
law giving the °Moen the right to arrest all idle pertly
who, not having visible means of support, live witbrli
lawful employment ; all persona wandering abroad sal
visiting grog-shops or houses of ill-repute, or lodging le
groceries, outhouses, market-places, sheds, barns, or M tat
open air, and not giving a good account of theniselviel
all beggars or others receiving alms. Any person knows
to be a pickpocket, thief, burglar, either by his own rev
?anion or otherwise, if not engaged at some lawful eir
ployment, is declared a vagrant and arrested aecordisef.:
DLLTH OF SIR A. ByLtan.—The death is sik
ob
flounced of Sir Anthony Buller, who many years ar •
tined a high reputation as an Indian lawyer and judge.