Daily national Republican., 1863-11-17
CONFEDERATE AGENTS ABROAD-A
SKETCH OF DE LEON.

1t Is curious 10 see what queer and fshy !
sort Of men roll up in Europe now and then as
care takers of Jeil. Davis model confederacy.
The last of these gentlemen Is one Edwin De
Leon. who now figures as advisor general and
cnre-taker in particular 10 Mr.. Davis and his !
confcderacy. DE Leon is character that only
the pen Of Bulwer or Dickens could do JUS
licc to. IN lsIS, Ned, as he was commonly
called, figured in savannah, Georgia, as an
editor of the R.puJiicdn. himself a Jew. he
for some reason or other was always unpopular
with his brother Hebrews He had studied law,
hut was too lazy to practice It; and so fond was
he OF elegant leisure, that he soon became use
less as editor and was sent about his business.
Sed now drifted about town for some time,
airing his dignity at the expense of his friends,
and showing his contempt for such tailors
and shocmakcrs as were unfortunate enough
10 have hills against him. lie always had
weakness for entertaining friends and leaving
his confdng creditors TO remember him and
a large amount Of unpaid bills in their prayers.
In l"lO ard ISL Ned heightened the sphere of
his usefulness, took ground as the strongest
sort OC tire.caer, and convinced JEFF. Davis
and a few choice friends that he was Just the
man TO take care of the Southern cause, that 1t
could uu'v be done by starting an ably con-
dr''nd paper in Washington. The blind led
the blind, the money was put up, and Edwin
De Leon was again up in the world, and above
speaking 10 common people. The great paper,
which so many had been anxious TO see, and
which was 10 reform Northern sentiment
into southern ideas, came into the world
us harmlessly as it Is possible to imagine a
sucking. Elwood Fisher and Edwin De Leon
were the great guiding powers Of this great
Southern newspaper. Washington has never
hecn remarkable for the superiority Of Its jour
mails, but the - Southern Pres was decidedly
the weakest and most shabby concern 1t has
ever had TO suffer for. Fisher was a sort Of
nulEiEg ,uitor, dill the drinking al hotels
Ind found the greens who were willing to pay
for the irhucnce Of his wonderful sheet. ON
!agnd Collins, of the Collins Line, understand
10 ,hc aInnunt Of 81, 900 what we here say. D,
ir"u did tie elegant, drove out with ladies
iN"l IN splendid apartments, and thanked
God be was not Jew compelled to live al
other Jews lived. We say this because al
though Edwin was a good Jew he rarely wen
to the synagogue.
The great ".>u,dhs,pt Press" which neye
had been strong, hogan To grow weaker ant
weaker. Fisher had the greens outside 4
tend 10, aud Ned had TOO many friends Of
socinl turn on hand To think Of sOiling his fin
gers with ink. Friends were called In to writ
something whenever friend of literary an
Political turn could he caught out Of a Jot
Our friend Wallace, ofthe Herald, used to thro,
In All article now and then. And we used t
do Kind rurn now and then, just to help
lrOlhCr in distress out OF his troubles. IL
deed, the two great editors entirely neglecte
their lnrt'ing, and gave the editorship up to
young Inglishnan Just two months owe
After struggling for about two years, this gret
Southern journal subsdrd with numerous cret
it0rs 70 mourn its departure. We remembt
that the old F7msylUaniqn, also departed, ha
an Amazing sympathy for this wonderful joul
nal. and shed numerous tears over its death.
The "s"u,horn fund being all absorhct
there was nothing for the creditors 10 do hl
WEEP. De l.rum accused Fisher Of making
100 free Us" OF the funds, and not arConntin
for certain little dtiLl that had been intended fc
the CXchcuuer ol the concern. But Fisher va
philosopher, took the matter with remarl;ab
"oolurss, and left his old and elegant partn,
to tiN up tho .uGled sea Of responsibilities
bcst he could. De Leon was now gentlcmG
of high prctcntions, dependent on what lit
dr,Jsh,s southern friends in Washington mig
Cho"s" 10 ilinT him. lie had a true friend
Beverly Tucker, however, and The twain us,
to run On their credit, tokens of which mi
still be- found IN our city.
During the camiuign Of 1852, the thing Be
crIy and DE Leon had been waiting for turn,
NJ. De Leon found an idol in Poor Pierc
and wrote number Of letters from Washin
ton to tho Charleston Msre'!ry in praise Of Il
only man in the North who would do usti
TO the South, and see that the "pectriar insI
tuition was left undsturLed. No uue ma