Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-25
THE PRISONERS.
Mr.. DAVIS AND HIS FAMILY.
STEPHENS AND REAGAN.

The Port Royal correspondent of tie New
York Tines went board the steamer Clyde,
whilst she was anchored of That harbor, and
describes what lie saw aud heard as follows
As We slung alonside, tall, spare man,
dressed IN gray, having wan, gaunt, and de
pressed look, MS vii Skers and mOustache
rather close cut, AMI Amos: white, wac
walking along the spa etween the deck
cabin and bulwarkS, and stopped for mo-
inent to careSs lille girl very indiiiercntly
4 es>eJ, aud ih-n passed in at the gaugway
ioor. These were Jefferson Davis and his
daughter. / reCUghl2e! IT once the features
which had once SIUccd the Senate Chamber
of ,hc United > ates. Then be had q naughty,
mi itaty air. Then he was the leader of the
oouihera parry Ia Congress, debating terms
TO Northern GUuglfdccs iInperiDusly. Now,
the State prisoner, bent and D9rne down 4,
though oppressed wltl weight OF care aud
length Of years. Evidently, he has passed
through grca' 1uai Oi menta! trouble for the
last four years-how much of !: has had lis
inhuenCe recently in producing such
change, perhaps no one bat himself knows.
OHce on board, he SEEMED 20 be the OBJ
served o, al oh, e!vers. He was seated IN q
corner, his wife, PLAIN looking lady, dress
ed in black, By his side, and the two were
ergaged IN perE.ihg + pcrs which had been
brought them. lis rat was drawn down
pretty veil over his eyes, so that only when
be lilted his face could mulch expression be
noticed. No one wished - be introduced
to hlnl; al least, saw no disposition OF tn,
Kind. For myself, | am sure nothing could
nave induced me TO touch his blood-red
nard. Two of hls children, a boy and girl,
L., l... ,l. a,.A
agc-reSp ctiNe!y, were about everywhere,
seemingly unconsci us of the intense inter-
est concentrated upon their sire. In the
cabin below was Alexander II. Stephens, the
Vice President, aui Reagan, OF Texas, the
Postmaster General ol Inc late COniederacy,
and in the forward cabia was Wheeler, OF
cabin. Mr.. Stephens loOss old. He has the
same s'oop, The same parchment like face,
the same seen eye ami the same fragile 70
that characterized Inn years agO--Only, he
looks older. Always a gent lculan, and bred
a scholar, his conversation is intensely in
terestng. His manner was subdued, but not
that OF prisoner. He convcrsed freely,
desiring information upon many points, and
cauvassing, without reserve, reconstruction
and the treatment of the supduei South, in
never evincing the least care or anxiety re-
specting himself personally.
AS others appeared to be engrossing the
attention OF Mr.. stephens, 1t fell to my lot
to converse chiefly with Mr.. Reagan. He is
a heavy, stout and somewhat lethargic man,
but, in conversation, shows he has a great
deal OF ability. He desired particularly to
know what policy would be instituted in the
Of ngtrnnfinn hal,.vipcr L..
maze one would be tue easiest in order to
conciliate and hold the South. When ad-
vanc, d the idea that military governments
would be inaugurated in the States respec-
lively, that probably the people, in their pri-
mary capacity, would be called upon to re.
taoli,h civil authority, under governmental
res riciions, which should forever prec lude
auy recurrence of rebellion, l found, upon
requiring an expression from him, that he
did not tuink there would bc a great deal of
difficulty, provided dsfisnchisement and con-
i,cation we're not carried too Tar. No sla.
very, no assumption OF the Confederate deli,
no more seccsSi0n-those points would he con
ce6ed ut once; but the prohibition ef eve Y
one from the bailot-box who had held OF cial
position, and general appropriation OF rebel
property, and the y!sht OF suffrage to all,
we're points ~ as estimation, whicn should
either lie olaitted, or very materially lnodi
ded, il We were really deslrous OF bringing
Iut good will to tue govefnauUi aud iraternsl
relations among ourselves. Without min
cling, put the thing at nIm as. strong as pos
sible, aud preeisely as strong rs the govern
ment shUaid DO. There is u great deal lost
With >outhe,n men, tad, in failin to come
up exactly 10 WHAT You moan, and to what
Indictment rTiraS acQnut tn a
liIm niau they hhe ana respect, an irrcso-
ute cne they w,ll Use es they best can, situ-
ated Is they are at present,
In the md,t Of our conversation, the
whistle Of the ste AN ,r notified us that we
must prepare to depart. Gen. Liltlefeld,
ueanwhle, had bseu talking t. Mr.. Ste
phens. The Latter, as afterwards learned,
Thought Lho Iropcr way TO start civil gov
ernment again wouli bs to institute mea-
SUI es for the rep, al Ot tbs ordinances Of e.
SION, and Dy that iIcans restore our Jiiei-
nal relations.
AS We parted from these men ia tho cabin,
and pecially ,.om Mr.. Stephens, couli
not resist tae temptl;i9n 10 say that SO far
asthe sentiment u the \ nth was concerned,
In his paIIie4ar instance, he wQald find il,
probably, much more lenielt than toward
MF. Davis. That Of tho policy of tho Gov
eminent, OF course, We could know but lit
tie; but, that S4ace tie brutal murder Of our
Pi esidept. she public mind was running in
tho direction strongly OF holding those who
originated and nurtured rebellion to strict
accountability,
Az toe head Of the, stairs, as wa passed up,
still sat J,eiierson Davis in the corner, his
het slouched over bis eyes, he was still read
ipg. The window. tuil OF curious observers,
attracted no attention from him whatever.-
Opce, whls we were IN tue cabin, he came