The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-07
AREnINfsCENCE OF JEF1. DAVIS
His Trip to MONTGOMERY before Inau.
EuEattO1.

= 40OAm - ACAN
New Orleans for home, after an absence Of
four months and more, during which time
l had travelled through q large portion of
Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Ar
ksusss. In certain portions OF these
States I was Intimately acquainted for
years with n people, snd while there
during that winter, many 8 man whispered
into my ear words of fear for the future, in
consequence Of the radical southern views
manifestedb by most Of their political Lead
ers. The MISSES of the Southern people
were not at that time in favor Of disunion,
and it is 8 well known fact that three of
the States 1 have mentioned were frsudu-
lently Eeduced from their allegiance. On
our way up the Mississippi near the mouth
of Red River, we passed q stesmer bound
for Shreveport, LouisisnA flying the Peli-
can flag, which was the frat evidences of
secession We saw outside Of New Orleans.
At Memphis I took the cars of the
Memphis and Charleston Railroad, then
considered the most expeditions route east.
3 aching tina grand junction, where the
NJ bile and Ohio road crosses, we found
more taau the ususl number of people
awaiting our arrival. The 'tnOdding
plumes' Of military company standing
near the road ATTRACTED my attention, and
led me to inquire what of interest was
Transporting. The reply was that JEFF.
Davis hae just resched there, from Holly
Springs, on his way to Montgomery to be
in4ugura!ed as provisional president of the
UoDfsderscy. The soldiers were q volun.
teer organization from Holly SPRING.
Mississippi, scsing as his escort. They
marched up to the center passenger car,
opened ranks, presented arms, and the
chief actor of the cursed rebellion marched
between them with his hat slightly elevated
from his head. Before entering the car, he
turned and addressed q few words to the
military, thanking them for the honor con-
ferred IN eseorting him to the limits Of
their State, and babe them sdieu with q
spresd,esgle peroration in behalf of Sc
csssion. r. I'LL. -D
The train started, and I found myself in
the car with the Hstern statesman" and
about ten other persons. He was dressed
in q very plain gray suit, black silk hat and
travelling shawl. A stout dark complect-
ed msn Of unprepossessing appearance &C.
compsnied him from Mississippi Another
very scrubby-looking fellow Joined him at
the grand junction, svowing thst he had
been s TennesseeAD, and cursing his State
for her tsrdinessin joining the confederacy.
BE had that morning gone into Mississippi
taken the oath of allegiance to the Confed-
crate States Of America, and was row on
mis- way to see JEFF inaugurated This per-
son acted as what an Indian would call q
pipe-lighter to the party. The telegraph
must have announced his coming, for as
soon IS We reached the second stopping
place, 3 few station louDgers called out
"DsVis, Davis, JefsTson Davis" where
upon the said Davis stepped upon the hind
platform OF the car, and stated 10 them:
Hsving been selected for President o tbe
Confederate States of America, he was
then on his way TO Montgomery to inaugu-
rate government. he spoke in glowing
terms of the prosperous future of the South;
that the whole world was dependent on her
tor cotton, snd we're they TO withhold ship
ments for ninety days Europe would revo-
lu~tioniEa, and thus compel their recogni-
ton. When he uttered these words l was
standing Immediately in front Of him, and
shook my head in dissent, which he
noticed. The train started, Davis took the
next seat to me, front turning his head,
he remarked, your face is familiar to me,
sir. Isaid l had been introduced to him
at Washington when he was Secretary of
War, and had business with him in Fels-
ton TO Indian affairs. He said you don't
coincide with me in my views in re- gard to
cotton. I replied that I did not by any
means. Will you be satisfied 10 give
Europe six months? I replied, no sir.
You must remember that there is over one
million of bales surplus now In the Liver
pool warehouses. His answer Was-not so
much I think, but in nine months you
must confess they will be compelled to have
tnsb; ne szId=ws'n give thin twelve
mohths-thst must bring their affairs to q
crisis I was unwilling to assent.
He then remarked, you have left your
State SO long that you have taken up with
Northern ideas. I told him no, that I
trusted my ideas and feeling were ration al,
not sectional.
During the dsy we must have made ten
or twelve stoppsges. SomGtimes there
we're not over ten persons waiting to hear
him. he sppeared anxious to loss no op-
p~ortunity to speak to the people. There
was no samsuess In his remarks; each day
they were varied. Only once-that was at
Tuscumbia, Alabsma-he spoke Of q prob.
abb ity OF war, remsrking that he trusted
that it would not come, but If they we're
gosded to IT, the North had far more 10
lose than the South. .- OOH
The wealth she had accumulated for
year, from Southern products would van
ISL, her commerce would be AnnihilAted
and her great cities destroyed. At one
place, while he was speaking, the engine
ball rang, and he closed ty ssying: "The
bells ring, The cow-catchers down, and
traitors must clear the track" His speak
ing on the road detained the train, and we
reached Chattanooga too late for the con-
Decing lines, and had t lay over twenty
four. hours Next morning hand bills were
distributed announcing that General JEFF
ferson Davis. on his way to Montgomery,
would address the people of Chattanooga
that afternoons at three O'Clock, at the Rail
road Hotel. He spoke in the bar-room.-
Thirty two persons we're all that were
present. This will give some idea how
unpopular wss the heresy Of secession at
that time in Tennessee. He made q very
poor effort and looked very much depressed.
At seven P N. he took the train south for
Montgomery, via Atlanta, to creste . Gov
eminent which has, in q measure, destroy
ed a once happy and prosperous people.