The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-12-19
zMIIEELINGs WFSYA MORNING DECEMBER I9
CqElous ReveIatIons in RebeI Mlstory.

Curious Revelations In Rebel History
"A Georgian communicates through
the New York Tribune some new and
interesting items of the recent history
of the rebellion, which throw light on
the motives of the chief conspirators.
BE states that when the provisional
confederate congressmet at 1Iontgom-
cry in 1861, the provisional presidency
was privately offered to Alex. ii. Ste
phens, OF Georgia. He declined it be-
cause he did not believe in secession.
He recommended Toombs as the best
secessionist fer the place, and he would
have been chosen If the Cobbs had not
exerted their influence against him,
and prevented his nomination by party
strategy. Besides this, Toombs got
beastly drunk on the night before the
provisional president was elected, and
JEFF Davis was elected, although the
firstc hoice of only.a small; l;portion of the
delegates. Mr.. Stephens was persuad-
ed to take the vice presidency. His
theory at that time was that secession
would be in form merely, that there
would be no war, and that the Union
would be restored with new guaran-
tees to the South and to Hla-
very. He and Toombs had held
extensive correspondence with leading
men in the West and Northwest, and
had come to the opinion that western
men would not fight against the South,
and that New England would not un-
dertake the, job alone. Mr.. Stephens
said confidently that war was impossi-
ble, and Mr.. Toombs offered "Lo drink
all the blood that would be shed."-
They were then;as incredulous as TO the
war, as the North was as to their deter
mlnation to secede. Under this delusion
ofreorganizing the Union by threat to
dissolve it, Toolnbs went to work to get
an act through the confederate congress
permitting any state to join the confed-
eracy, whether holding slaves or not
He and Stevens believed that the con-
stitution as amended at Montgomery
would be acceptable to a majority of
the states, and If New England, would
not accept it she must be 'left out in the
cold" But the real secessionists dis
out word that he would veto ToonIbs'
proposition if it passed, and it was
dropped. 74
Davis having got his provisional gov
ernmentin operation, and it having be-
come certain that there would be war,
Mr.. Stephens tried to get some efficient
measures taken for preparation, but
Davis insanely delayed or defeated al
most every measure OF Importance.
After Pope's defeat in Virginia, Mr..
Stephens proposed an effort for armis-
tice and compromise, and Davis con-
sented, but tbefore any steps were taken
he changed his mind, and sent Lee to
invade Maryland and dictate terms of
peace in Washington at the point or the
bayonet. Stephens warned him that
this would only arouse the North, and
fill up its armies, but Davis was conf
dent of success and laughed at Ste
phens. Subsequently Davis consented
to'l let Mr.. Stephens make an attempt at
peace, and then after 1t had failed he
lied about it and sent Stephens home to
Georgia in disgrace. Throughout the
war Mr.. Stephens always professed the
highest respect for President Lincoln,
with whom he had been on intimate
terms in Congress. Davis seems to
have had no real friends, and men
stood by him only because they feared