The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-11-21
George ID. Prentice's Interview
with Jefferson Davis. ~
[From tho Louisville Journal, Oct. 81

[From tho Louisville Journal, Oct. 81
10 the, course of an interview that we
had with JEFF. Davis in January, 1865,
the subject Of the terms of peace was in
troduced. Mr.. Davis asked us what was
the chief objection Of the North to the
recognition Of Southern Independence
We answered that the North knew per,
fectly well, and unquestionably he hid,
that, if she should lay down her arms and
consent to division of the Union into
two Confederacies, she herself would very
soon be dissolved that State after State,
States singly and States combinedIy,
would secede, and the whole North be
split up into petty powers or no-powers,
oil Of them contemplate In the eyes Of
mankind, and not one Of them willing or
able to contribute to the payment Of the
national debt. Mr.. Davis replied, with
his characteristic calmness, that this was
certainly true, but that tie same thing
would happen, and probably happen all
the sooner, if the North should continue
to prosecute the war. We thought at
the time that Dir. Davis was greatly mis-.
taken. and told him so. We still trust
that we we're correct in our estimate of
the character Of his opinion, but just now
we indulge no confidence that we
were The North continued to prosecute
the war, and the South, after the brayest
and most desperate resistance known in
wars annals, was conquered. But now
come to the Nortbs trials. Now we are
to see the test Of her internal strength
If, out of The dreadful war between the
North and South, a Northern civil war
arises !; If Northern armies march against
each other, vengeance before them, and
blood and death and desert behind, many
Northern States will very soon sicken of
the hOrrid work, and will probably adopt
secession as the surest and quickest rem.
edy, fully relying upon the mighty troub-
les and perils Of the federal government
as perfect security against coercion -
Most likely the Northwestern States will
60 off first, repudiating, of course, their
proportion Of the public debt, and thus
pili0g higher the monstrous fnancial bur.
den upon the shoulders Of the remaining
States. These will have neither the will
nor the ability t. bear up under 10 crush
weight, and so others will secede, and
then others, till the whole North shall lie
divided up into such poor non.debt.pay-
ing, feblp, mock-nationalities as citizen
Of Cne of the Mexican States Of the South
American republics or Of one of the pet
ty, miserable German priucipalities might
| look upon with contempt and scorn.-
jeff Davis declaration to US as to the
consequences OF the war to the North, if
prosecuted, will be amply vindicated, and
whatever resentments, if any, he cherish.
es against the North will be abundantly
satisfied. We tell the Northern fanatics,
as a louer of our aoh0lc country ICE solemn.
IN tell them, that, unless madness ha'
seized upon sheir hearts and brains, they
giU not insist on pushing the dissen
sions. .Jctpeen the President and Congress,
TO the fighting point. They may rest as
sured lha, il the fight comes, it will be
TO them, such one as they have no &C
count Of in either history or tradition. =
They will find it an Intimately Different,
thing from the war Of the rebellion
dreadful as that was throughout all il
annals. They will find themselves a di
vided people, divided almost equally, di
, vidcd and mutually hostile, whilst tn
+ whole population of the South will be
unit, able to strike for their friends or +
. stand afar from the fash, the crack, an
/ the roar of war, as may seem best to them
Phe thick cloud now enveloping tn
a South may be partially lifted but nigh
g and storm surchargcd with bloody rain
' will close over the North. We say
y tho people Of the North that very larg
!. proportion Of them have acted and ar
acting most uuwisely, most madly-
Theirs is "the very error Of the moon.
n The seem incapable of profting either b
!. the South'a experience or their own
v They intimate and follow the South in th
i most unhappy acts she ever committed
o The South, in 1861, undertook to brea
!. up and destroy the Federal Constitution
4 She rebelled against it. She set at naugl
i it's provisions, and attempted to maintai
: her attitude cf hostility to it by force
d arms She failed AS graciously as 81
d could, she recognized the result. ST
>. bowed to the arbitrament Of war, and hI
if been using whatever power and inAuen'
h she possesses in support Of the Cons,itu
N ton she strove 80 fercely and desperate
!. to subvert and annihilate. But 10 Il
"a Radical party Of the North, claiming
o be an overwhelming majority Of that Sc
:. tion, are now violating and defying Il
d Constitution even as the South violate
q and defed it. No sooner does the Sou,
Of give up rebellion, than the Northern {
10 natics inaugurate it II is as true III
| there is a Northern rebellion aop, as III
h. thcre was a Southern rebellion fve yea
ID ago. Rebellion has simply changed |
Of cality, But just as it failed in one So
', ton, it will inevitably fail in tho othe
4, 1t can have no other future than a futu
10 like the pasta future Of blood, and b
or initiation and misery. For years yo |
" yoked oil the patriots Of the whole count
n, to put down rebellion in the South '
Is now invoke them to qucll rebellion in 4
10 North.
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