New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-03

lowing
Mr. Davis was dressed in plain neat, some
what worn, suit of black, which hung rather
loosely upon his person. His dress, frock-coat,
especially, seemed too large for him. AS he
leaned upon my arm, could measure by my own
muscular sense, with toerable accuracy, the great
decline in his physique. All his senses, seemed to
me, to be preternaturally acute, especially his
| hearing.
To suggestion, that perhaps the ill-will mani
Tested toward him by some public men, might be
caused by an unforgiYing spirit on their part, in
view OF some otfense given by him, he said
THAT is quite probable. have often been too
angry. Though generally thoughtful and eau
| tous-even tender to the fangs of others-yet
| when they crossed my path in the shape Of pre-
tense, talseh0Od, craft of cant-then these faults
aroused bitter anger for the moment, sometimes
utter alienation. Thus was all wrong: Oh how
/ public life blunts our perceptions to the higher
| Observation-Disclosures forbearanee-putting the
| best construction on things, words, and persons,
they are capable of. have erred in this particu-
| lar; but | had often great provocation-neve
however, have uttered an angry, undertaking
| or denunCatory sentiment without believing had
good cause for so doing, and, in most cases. my
country has already, or will hereafter find that ]
| was right
] now feel and acknowledge that / was some
times wrong as to the tone or coloring of phrase
while under the excitement Of debate, as for in
stance: when Mr.. johnson, after the Mexican
war, made some remarks derogatory Of the West
| Point officers, thought it strange that any man
of sense should think that the training of officers
| for duty. by thorough military education would
rather disquafys them for that duty, or what was
the same thing, that unframed officers did better
| than the West Pointers. In the course of reply /
made use Of this remark; who would select
| tailor to shoe horse, or q blacksmith to make
| coat E' This gave personal Uffense to Mr. John
son, who regarded it as sheer personality. Moth
ing in the world was further from my thoughts.
TO the query, whether he had anything to com
plain of in his present treatment, he replied that
| he had not. The present commandant Of the fort
was soldier and a gentleman, who while dill
gent aud faithful in the discharge of his duty to
| his government, was also tOrbearing and cOnsde
rate as to all the mnuta of his prison life.
| The government may have been deceived by
| the testimony which has since turned out to be
| sheer perjury tending TO mplicate me 10 the as
sassination Of President Lincoln; or it may have
been subject to one of those manias which occa-
siOnally like plaques seize governments and com
muntes or, what is most likely, few unprin-
cipled men, seeing an opportunity in the
excited condition OF the nation for obtaining
| wealth and position through the instrumentalitY
of villains, snbOrned for the purpose, really did
impose upon the government and led them to
believe for a moment in the whir of excitement
the statements put forth in the proclamation for
my capture. But, gentlemen, my heart is stranger
to that plot. These hands are unstaned by inno
cent blood. No unrighteOus gold has ever, dur
ing the Confederacy, adhered to these palms.
He uttered the last sentence in most solemn
manner holding up his hands and raising his face
| to Heaven, and with such holy, child-like sim
! plicty, that it is impossible for any words, how
| ever weird to convey half idea-nOt an adequate
one--of that touching scene. The coming Of the
little child into the inner casemate, and climbing
into his fathers arms, who had just leaned upon
the sofa, gave occasion to Mrs. Davis to make
some remarks about her other children particu-
| IaTly those in Canada. Bishop Green then re-
marked that he would not have yentured to in
truduce the subject but as Mrs. Bavis had done
SO herself he felt bound to say, as bishop
Of her own chosen church, he did not
think she acted entirely wise il send
n he
Mrs. Davis replied: " | was in Georgia, and had
no money. No institution of my own church
offered to teach my poor children. One day three
Sisters Of Charity came to see me, and brought me
five gold dollars all The money they had in the
world; they almost forced me to take the money,
but did not; they then offered 10 take my chill
dren to their school in the neighbOrhOod of
Savannah, where the air was cool, and they could
be comfortably cared for during the summer
months. Then came an offer from convent school
in Canada, whittier, when got permission from
the government, which was not without great
trouble and difficulty, took them. It is true, l
donot wish them to be Roman Catholics, but, then,
persons as good as they can possibly be and be-
come, are and have been, and, doubtless, will con
tinue to be Roman Catholics. These good people
were the first to offer me their help. will never
cease to be grateful to them for it.h
Mr.. Davis then added: 90 Bishop, there never
, was more unanimity in any nation OF the world
than there was in the Southern ConfederaCy. II
would be invdious to single out any class Of our
people for special praise The churches and min
istry were ALL or nearly all, entirely devoted to
our cause but, as said before, if it would not be
regarded as lpvdi0us would say that the Catho
lies of the South were cOnspicuOusly devoted to
our cause. | could relate to you cases of great
suffering and trial to which they were subjected
and in no case did any of them ever finch. Be
sides, bishop, Pic Mono was the only prince in the
3 world that really wished well to our cause, and
sent us his blessing. l cannot help liking the
Catholics. The happiest hours of my life were
once spent in Catholic monastery. By the way
in is h.
ing sisterhoods in imitation of the Catholics. How
do they work? p? so we'll" said the bishop, "that
/ intend Introducing them into my own diocese as
2 soon as possible Indeed, there are many good
E things and good people among the Catholics, but
| think Mr.. Davis, that our church is good enough
for u.s. Ourseif % gentlemen, it is to me incredi
> BILE how 10 reconcile it to reason, in madhOuse
4 world like this, where not only physical disease
afficts, more or less nine-tenths of the whole
population but where moral and mental depravity
affects the whole race, and when the hGaYen-sent
2 heaers, sealed and anonted for their mission, are
so few. 0h it is terrible that they should waste
= their strength by imposing one on another and
worst of ALL stir up strife and boodshed in carry
ing out their great commission. Let us love one
q one another dear bishop, aud bear each others
inrmities and particularly and especially at this
5 great juncture of our cOuntry's history let our
moderation be known to all men"
In writing these letters do not pretend to give
words or ideas just as they were uttered. / only
give their substance, with such additions Of my
own as will serve to make them ineligible, and
. especially to give such an idea of Mr.. Dayis's
" characteras may serve to remove some hateful
y preudices entertained against him in the North
: In the South, believe, we are nearly unanimous
n in our estimation of his moral worth and higl
: standard of intellectual excellence. We alsC
S know the mercifulness and benevolence of his dis
n position. Many of you good people of Petersburg
e know what great number of Confederate sol
8 ders liable to be shot for desertion, but having
|. some mitigating circumstances in their cases, he
Il spared. Some Of you know the case of fooisl
pfI1 oFlEa
: nate President Lincoln, which. after reading, was
Is marked on the back, in Jefferson Davis's hand
e writing, atrocious," and referred to the secre
Q tary Of war, who had the officer court martalet
L and dismissed the service. This poor boy, to
s. plate his folly, fell as an unrecognzed volunteer
at the head Of brave band at the first Wilder
u ness fight. JOHN d. KELLEY.
n PROSPECTS IN North ALABAMA From north
7, ern Alabama We learn the cotton prospects ar
y very gloomy in that section; not onethrd of thu
!, usual crop will be gathered. Corn too, is almos
d a failure, the amount produced being insutficen
IL.