The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-10-06


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From the Petersburg (Va) Index, sept.22.
m We are happy to beablc to lay before
our readers this morning an Authentic
account of the interview between Mr.
Davis and Mr.. John D. Kelley, about
which the papers have for the past few
days had so much to say, which was
mere speculation. Our correspondent,
promises, as will be seen, to follow
this with another letter on the same
theme: .,,,.., .l. 90. .
MIR. KElLEY's ACCOUNT OF HIS VISIT TO
JEFF. DAVIS.
TO the Editor of the Index: Please
let me say through your paper that
have Just returned from Washington
without any bishop, priest, or deacon
accompanying me; that wrote let
ter to our martyr, jeff. Davis some
weeks ago, to which / got tno resp
until the return of Mrs. Davis, he not
being allowed to write that in com
piaHce with the spirit Of that response
fastened to Fortress Monroe, on the
18th inst, Just as I hayedone many "a
time for our poor soldiers or poor ne
grocs under sentence: that | proceeded
to Washington, after seeing the terri
bic condition ofMr, Davis, and, have
come back this morning, foot and
weary, not witho hopes forfinal safe,
ty of him whom'I.s conscienciously be-
lieve to be the ablest and hest man in
America. Prudence, whom l seldom
listen to, and whom ! naturally hate
as the devil does holy water, makes me
silent for the present abqut,my Wash
ington visit Iswill All you all about
it hereafter. rMr Davis issgreatly de-
biltatcd, and declining very fast
During breakfast he gave ms some
rich, sparkling gems, of, political wis
dom from Burke. with his own com
mcnts on their folly, as rich as Burkes
original thoughts. l only remember
one other such day spent in all my life
1t was at Lagrange, in 1928, when La
fayette and Cardinal Mezzofonte were
debating Oh high matters of literature
and art, and was mere silent absor-
bent of the golden treasure of liquid
thought.
arrived at the Fortress about an
hour before Mr.. Davis left his prison.
This little time spent in reading the
numerous papers that were brought in
the morning. Presently Mrs. Davis
joined me, and we had very agreeable
discussion, in which she maintained
that the American people, North and
South, were as noble people as any
on Garth, and l maintained, chiefly for
arguments sake, that the aristocracy of
all lands, the real aristocracy, were
markedly superior to the masses of the
people. / maintained that the cata-
combs of Rome and Paris showed q
gradual approximation to certain
type of character which was not even
yet attained except in the aristocracy
of worth. She insisted that the heads
of Phidias and Praxitelcs were not
cqualled in modern times with Chris
tianity and all the appliances ofculturc.
She cited the remarks of many distm-
guished Foreigners, who called her at
tcnton to the fact, that the American
people could more easily adapt them
selves to, and more thoroughly embody
the true principle Of pOlteness, than
any other democratic people in the
world. Just then l made Il wicked
query that killed a good deal OF this
theory. "Mrs. Davis, how do the
many strangers that come here behave
- toward Dir. Davis 7" "Ah," said she,
"almost all the Northern women that
come peer through the blinds in the
most indelicate manner, so that VIC art
often obliged to retire to the inner case
mate to avoid their rude glances.'-
Mrs. Davis, no refined, instinctively
polite people could possibly he guilty
of such grossness. SO you have de-
molished your own theory" We then
talked for while on education, where
and by whom best ministcred and ac-
quircd, in which felt proud that my
own maturely formed opinions were
adopted by this highly gifted and i'm
pcrial- minded woman.
At this time we saw slender. shad-
owy, tottering form approach the door.
Something in my heart told me it was
Mr.. Davis. St,npge. mystic human
heart, with its diyination and prophc.
sizes! Bible Of the true! lnialiible
God.word to every human soul that
has ever been ipsgnetized wit. love
Ihad known this man ut o time when
his word swayed an empire composed
of as noble men and as glorious God
gifted women IS has eyer appeared ip
the tide Of time. haze obtained Ut
his hands the sparing of the lives Of
forty.seyen Confederate Rebel soldiers
during the war. ] got Off fourteen
Federal soldiers condemned tO death.
got his written peImit--no order
to allow me to visit all TIE Federal pris-
ons and alleviate, in all Ylawtul ways,
their s'uderiDgs. / have prayed ct this
good mans bedside FOR blessing OF
God upon him commensurate to the
mercy he might extend to others, and
that he might hope for himself. should
the changes Of time eyer make him a
suppliant for this bcne6cenec.
And now he is before me prisoner
Good God! how changed! T,e last
time ] saw him his brow seemed deck
ell, not only with crown of intelligent
glory, but with asort Of primns inter.
Pores-llalo of all the kingly chivalries
OF the past ages. Now be was bent,