Des Arc citizen., 1866-06-30
T0OMBS, MEMllsNGER, BRAGG AND
 FEMnERTOA.
What President Davis Thinks of Then:

A day or so ago we gave extracts from Dr Creven's book, "The Prison Life of Jefferson Davis,' which purported to ex. press the sentiments of the President Of the late Confectionery on reconciliation and reconstruction we now give the following extract as showing the opinion he cntertains ofToombs, Memminger, Bragg, Pemberton, and others:
 He spoke of Toombs as a man of great natural force and capacity, but destroyer, not builder up; a man of restless nature, born Jacobin, though with honest inten- tions. Pope Walker, a gentleman of ex- celent intentions, but wholly without the requisite experiences or capacities for so vast trust. Mir Memminger he respected, but the utter failure of Confederate finance was the failure of the cause. Had Mir. Memminger acted promptly on the propo- sition of depositing- cotton in Europe and holding it there for two years as basis for their currency, their circulating medium might have maintained itself at par to the closing day of the struggle; and that, in itself, would have insured victory. Ben iamin was the ablest and most faithful member of his advisory council man who realized that industry is the mistress of success, and who had no personal aspira- tions, no wishes that were not subordinate to the prosperity of the cause. In the early part of the war Benjamin furnished par aflel to Mir Seward, both believing and avowing that the. impending crisis would not last longer than sixty or ninety days, though Benjamin relaxed no labor or pre- paration on that account.
 I asked how Mir. Memminger had ob- tained prominence in so aristocratic state as South Carolina, the report being that he was founding bora with little claim to either wealth or name Mir. Davis said he knew nothing of the matter, and imme- diately.turned the conversation, appearing displeased
 Ioombs, even when in the cabinet, had been impractcable and restless. Out of it he became an active malcontent, and was powerfully supported in every perverse and pernicious suggestion by Gov, Brown, of Georgia. Vice-President Stephens had lent the government no assistance, contin- ually holding himselfaloof from Richmond --perhaps on account of ill health but certainly his health must have been very wretched indeed, fpoorer than that of Mr. Davis during many of his moss trying and laborious months Be the cause what i; ,,,;~bt bou,ovor tba abeoooo ;F ,ot o,,4 Lxr of Mr. Stephens, had been an element oi weakness, and led him to be regarded by the malcontents as a friend and pillar oi their cause. x Of the officers on the Confederate side, Mir Davis spoke in high terms of Gen. Lee as great soldier and pure Christian gentleman; also in praise of Bragg and PembeIton, though the two latter, from unavoidable circumstances and the hostility of the party opposed to Mir Davis, had not been accorded the position due to their talents by public opinion in their section Pemberton made splendid defense of Vicksburg, and might have been relieved if the officer commanding the army sent to relieve him (Gen. Johnson) had not failed to obey the positive orders tC attack Gen Grant which MT. Seddon then secretary of war, had sent. If the same officer, who was upheld in command by the anti administration party, hadvigor ously attacked Sherman at Atlanta when directed, the fortunes of war would have been changed, and Sherman hurled back to Nashville, over sterile and wasted country-his retreat little less disastrous than Napoleon's from Moscow. He die not do so, and was relieved-Gen. Hood true and spirited soldier, taking his place but the opportunity was then gone; an( to this delay, more than to any other cause the southern people will attribute theil overthrow, whenever history comes to bt truly written. Bragg's victory over Rose crans at Chickamauga, Mr. Davis regarded as one of the most brilliant achievements