The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-09-01
SIandcr Rcfuted.

~O~>NSS~ SOAA&A~A~SSSO s~AsSS 1890
Wis, when he received General Breck-
inridge's despatch, announcing the
assassination of President Lincoln,
said: ''Well, General. do not know.
if it were to be done at all, it were
better that it were we'll done; and if
the same had been done to Andy
Johnson, the Beast, and Secretary
Stanton, the job would then be COM
plete"
We find in our exchanges. letter
from r. a. Aston, of the late Con
federate army, pronouncing this state
ment q shameless lie. The writer
was present when Mr.. Davis received
the despatch referred to. We extract
from his letter:
''The writer of this was standing
within ten feet of Mr.. Davis when he
received this despatch, and never will
he forget the awful solemnity of the
occasion, and the noble grandeur and
dignity of Mr.. Davis appearance.
It was in the town of Charlotte, N.
G. General Lees army had surren-
dered. Johnston's army was entirely
disorganized, all was confusion,
dread, uncertainty and gloom. Mr..
Davis loomed up more proudly than
he had ever before appeared to me;
for he alone, of all that vast crowd,
seemed to retain the majesty and self
possession of his character, and to
rise with the energies of that dread
full hour. Riding into town at the
head of a small cavalry escort, he dis
mounted opposite to the house of
this Lewis +. Bates, who had sent
Mr.. Davis a special invitation to be
his guest-prompted, no doubt, by
the desire to collect testimony in pri-
vate conversation, that he mi ght use
hereafter to advantage, instead of
soliciting it as an honor, that he
might transmit to his posterity.
Dismounting from his horse, he
proceeded to enter the house of Mr..
Bates, and was met at the steps by
Colonel William johnson, IL promi-
nent citizen Of Charlotte. and Presi-
dent of the Charlotte and Columbia
Railroad, who said: ''NIr. President.
i'll behalf of the citizens of Charlotte
l give you Il cordial welcome to the
hospitalltics Of our town. Mr.. Da-
Wis, who was dressed in plain suit
OF grey, and wore Il low-crowned felt
hat, nearly covered with Grape, bow
ed low and gracefully, saying, as he
did SO, 81 thank you, sir" The large
crowd, consisting almost entirely of
soldiers, with fearful eyes and over
flowing hearts, said, with deep ear
nestness, "speak to u.s. ''let us hear
from you" He turned, with his
kind, benignant, dignifed look, to
the crowd and said:
my friends, [ thank you for this
evidence of Your affection. If had
come as the bearer Of glad tidings,
had come to announce success at the
head OF a triumphant army, this is
nothing more than l would have ex-
pected; but coming, as I do, to tell
you of very great disaster; coming,
as do, to tell You that our national
affairs have reached q very low point
OF depression; coming, may say,
refugee from the capital of the coun-
try, this demonstration of your love
fills me with feelings too deep for
utterance: Oh, my God! he felt it
all. "This has been a war of the
people for the people, and l have
been simply their Executive; and if
they desire to continue the struggle.
l am still ready and willing to devote
myself to their cause. True, General
Lees army has surrendered, but the
men are still alive, the cause is not
yet dead; and only show by your de-
termination and fortitude that you
are willing to suffer yet longer, and
we may still hope for success. In re-
viewing my administration of the
past four years, am conscious OF
having committed errors, and very
grave ones: but III all that have
done, in all that I have tried to do. I
can lay my hand upon my heart and
appeal to God that have had but
one purpose to serve, but one mission
to fultill-the preservation of the true
principles of constitutional freedom,
which are as dear to me to-day rs
they were four years ago. l have
nothing to abate or take back; if
they We're right then. they arc right
now, and no misfortune to our arms
can change right into wrong. Again
l thank you.
These We're the last words of Jefler-
son Davis to his vanquished and
scattered people, and few among that
vast audience who will not remember
l.