Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-09-28
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH
THE PRISONER AT FORTRESS
MONROE.



final safety Of him whom conscientiouslr
believe TO be about the ablest and best mar
m America. Prudence, whom / seldom
listen 70, and whom l naturally hate az th,
devil does holy water, makes silent for III,
present about my Washington visit / viii
tell you all about il hereafter. Mr.. DAv1.
y greatly debilitated, and declining very
last During breakfast he gave us some
rich, sparkling gems Of political wisdom
from BURKE, with his own comments on
their folly, as rich as BURKEs original
thoughts. ] only remember one other such
day spent in my life. 1t was at LaGrange
IA 1928, when LAFAYETTE and Cardinal
MEzzoFoSTE were debating on high matters
OF literature and art, and was mere silent
absorbent of the golden treasure Of liquid
thought.
] arrived at the Fortress about an bour
before Mr.. DAVIS left his prison. This
little time / spent in reading some Of the
numerous papers that were brought in that
morning. Presently Mrs. DAVIS Joined me.
and we had a very agreeable discussion, in
\ which she maintained that the American
~ people, North and South, were as noblo
people as any on the earth, and I main-
tained, 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 catacombs Of
Rome and Paris showed gradual approx
nation 70 certain type Of character which
was not even yet attained except in the
aristocracy Of worth. She insisted that the
heads OF PHIDIAs and PRAXITEIEs were not
equaled in modern times with Christianity
aud all the appliances Of culture. She cited
the remarks Of many distinguished foreign
ers, who called her attention 10 the fact. that
the American people could more easily
adapt themselves to, and mere thoroughly
embody the true principle OF re- iteness.
than any other democratic people in the
world. just then ] made wicked qUery
that killed a good deal Of this theory.
Mrs. DAVIS, how do the many strangers
that come here behave toward Mr. DAvrsr
All said she, almost all the Northern
women that come peer through the blinds
in the most indicate manner, so that we
are often Obliged 10 retire 70 the inner case
mate 10 avoid their rude glances' Mrs.
DAVIS, no refined, inslinctively polite people
could possibly be guilty Of such grossness.
SO you have demolished your own theory
We then talked for awhile about educa-
ton, where aud by whom best ministered
and acquired, in which / felt proud that my
own ma!urely formed opinions were adopted
by this highly gifted and imperial-minded
woman.
AT this time we saw slender, shadowy,
lettering form approach the door, Some
thing in my heart told me il was Mr. DAVIS
Strange, mystic human heart, with its divina-
tion and prophecies Bible Of the true
lnfallible GOD-word to every human soul
that has ever been magnetized with love!
had known this man at a time when his
word swayed an empire composed Of as
noble men and asglorious GoD-gifted women
as has ever appeared in the tide Of time. !
have obtained al his handsihe sparingof the
lives Of forty-seyen Confederate rebel soldiers
during the war. ] got off fourteen Federal
soldiers condemned to DEATH | got his writ
ten permit-no Order-to allow me to visit
all the Federal prisons and alleviate in ali
lawful ways, their sulerings. have prayed
at this good mans bedside for blessing Of
Con upon his commensurate 10 the mercy
hemight extend TO Others, and that he might |
hope for himself, should the changes Of time |
ever make him suppliant for this bene6I
cence.
And now he Is before me a prisoner 4
good GoDl How.changed The last time |
! saw him his brow seemed decked, not |
only with a crown Of intelligent glory, but |
with a sort Of prilaNs iaterpdrcS Of all
the kingly chivalries Of the past ages. Now
he was bent broken, Keeling. But oh that
voice, it, timbre, cadence, tone / am glad
90 see you, Mr. KELLEY your hair is
whittier than il was that beautiful autumn
morning that you prayed by my bedside in
Richmond Your heart, too has BEEN
~a-eaEed.~ Well thank Con, amidst il all, /
aud by it all, we are ripening for the skies.
Mr.. DAVIS, has il never occurred TO you
that, not victorious, but defeated causes,
when founded on truth and honor, are 1
finally victorious in the Cow Of ages? Who |
was the greatest man, TIBERIUs, at Capre,
sunk in the infamies Of sensualism, or the |
Nazarine, crowned with thorns, and utter
ing those words Of power amid the agonies |
of the cross-Father, forgive them, they
know not what they dop True, said Mr.. /
DAVIS no true cause ever dies. Whatever I
was true in our theory Of State rights viii |
live, and be yet adopted entirely by our
Northern brethren. The American people
are eminently thoughtful and practical,
assimilating % themselves truth from every
point. Witness their wonderful improve
ments in the practical arts. You know
how the Normans conquered the Saxons at
Hastings-how they oppressed and wronged
them yet in the course Of three centuries
the ideas of the conquered subdued their
cOnquerers and led the United Kingdom 10
the conquest Of that very France whence
the conQuerors came. Centuries in the past
were no more than decades in the present
have no fear as 10 the ultimate triumph Of
our principles purified from whatever was
wrong or selfish in them, as you and have
been purified by sorrow.
"Doyou remember, Mr.. DAVIS, that coup
let Of Lady GuIoN's translated by CowPERg
The. path Of sorrow and that path alone,
Leads 10 the place where sorrow is unknown 30
'Yes, remember il we'll. It is the COM
pend of Christianity. The world has never
yet fully appreciated that aspect, the ococ
homo Of CHRIST. | have read more in the
old books, probably, than you have, Mr.
DAVIS; let me recite to You an instance in
the life Of Julian. lie had oppressed and
thwarted CYRIIs Of Jerusalem, in various
ways; at last, ON going 20 the Parlhian war,
he met the good Bishop in great distress, on
account Of the miseries Of his AOck. lie
then said 10 him, cyril, where is your car
penter Con- now 2 The Bishop answered
Perhaps, making coffin for the Roman
Emperor / have never heard that before
but Il is full of significance and terrible
rebuke 70 unholy pride aud selecon6denoe.'
Ater prayers, We proceeded 20 breakfast
which had three covers, one each Cor MIR. and
Mn. DAVIS, and one f,T me. The brcaEiast
consisted Of some nice rolls and toSst good
tea, butter and few oysters Mr.. DAVIS
cat very Eparingly.
] omitted to menlisn in is proper place
that Mrs. DAVIS met him at the door, put
her arms around his neck and kissed him.
After he was seated she brought him their
little child, which he kissed seated on his
kneo, and, as thought by the motion Of bis
beautifully ehiseled lips. prayed seereily
for.
Amer breakfast, Bishop GREEN, Of Missis-
sippi, was introduced. The greeting was
eordinl and alieciionate Mr. DAVIS alluded /
with great delicacy % some funily Affections
Of the Bishop, 10 which the latter responded
with a quiyeriug lip and fearful eye
Hereafter / viii give you pen and ink
picture Of these two Iien as they limned
themselves ON the canvass Of memory. Here
] only propose 10 give part Of the CONVEX
sation that occupied the whole morning. 4
Our people all love and revere our late ex-
celient President. To meet their craving 10 !
know something about him from the heart,
or inner life side Of him, / will write some 1
two or three papers more on this subject j I