The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-18


| willingness 10 bend to anything mean sinister.
He rash, lmpulsve; man Of action rather than
thought; y lding 10 passions which he regarded as
divine ns lncts or intuitons-the natural temper OF
q devotee or fanatic.
"Oi the officers on the Confederate side, Mr.. Davis
spoke IN high terms of General Lee as great SOL
| der and pure Christian gentleman; also IN praise
from unayoidable circumstances and The hostility of
the party opposed TO Mr.. Davis, nad not Deeh ac-
corded the position due to Their taents Dy puDnc
did defense of VicksburR, and might have been re-
| heved If the officer commanding the army sent to
relieve him iCIeneral JohnstOn) had not failed to
obey the positive orders 10 attack General Grant
which Mr. Seddon, then Secretary of War, had sent.
| IL the same officer, who was upheld IN command by
| the anti administration party, had vigorously at
tacked sherman at Atlanta when directed, the for.
| tunes of the war would have been changed and
Sherman hurled back to Nashville over sterile and
wasted country-hs retreat little less disastrous than
| Napoeons from MOSCOW. He did not do sO aud
was Toieved-General II Hood true and spirited SOL
deT taxing his place-but the opportunity was then
gone; and to this delay, more than to any other
cause the southern people will attribute their over
throw, whenever history comes TO be Truly written"
As many may want to know Mr. Davis views
on Reconstruction, we could avoid quotation by
merely saying that they substantially agreed
with the Democracy. We give, however, his
sentiments:-
''Asl ing Mr.. Davis what were his views in regard
TO the reconstrucuon of The Union, he spoke pretty
nearly verbatim as follows; this report nOs Oeing
condensed with other conversations. but taken
down in full from memory, immediately on my
return to QuarterS:-
"W e could not otherwise define reconstruction
than renewal to aud by ali the States OF all the
tights, privileges, duties, immunItles, and oblga-
prescribed and recognized by the Con tltution,
original compact of Union. There were several
possible alternatives TO this plan of reconstru ;tlon.
"lst. Consolidation: the swallowing up of all
State Governments by the General Government,
making the whole country one State. only divided
into pTevinces for easier adm nlstration but con.
nected as one entity OF policy and power.
"2d. Terr1torallsm: the control of the Southern
| States by Congress and Executive representing
no ~ nioIy
and government by authority of greater force.
I'D BY open subversIon and usurpatiOn to esta-
blish despOtsm over North and south, while YET
preserving q certain republican form.
'1n replying to one who served through the war
for no other purpose, as you avOw, than to defend
ana maintain the Unlon defined by the Consutu.
| tOn," continued MIR DAVIS, "there can be no me-
cessIty for considering any other policy than that
Of fre-establlsnng the relations OF ali the Staes ana
their citizens to each other and lhe United States
Government.
Every mans experience must teach him that
quaTres between Irienus are best healed when they
| are healed most promptly. rne alienation which
was at first a pain, becomes by titoe habtoal and
the mantle of charity being withdrawn the 1aus
each lecome more and more distinct to the other,
the ashes of the closest friendship.
1T Is therefore probably 10 De regrette that so
ton, because of the enhancement thereby OF the
difficulties III the way OF speedy and cordial
cilation. This opinion Is quall6ed as probable
because of my want of recent intercourse with the
people. short time before the close OF the war,
the idea was infused into my Oeope, you are well
III
would be restored, ana all their rights person
ana property respected, save the property held
slaves which would be q question for the courts i
have OOubt that a majonty-a very alge ma
jority-of the Southern people accepted tins pro-
posed settlement with singleness of purpose; and
would, II conhdlnPy and generously treated, have
been now lndustri ousy engaged IN repairing their
wrecked fortunes, without any thought again re-
sisIng or oUstrucung the General ooVe. nment III
| It's ordinary 1unctohs
How far the public wealth would by this course
have oeen increased, the public expenditures les
SeleQ, hundred
OF dollaIs III 1t be true that much has been lost,
morally and materially, by delay, 1t would seem that
true policy Inc icates the promptest action III what
| is termed reconstruction. The North says have
zone evil and when bidding us cease to do evip
should not prevent us learning to 40 weli.' This
can only be done by removing all iinpedlments to
the Yercse of State funcuons and the reenjoyment
OF such civil and political rights as are left us IN the
| Union.
| Zach House of Congress is JUDGE of the election
| and qualification of its own mumbers The Consti-
tuition has setJed the quesuon of representation.
A constituency may lose SITS rights for u time by
selec ing ineRb persons 10 be Its representatives;
but the night of representation is not impaired
thereby, and the mistake or abuse may be remedled
by new elecuon. Iestoaths are evil con- nualy,
and only evil 1hey restrain those honorable men
| who require no fetters, while men OF different
| class Will either take them periuriousy or with
| mental reservation. All history prove ed them
Intellectual, and something worse
"Our iOrefathers emlgrated 10 a wilderness, and
| waged the war of the RevO uion, to nave and 10
| hold q Government founded on the consent of the
| governed. IheY consulted and compromised with
each other TO establish q voluntary Union II that
idea is 10 be followed confluence, generosity fra
ternty and not test.oaths disabilities and armies
quartered IN the interior, must be re1ed upon TO
restore the Union and make 1t re-ehective for the
| ENDS ior which it was formed
| "ReconsIuction," continued Mr.. Davis, cannot
| properly involve or be made to depend on those
| social problems which have arisen from the sudden
disruption OF the relations existing between the
white and the black races In the Southern States.
| These prob ems belong 10 the several States, and
must nave treatment according 10 the different cir
| cUmsIances OF each. No general rule can properly
be made applicable to all, and IL will prove unfor-
tuna II the subject is controlled by distant and but
poorly informed, If not prejudlceu authority. The
seli-interest OF individuals and communities to-
gether with the demanQ IUr laUOr so far exceeding
the SUI ply safely be left TO protect the aborer
"1he pubic action OF the Southern state COnven-
tohs furnishes conclusive evidence of the desire of
the Southern people 10 resume their position in tue
Union and is must strike all observers with sur
PRISE, that while those who strove so desperately to
| leave the Union are now so earnestly endeaVOung
to Teassume their PAGES IN IL, IL is the very men
| who sent fire and sword to destroy them, compel
| them 10 return, who now bar the door and deny
them reaamisson 10 that very condition to winch il
was throughout the war proclaimed to be their first
and last duty 10 return. SOLITARY reflection, con
cluded Mr.. Davis, has given me no kew TO the mys
terOus oIiPln of this change IN NOrtuern opinion
which / find evidenced IN every newspaper tha
reaches me; and perhaps my own sad state ha
tinged with its gloom the vista of the future If
alenated disjolned, ano adrft, the country shOulC
be visited wnh such trials OF foreiPn war. eIthel
with France or England, or both, as are now II
often suggested IN the public journals OF America
and then extracts from the European press"
But one more extract. The prisoner gives hi
views on President Johnson:-
''As Mr.. Davis was speaking of the Senate / asked
him his OpInIon of Presldent johnson, 20 wnlch 10
some moments he madefnO reply apparently hesi
tating whether TO speak on the subject or not A
length he SAID that OF President JonsOn he knew N
more than the papers Told VERY one; Dut hat o
| MI. johnson, when in the senate, ne would q
| lreely speak as of any other member. There were
| OF course, differences between them, more especially
just previous 10 the retirement the southern Re
| pTesenta lives from Congress. The position. of Air
johnson WIN ms associates OF the south had neVe