The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-07-24

can make Detter Terms OUT lnan III, ana
that carried Georgia into secession"
/" Was the question submitted to the popu-
lar vote ?" "No." "Doy you think there
was Union sentiment enough to have voted
down the ordinance 81 think very
likely; but we were swept along by the
swift advancing realities of war;"
EARLY DAYS OF THE WAR.
In the matter of President of the Con-
federacy, Mr.. Stephens declares he ia
vored Toombs, Of Georgia, as 8" the most
powerful intellect of the South" But four
States were announced as having declared
in favor of Davis-who, it was thought, pre-
ferred the head of the army. Their choice
was acquiesced in. Stephens had declared
that he would not accept the office,
although elected unanimously to it. He
was chosen unanimously as Fice-Presi-
dent without his knowledge, and accepted
it, as it was " not unpleasipg to him, while
est was free from responsibility, and might
afford" him "the means of doing good"
PRESIDENT DAVIS.
In speaking of Davis he remarked that
there was great popular misapprehension
in regard to his character. He was,"
said he, mot at all what people suppose
not at all tire-eater; and though he was
Of course State rights man, he could
hardly be called Secessionist."
"Then he does not deserve to be counted
with the conspirators-with the Cobbs and
Yanceys and Wigfalls!"
"Certainly not. He was opposed to Sc
cession, but did not have the courage to
come out against it. His course was SIM
ply the result of timidity, of the desire to
| keep the inside track and step into the
shoes of Calhoun"
Then, among other points, Mr.. Stephens
mentioned that Davis was very averse to
having Fort Sumter fired on, and only
yielded after it was known that fleet
with reInforcements and supplies was Oft
the harbor. "That, We regarded, after
the premises made, as the beginning of
hostilities, and held, therefore, that it was
not we that commenced the war;"
"Mr. Davis" he went on to say, cob
| served to me soon after we got established
at Montgomery that { it would now be a
question of brains who should win, and
! the remark was SO just that L thought there
must be great deal where that came
from. But there was manifested from the
start wonderful lack of craftsmanship,
aud even Of mere ordinary good sense.
now POLITICIANS RAN INTO THE WAR.
It was universally thought that the war
would be brief holiday affair. "Most of
the prominent politicians, when we got
through the work OF the Convention, has
tened to enter the army, fearing that if
they did not get in quick they would lose
the opportunity Of making some capital
for the future :"
Mr.. sTEPHENS'S PLAN OF WAR.
He favored the purchase Of the entire
cotton crop at ten cents per pound, pay
able in gold interest bearing bonds. This
cotton, amounting to 100000 bales, could
have been easily shipped the first year,
! (as the blockade was very incflicient,) and
held in Europe until it reached fifty cents
! per pound, would have yielded SS00,000,-
| 600, with which "we could have bought
! fleets in Europe, and even hired merce-
narics to fight our battles." Mr.. S. was
! in favor Of having fifteen iron-clads built
in Europe, three to be ont III March, 'G2.
! The President sent him to Mcmminger,
and Memmnger, who afterwards repudi-
atcd one-third of the national currency
debt, said the scheme was unconstitutional, ,
and Mr.. Stephens dropped the matter. This
is condensed from "Lbra's" narrative.
SOUTHERN INDEPENDENCE 4 DELUsIoN.
Mr.. Stephens, in his conversation, stated
that the idea OF southern independence
was delusion, on the ground that 6 the
physical features Of the country neceSsi-
tate political unity, and even had the
it.. ip1aranHanna If yrnnl1 MT
have keptit for ten years" He desired
to restore union through diplomacy, and
that it should ago with the war step by
STEP; but concluded that "the gods
designing to destroy US, first struck our
rulers mad"
THE PEACE MOVEMENTS.
Mr.. Stephens related to Libra some ac-
count of his efforts at peace. He pro-
posed to President Davis that peace nego-
tiations be opened Immediately after the
victory at Charlottesville, by discussing
the prisoner question. Mr.. Davis did not
reply for six weeks, when dispatch was
received asking him to come to Richmond.
He came, but found the situation changed !:
Vicksburg hopelessly besieged, and Lee in
PENNSYLVANIA, and was satisfied nothing
could be done. He, however, went to
Fortress Monroe, but was not received.
One CABALL was taken prisoner in the
spring of 1864 in Florida. He wrote to
Mr.. Stephens avowing that he had come
desiguedly to be captured, in order to make
q protler from the Democratic party for
convention of all the States. Mr.. Stephens
communicated the fact to the Government,
and was informed that an officer would be
sent to see what Caball had to say.
This was never done, and Caball died in
the Andersonville prison.
THE CONFEDERACT A DEsPoTIsM.
Mr.. Stephens informed our author that
conscription was, in his opinion, an "enor-
nous blunder." Mr.. Davis said at Macon
that there were $1,000 deserters from the
army. Mr.. Stephens assumes that they
had not grown lukewarm in the cause, but
had found "new cause"
"They had seeded for State rights
thew found centralized despotism aiming
at a DYNASTY. Long before the end, think
ing men began to realize that there would
have to be revolution within the revolu-
tion. As for the manner III which supplies
were raised, by impressment, that was
mere robbery, and was attended with the
most gigantic corruption the earth ever
saw"
The consequent "ar arbitrary arrests" nc
pronounced "shameful and shocking"
In 1868 he found 81, 100 persons in prison
at Atlanta without the shadow of law
"It was satire to see free citizens dragged
in chains to fight for liberty" IF 1t was
not a free-will war, it was crime" AL
luding to how Cesar carried has Whoie
army over the Rhine by leaving it to them
whether they would follow him OF hoI' an, and