The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1867-11-15
coURT HOUSE FRIDAY MoRNING NovEMBER 5 lae

told me. tnat ne JOlneQ Ten. lOyQ, NOT
for a holiday, but with the purpose OF
winning military glory. lie was am
bilious aevery thing he undertook, and
on more than ONE OCCASION he expressed
to me a great regret at having left the
army, fstBy this time (the winter OF
'GI.) said he, II might have been a Brig
adier-perlaps 4 Major General" ssGi
"But," said l, s'as the editor of the Ex-
aminer, yoli are eXerting an influence
far greater than any Brigadier-greater
perhaps than any Major General"
"True, ; lie answered.; shut what good
is the Examiner, or any other paper, or
all the papers in the Confederaey COM
bined, doing? Besides,.I like to COM
mand men. / love power" ....
After the interview in August, 1861, l
saw very little of him for two years. l
met him occasionally on the street, but
his manner was SO repelling that was
deferred from gratifying the desire
which often felt, of going to see him.
With his old habits had come back his
old ways-he was rs cold, self-contained
and gloomy as he had been Before Ne
Went to Europe. Affairs were not
going in the fashion that suited him.
Grave doubts were beginning to arise
in, his mind. He still had hopes, and
often high hopes, of the success of the
cause, but the course of the administra-
ton excited continually the bitterness
OF his nature. Then, again, the whole
weight of the Examiner, which he fire.
quently described to me as "a milestone
about his neck" was upon him. Con-
vinced that his editorial labors were
well nigh useless, in SO far as they in
fiuenced the conduct of the war, the
finances, or anything else pertaining to
the policy of Mr.. Davis, it was but nat
ural that his mental energies should
flag and his wonderful powers of COM
position should be abated. He Was
anxious to get an assistant, but could
find no one to suit him. He had fallen
opt with one whose brilliant and hui
niorous pen had served him so well in
former years. Edward Pollard was in
ill lealtht and had started, or was about
to start, for Europel and he had not yet
succeeded .inobtaining the two or three
writers, whose Contributions, a few
months later, added so greatly to the
value and the interest of the Examiner:
1t was at this time, IN the summer Of
1868. while ons a visit to the country,
that amused myself, one eVeiiing, by
writing satirical article on the then
exciting subject of the removal of the
Quartermaster General. This sent to
Daniel. What was my surprise by re-
turn mail, to receive from X. +. Walk
cr, the manager OF the Ecaminer, flat
tering letter, telling me Of Daniels
high appreciation of my article and his
desire to secure my services as assistant
editor. An engagementona another pa
per prevented me from accepting the
proffered situation moreover | knew
well that Daniel was ''a hard master. "
Neyertheless, ] was anxious TO see in
print an article Which had received the
appr0tal of such critic as ..JoliI NJ:
Daniel. / looked, each day, but never
saw it. owl, that / felt chagrined.--
My only. conclusion was that Daniel. .at
a first reading, had overestimated the
merits of the article, and that subse-
9fctit perpsal, revealing faults whichhe
had not before detected, had deter
mined him not to publish it.
On my return to Richmond, | felt
little .desite to meet any of the Examiner
people but, passing Walker one day on
the street, he hailed me and told me to
come to the Office; he had some money
for me. -, ,.rl.35a E4t M-55f.
"Money for what?" / inquired.
"For that article you sent down.
Don't you remember it ~ 49,. o-t -
~ remember it distinctly, but 7 also
remember that yol never printed it."
Walker was positive that the article
had been printed, and / no less positive
that it had not. Finally, he referred
me to "Mr Dahicl and to him, accor-
dinghy, j went lie received me kind
ly, complmented my article extrava-
gantly, as Thought; and asked me if
Walker had paid me for it. was a
good deal nettled, supposing that he
was making fun of me. j told him, in
reply, that Walker had offered to pay
me much more than the article was
worth, according to the established rates
of the Examiner (Which | knew but that
l had refused payment, on the ground
that the article had never appeared
His eye twinkled mischieyously, as he
said sf4#f-g E.l.i...f.s
s'You didn't see it, because you didn't
read the ErdminGI. You ought to read
the Examiner. The B.rdminer contains
the best thoughts of the best minds in
the Confederacy, expressed In the best
manner-it is the organ of the thinking
gentlemen of the country. You ought by
all means TO read lt.a Inere is the llle !
look at the number foi--, and you will
find your article" e.a5 I..,. ,...,..
/ looked and, sure enough, there was
an article, twice as loi,g and twice as
good as the one / had Nfitten-my own
Ideas, but so enveloped in Daniels fine
English and SO ariplified that it was
hard to recognise them.
Ihave purposely related this incident
at sonic length, becruse II illustrates
Daniels character and unfolds She of the
secrets of his great sticcessas an editor.
lie begrudged no labour in celebrating
and improving an article which Ileased
him. I remember his telling me that
he had written certain article oyer
four or five times. The original daft
was sent TO him by lady distinguished
for her attainments and performances
in literature. It was defence of his
I \