The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-26

ruESs il perhaps tho only man who could, il Ii
"oulu, wrIlo tho secret, internal history OF th
Cohioderacy, anu as ho il not 30 minded, grca
deal OF it will dio with him. Tho work ON whicl
| tic ~ now cnBagod cannot full 10 POSSESS ycr,
high Yaluo; it need not, however, DO looked fol
soon ns it is yet in no considerable degree of for
warilncss.
Il may goneralaa tho conclusion of long
wlde-sPrcading talk regarding tho conduct of the
South in this way Tho South was guilty OF two
great lnistakos-tho frat was secession itsolf and
tho second tho object for which tho war was mado
70 wit independence. Add to these third, name
W 'no errors in tho civil and military manage.
MONT Oh tho war when it was onco begun"
Dir. STEPHENS believed in tho right of accession,
but regarded secession as IL prodigious political
Dundcr lilo was, rs is we'll known, opposed 10
tho secession of Georgia to tho very last and did
al! that lay in his power to provont It. But tho
very oictions wcrc against him and on tho aldo OF
secession as will DO seen by tho following para
graph Of SIr. Sw1NroNs lottor:
"alr. SrEPnENs had wanted 4 convention OF tbo
people 10 bo held about tho 15tl, OF Decomber.
He Know that Georgia would not secctc. and lo
was also a,ire that South Carolina, which had not
yot secclcd would not, hot though slio was go out
nione. But he conld not cflioct this purpose Tho
election FOR delegates was ordered for tho Let OF
january, which was aftnr South Carclin. hn,
taken the leap. Well ho went ON 10 say, .on the
LIST OF January, thuro WAS rliu-slorIn moro yio-
lent than tho Oldest inhabitant romembcrcL-n
since tho flood in tho Yazoo had tbero bcen such n
storm. Tho result WAS that tho country pcoplo
could not got out to voto, and this gave prepon-
dcratinS influence in tho election OF delegates to
tho towns and villages, whore, you know, political
opldemles aro always stronger than elsewhere.
nj lsaa Ipu IT,,s,>
Even Romo, up in the Cherokee country, where
tho Union sentiment WAS vastly In tho ascendant,
sent secession delegate. Iwent over myself 10 tho
Courthouse yonder to voto, md tho ro,m Was
filed with dripping people, with wet saddles in
their hands, who had come through tho food and
miro with immense difficulty. made them
ittlo speech thoro, and said thon that 1 feared
tho rain would loso us the election. And 80 indeed
il did,"
Next wo liayo "eliniscs OF tho earlier war tays' ;
when we learn that Mr.. STEPHENS cloico for Presi-
dent OF tho new CJnfederucy was MIR. TooMBs.
whom he regarded rs the most powerful intellect
oil tho South; that DAVIS was not at nil what peo-
plo supposo-not nt all firc-cnter and though l,o
wns OF course State Rights man, no could hardly
bo called sccessionist." IIo nlso said lint DAVIS
was very aversc to having Fort Sumter fired on.
and only yielded aftor it wns known that a neot
with reinforconcnts and supplies was off the har-
boz That VIC regarded, after tho promises nadc,
as tho beginning of hosttics, and held, therefore
that it was not wc that commenced tho war;"
1t was universally thought that tho war would
bo. brief holiday affair. Most of tho prominent
politicians, when VIC got through tho work OF tho
Convention, hastcnod to entcr tho army, fearing
that il thoy did not get in quick thoy would Ioso
tho opportunity Of making somo capital for tho
futurcr'
'Mr. DAVIS" ho went on to sav. "obscrved to ma
soon after wo got established Mt Montgomery, that
II would now bo question OF brains who should
Fwln, AMI tho remark was 80 just that 1 Thought
!3nt thero was manifested from tho start wonder
nary good sense"
this. ''l' u
well" said he, 'Ihcro is tho subject Of finance
1.-The slrows Of war. Never was o people in posi-
as VIC: !aeS sS!d cottol aiT TPa ns M hSBSGEca
king. always regarded tho prevalent notion that
England would intervene in our behalf on account
OF cotton as tho most cliimerical OF fanocs; md
ing mp our cotton would ho to stimulate its pro-
duction elsewhere. Now Observe" ho con.
thugs thugs what foundation We had for
OF tho bird.,', proposed to tako oil the cotonN
say four million balcs-at ton cents paying for it
With eight per cent. gold interest benring bonds.
lily have done, for thero was no blockade 10 speak
Of during the rst year), and holding it the,e tin
nS ~ rose Se to MY cents We would have had $780,
to 1t, but ha told mo ho know nothing Of finance,
and said "go TO 81 Menlminger." Memmingor and 1
talked it over ono day, and wo wero to hayo an
meantime, he camo out in the newspapers with an
article showing tho unconstItutionnlity OF tho pro.
posed measure, and I never wont to him on the
dicated, wo might readily have bought lleet. in
Europe, and might even have hircd morconnrios TO
asGs SGs eop s1ts to heyo son ron
by tho following March, &o % Nigh. R in It's Tax Gas
have Kept at least ono or two ports open, aud IL
the portal system ia kept opeu tho organism can
quill even; but whom, after anothor we lost all
our ports, ovon to Wilmington, tho gamo was up"
Mr. srEPHESs never believed in tho wisdom or
feasibility Of southern independence. 'srhe very
physical features Of tho rcontinent,n he GAYS
''noccssitato political unity, and oven had the
South won it's independence it would not have
kept it for ton years." His Wow was that tho Con-
federato government should havo to conduct It's
policy as TO fostcr, and old, and supporsthat sent-
mcnt, instead OF alternating and rcpcllng IL. "But
tho gods designing to destroy U.S. first struck DUR
rulers with Madness"
Ho next speaks Of tho several SUCCESSIVE efforts
for tho establishment OF peaoo, all OF which as ia
well known, failed Mr.. STEPHENS, however, hold
oil communications upon this part OF tho secret his.
tory of tho war rs we'll as what occurred during tho
Fortress Monroe Conference as confidential. But
Mr. swINToN giyos tho following bit of history 70.
garding the BLAIR mission, which ho had. from
distinguished Confederate officer in Virginia. II
appears that ono Of tho propositions BLAIR carried
TO Richmond was that tho Union army should
mako landing on the coast OF Texas in position
monacing to tho French in Mexico, that tho Con-
fcderato army should offer show Of following It
up, but TINT the two should unto In common cause
in vindication Of the Monroe doctrine Tho war
meanwhile would bo on adjourned question, and
out OF this probably settlement would arise in
tho end.
Wo viii conclude our extracts with the following
episode;
Whilo wo were sitting on tho porch during the
afternoon, the negro member Of tho Bolrd of Reg
istration camo up to seo Mr. Stephens. Ho Is q
bright follow named Ned, who lives in the sa,oin-
ing county, and is wcll acquainted with Mr. ste-
work in tho registration Of Taliafcrro County,
winch 10 going on OF tho Court House hore. Tho
result showed that 470 persons had registered md
that tho blacks had q majority of rs.
"Massa Aleck, said Nod, III was looking 10 you
70 come down to the REPATRIATION, and was waiting
to holP you up tho steps"
"Would YOU have let mo register, Netl7~
II would hayo dono my best, Massa Aeck,p
,"Well, Ned" said Mr.. Stephens .'I have neyor
voted since yoted against seceeson,n Then 70
ME, u never voted during tho Ooniodoracy."
MR. stephens to day made all his negroes 20 and
register. "By and bye said hc, ''thoy win como
but to 90 will, {l,eir raco2o ~