The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-26
An Interesting iscminisccncc.
AN AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT OF THE LAST OFFICIAL IN
TEnvIEw BETWEEN PRESIDENT DAVIS AND GENE
RAILS JOHNSTON AND BEAUREdARD.

Tho West Florida Commercial. edited by Hon.
S. Il. Mallory, who was q member of Mr.. Davis
Cabinet, publishes the following interesting ac-
count of the last Official interview between N1r.
Davis and Generals Beauregard and Johnston
The views of Generals Johnston and Bcauregard
of the military situation of the Confcderacy on the
18th Of April have already been referred to. At
Greensboro Johnston fully and frankly expressed
to 4 member of the Cabinet, an old personal friend,
his conviction that all further resistance to tho
Federal forces East Of the Mississippi would but
augment the suffering and desolation OF the coun-
try without the slightest prospect OF achieving III
dependence, sustaining his opinions by references
to the relative positions, power, and resources OF
the belligerents. 'What, III your judgment, said
his friend, edo the best interests OF our people re-
quire of the government" .
eve must stop fighting at once" said he, " and
secure peace upon the best terms we can obtain"
'Can we secure terms2' q think we can, he
replied lat all events, we should make the effort
at once, for We are at tho end Of the row." Gene
raj Johnston" said his friend, ".your position as
chief OF this army and as the military commander
of this department demands from you q frank
statement of your views to the President. You be-
IIeye that our cause is hopeless, and TINT further
resistance, with the means Mt our command, would
not only be useless, but unjustiiable, and that we
should lay down our orms and secure the best
terms we can get for our people. l will, II You
please, state all this to the President, but l think
YOU had better do so ut once, and explicitly"
General Bcauregard and 1 have been requested
10 meet the President this evening"" he replied,
g aud 1 will give him my opinions very explicitly.
You will not find me reticent upon them."
At eight o'clock that evening the Cabinet, with
tho exception of MIR. Trenholm, whose illness pre-
vented his attendance, joined the President at his
room. 1t was q small apartment, som twelve by
sixteen foet, containing a bed, a few chairs, and a
table, with writing materialS, on the second floor
of the small dwelling OF Mrs. John TAYLOR Wood;
and q few minutes after eight the two Generals
entered.
The uniform habit of President Davis, in Cabi-
net meetings, was to Consume some little time in
general conversation before entering upon the
business Of the OCCASION, not unlrequently intro
ducing some anecdote or interesting episode,
generally scme Renaissance OF tho early lie OF
himself or others in the army, the Mexican war, or
his Washington experiences; and his manner of re-
lating and his application to them were ut all
times very happy and pleasing.
Few men seized more readily upon the sprightly
aspects of any transaction or turned them to bet
ter account; and his powers of mimicry, whenever
ho condcsccnded to exercise them. we're %irresistl-
BILE. Upon this occasion, at O time wnen the cause
of the Ccnfederacy was hopeless, when its soldiers
were throwing away their arms and flying TO their
homes, when its government, stripped OF nearly
all power, could not hope to exist beyond q few
uuNS ulOIC, HIIo Will t"C NHSulN, llOIC DOhtllul
and c~Xultant than over, was advancing upon all
sides, true to his habit, he introduced several sub
jects OF conversation, nnconncctcd with the cOndl-
ton of the country, and discussed them AZ II at
some pleasant ordinary meeting. Af;cr q brief
time thus spent, turning to General Johnston he
said, in his usual quiet, grave way, when entering
upon matters of business, Il have requested you
and General BedrrGGard, General Johnston, to
ioin liz this evening, that VIC might have the benc-
lit of Your views upon the situation Of the cOrin-
-. 81 AI, -.
ment. Our late disasters are terrible; but ! do
no. tilinh VIC ahGuld regard them rs fatal. 7 think
we can whip the enemy yet # our people Will
turn out. We must look at matters calmly. how
ever, and see what is left for us to do. What
ever can be done must be done ut once. We have
not y day 10 lose" a. rarsc ersucd, General John
ston not seeming to deem himself expected to
speak, when the President said, we sioald Ike
to hear your views. General Johnston" Upon this
ti,e General, without preface or introduction-his
words TRANSMITTING the expression which his lace
had worn since he entered the room-said. in his
iersc, concise, demonstrative way, as if seeking to
condcnsc thoughts that were crowding for uttc-
rance, My views are, sir, that our people are
tired cI Inc I-Gr, feel themselves Whipped, and
will not fight. Our country Is urerrIm, lis military
resources greatly diminished, while the cncmy's
military power and resources were never greater,
and may DO increased to any desired extent. We
aarrqt place another large army in the field; aud,
cut of ~ VIC are NON icrcigr intercourse | do
not see how we could naintain it in fighting con
dition if We had it. My men are daily DESERVING
in large numbers, and are taking my artillery
tsems 10 aid their escape to their homes. Since
Lees defeat they regard III" war a. at an end. Ii
I march out Of North Carolina her psop!e will all
leave my ranks. II will be tic same - | proceed
scrtI through South Carolina and Georgia. ami I
shall expect, 10 rciaii 20 man beyond HE hy-road
or cowpath that leads to his h.mc. NJ small
force is melting away like snow before the sun,
and / am hopeless Of recruiting it," We may,
perhaps, obtain terms which We ought to accept.
The tore and manner, almost spitaful. in which
the General jcrked out these brief, decisive scll-
fences, pausing at every paragraph, left no doubt
as to his own convictions. Wien he ceased speak
ing, whatever was thought Of his statements
ana their importance was fully undors.ood-tlcy
elected neither comment nGi inquiry. The Fresi.
dent, who during their delivery, had sat with his
eyes fixed npon 4 scrap OF paper which he vas
folding and reloIding abstractediy, and who had
listened without q change Oh position or oxpros-
sion, broke the silence BY saying III a low, even
tone: What do you say, General Beluregard2 -
81 concur in al General Johnston has said he
replied. Another silence, more eloquent of the
full appreciation OF the condition of the country
than words could have been, succeeded. during
which the Presidents manner was unchanged.
After 4 brief pause he said, without a variation
of tone or expression, and without raising his eyes