The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-03
THE LAST COUNCIL-BOARDI IN THE
SOU1 HERN CONFEDERACY.
BY EDWARD A. POLLARD.


It has been generally written and considered
that the Southern Contederacy perlshed in
very uninteresting manner; that II was no dra-
matic catastrophe such as Is generally supposed
to terminate the great games of war and EN-
pire. 1t is true, there was no final scene of arms
commensurate with the space and action OF the
war~-no great and multitudinous battle to mark
and illumtnate the end OF an empire tina. more
than half million bayonets had once borne on
their crest OF steel. 1t was the fiat conclusion,
the termination almost without interest or
dignity OF a great contest tne inspiration
and vitality OF which, on one side, had been
spent long before the final stroke Of arms
revealed The emptiness OF the structure aud
brought II 10 the dust. The conclusion, indeed, is
the most curious part of the history of the late
war At a single affair On the Petersburg lines,
that took place in the hours of a spring morn
ing the casualties OF which we're counted by
hundreds, the whole structure of the Southern
COnfederacy gave way-the great decorous pill
lar of Virginia, wreathed with victories, fell,
and then the broad and grand military sections,
one by one; the department OF the OarOlinas
and Georgia, commanded by Johnston, the
Southwestern States, commanded by Taylor. the
Trans Mississippi, commanded by Smith, these
last almost without trial of arms, single
incident of real and determined conflict.
mighty empire passed away as the baseless fabric
of dream. The gates OF Richmond, IN the
approaches to which more than halt million
men had struggled, in sight OF which battles OF
bloodiest volume had been fought, until the very
ground about it had been kneaded with human
hesh, at last were open to the enemy, without
even sentinel to challenge the insoent in-
vaders. Forty Massachusetts cavalrymen, with.
out let or hindrance, rode into its Streets ana
planted their guidons on the capitol IL was
as the end of that empire which tue historian
Gibbon has described as quickly and grandly
founded by Renzi, "the last of the Roman
Tribunes;m which ascended and increased 10
the astonished gaze of mankind until the VAIN
inflated Tribune brandished his sword TO the
four parts of the world, eXclalming, This, too,
is mine;'' but which, at last eneryated by mis-
government and debauched by party, perisbed
miserably as in night "At the head of one
hundred and fifty soldiers, the Count of Minor
bino introduced himself into Rome, barrlcaded
the quarter of the Colonna, and found the en-
terprse as easy as it had seemed Impossible.
From the first alarm the bell of the Capitol in
cessantly toled; but, instead OF repairing TO the
well-known sound, the people were silent aud
inactive; and the puslllanimous Renzi, depor-
ing their ingratitude with sighs and tears, abdl-
Gated the government and palace Of the re-
The fall of Richmond was the fatal event of
the CoDfederacy. The black banner which the
smoke from its confagration set in the sky
signalled from the Potomac 10 the Mississippi
the end of the war, the despair and submission
of the South. 1t was under that sign that the
army of General Lee commenced It's toilsome
retreat, and the train OF officials set out to find
some theatre OF the war beyond Virginia, some
remnant of government, the annihilation of
which they had not yet fully realized. We
have said that in these last painful days Of the
COnfederacy there was bat little of dramatic
scene to beiehten and adorn the last act of the
tragedy. No grand catastrophe mounted the
BIQ2e. a t0Ltereu ana lrdVel-StdlQeu army
moved through the woods and on blind roads,
with sraggllng distressed trains, It's march
dotted with dead and famished soldiers, until
broken down by toll and hunger it quietly sur
rendered, and, with mere instrument of
writing laid down its 1arms at Appomattox
Court House. Richmond had been deserJed
without a conferences; there had been no final
scene at the council board, no high debate, no
official speech or inspiration that could pro-
perly mark The great historical interest of the
event. 1t was vulgar tumult in which the
Confederate capital had been abandoned. Tame
and unworthy were the last days of an empire
whose prov had once challenged the admi-
ration of the world, whose arms had twice
penetrated the enemY's territory whose two
hundred cannon had belO wed for peace on the
heights of Gettysburg, whose camp-ires had
more than once been lighted in the Veiy fore
ground of Washington.
But in this poverty of scenery and incident in
which the Southern Conlcderacg persisted, there
was yet remarkable interview or council
which has heretofore been lost to the current
and popular histories Of the War--a scene which,
though taking place on a small and obscure
theatre, veiled from public knowledge, is OF in-
tense dramatic interest, and Is likely yet to fur
nish the last illuminated page to some artistic
historian of the war; who. like Mqcaulay shall
produce the very images OF the past along with
the record OF events. 1t was the last interview,
the last conference of Jefferson Davis and his
officers. II took place in little town in South
Carolina; it was known only to the few men
who assembled there with their fugitive chief;
yet it was properly the last scene Of the wars
great drama. 1t had dignity that had not yet
appeared in the final chapter OF misfortune, and
it is memorable alike for its artistic effects and
its historical Importance.
The eX-President of the Confederacy had
issued at Danvile, Virginia, an ingenious and
sangune proclamation, which possibly might
have aroused his countIYmen to further efforts
in the war, had not the effusion been checked
by the news OF General Lees surrender. This
event appeared to determine the last hopes OF
the Southern people, TO convince them that
further prosecution of the war was useless, and
even criminal in fruiless consumption of
human life. Not so with Mr., Davis. He was
remarkable for sanguine temperament; he
had that disposition, at once imperious and
weak, which, demanding that all things must
be as it wishes, believes them so; and what the
world thought the swollen boasts of desperate
and falling leader were really the sincere illu-
6ions of proud man who never, indeed fully
realized the extremity of his cause until 1.-THE
iron entered his SOUP in the casemates of For
tress Monroe. In his strangely deliberate aud
leisurey retreat through the Carolinas, he had
not appeared for a moment to realize that he
was fugitive and he looked with complacency
upon the disordered fragments of the army that
had gathered on the line OF his flight and that
pursued it with a vague and uncertain design.
An officer who was constantly in his company
in what might be thought days of anguish and
despair TO the fallen chief, testihes:-"Mr. Davis
was apparently untouched by any of the de.
mOrallZation which prevailed-he was atfable
dignifed, and looked the very personidcatiOn
of high and undaunted courage" He yet per
sisted that the cause was not lost, although Lee
had surrendered, although Johnston had furled
his banners without battle, and although ali
that was visible of the great armies that had
stood from Richmond to Augusta, on the dom
nR1t lines OF the war, were the less than one
thousand soldiers, fragments OF bripades that