The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-10-23

Southern Home Journal, a new literary
paper, just started at Baltimore, an arti-
Gle on the 'J.ast Council Board of the
Southern Confedcracy," from which we
select the following:
The fall of Richmond was the fatal
event of the Confcderacy. The black ban
ner which the smoke from lis confagra-
tion set in the sky signalcd from the Po-
tomac to the Mississippi the end Of the
war, the despair and submission of the
South. 1t was under that sign that the
army of Gen. Ice commenced it's toilsome
retreat, and the train of officials set out
to find some theater of the war beyond
Virginia, some remnant Of Il government,
the annihilation of which they had not yet
fully realized We have said that i'll these
last painful days of the Confcderacy there
was but little of dramatic scene to height
en- and adorn the last act Of the tragedy.
No grand catastrophe mounted the stage.
A tattered and travel-stained army moved
through the woods and on blind roads,
with struggling, distressed trains. IFS
marcl, dotted with dead and famished
soldiers, until broken down by toll and
hunger, it quietly surrendered, and, with
a mere instrument of writing, laid down
its arms at Appamattox Court House.
Richmond had been deserted without
conference there had been no final scene
at the council board, no high debate no
official speech or inspiration that could
properly mark the great historical inter
est of the event. Ii was vulgar tumult
to which the Confederate capitol had been
abandoned. Tame and unworthy were
the last days of an empire whose prowcss
had once challenged the admiration OF
the world, whose arms bad twice pcnctra-
ted the enemy's territory, whose two
hundred cannon had beloved for peace
on the heights OF Gettysburg whose camp
fires had more than oacc been lighted in
the very foreground of Washington.
But in this poverty Of scenery and in
cident in which the Southern Confederacy
pcrished, there was yet ore remarkable
interview or council which has heretofore
been lost to tie current and popular his
tories of the war-a scene which, though
taking place on n small and obscure thea
ter vailed from public knowledge, is Of
intense dramatic interest, and is likely yet
to furnish the last Illuminated page to
some artistic historian of the war, who,
like Macaulay, shall produce the very i'm
ages of the past along with the record OF
events. 1t was the last interview, the
last conference of Jefferson Davis and his
officers. 1t took place in Il little town in
South Carolina; it was known only to
the few men who assembled there with
their fugitive chricf; yet it Was properly
the last scene of the wars great drama.
1t had q dignity that had not yet appear
ed in the final chapter Of misfortune, and
it is memorable alike for its artistic effects
and historical Importance.
The cX-president of the Confederacy
had issued at Danville, Va: an ingenious
and sanguinc proclamation which possibly
might have aroused his countrymen to
further efforts in the war had not the cffu-
sion been checked by the news of Gen.
Ices surrender. This event appeared to
determine the last hopes Of the Southern
people, 10 convince them that further
prosecution OF the war was useless, and
even criminal in truitlcss consumption
of human life Not so with Mr.. Davis
He was remarkable fora sanguine temper
ament; he had that disposition, at once
imperious and weak, which demanding
that all things must be as it wishes, be-
licvcs them so; and what the world
thought the swollen boasts of q desperate
and falling leader were really the sincere
illusions of proud man who never, in
deed. fully realized the extremity of his
cause until 'thc iron entered his SOUL in
the cascmatcs of Fortress Monroe. In
his strangely deliberate and lcisnrcly re-
treat through the Carolinas, he had not
appeared for IL moment to realize that he
was fugitive, and he looked with COM
placcncy upon the dissolved fragments Of
the army that had gathered on the line Of
his flight. and that pursued It with Il
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, tcstifcs (:
'Mr. Davis was apparently untouched by
any of the Generalization which prevailed
lie WAS affablc, dignifed and looked the
very pcrsonification of high and undaunl-
ed courage" He yet persisted that the
cause was not lost, although Lee had sur,
rendered. although Johnston had furled
his banners without battle, and although
all that was visible Of the great armies
that bad stood from Richmond to Angus
ia. on the dominant lines of the war, were
then less than one thousand soldiers, frag
mcnts of brigadcs that assembled around
him at Abbcvilc, South Carolina, when
he paused there for final council with
his generals.
There is something curious, even pain,
full, in this delusfoh, yet admirable ana
sublime. The ex-prcsidcnt refused T.. 70
read the word failure" which the puollc
h"d c'lI nronounccd against him, and which
I,"I II" ,niaLt have seen written IN the faces
NV ms It'll ,nd disniritcd soldiers who