Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-05-13


Speaking Of the conduct of the war on
the part of the South, Mr.. StepkSns critic
cised It. as extremely iunwise.os sItI ought
IF the resources of the South had been
properly economized, instead of being
wasted in aggressive battles, the North Il
would certainly have been worried into Il
giving up the contest Then in fewiIi
years the South would have gone back to-
the Union without doubt, for the dream
of a separate nationality would soon have
been diSpelled! The great error of the /
North, he thought was in adopting the
policy of coercion. If South Carolina had |
been permitted to go, and q few other |
States with. her, secession would soon have |
been at an end The South was getting |
very hsick aof it,Ewhenie the call for 75,00O |
troops cameD out a. tariff of twenty, per |
cent? on every thing produced In the scoune
try had been levied by the Montgomery
Congress, andait had caused p Eisein-priees
and great discomfort. One thing after an
that secession was foolish Undertaking,
but when troops were catied for TO invade
the South the tide Immediately turned the
other way and the sspafatiOnists triumPh-
ed everywhere. = He regarded JET. Davis as
a man OF M kind heart, Who s. meant y well 1 il
or q nation IN a time Ike that Of the late
war. He would listen TO no advice, and
/ heed no warning Because he wanted to
succeed, he thought therefore he must, and
he had no idea Of giving up the contest nm
broken. ana that he must evae1ate Rich.
mond. The capture Of Jeff.2 Davis, Mr..
Stephens thought a great faux pas for the
I North; bettersfa good deal haVefllet him
60 wherever he wanted to 60. asked
where Davis was going when he was
captured. n Mr.. Stephens said he didn't
lrr1a I'M
self. He seemed to- him to be run
ming about like a gad-hy in q stable, after
the boys had taken his eyes out bobbing
up and down, running against Everything
and hitting everything, utterly unconscious
Of what he was doing or where he was GO
ing. He believed the Government would
release Davis without any trial. The Su-
preme Court decision In the Injunction
cases would have an Important bearing on
! that trial. If the Injunction was mot
granted, he could not see how Davis could
be tried for treason-fof the refusal would
/ convey with it the assertion that the South
ern States were not States of the Union and
therefore their citizens could not have been
/ guilty Of treason in nrebelling. This seemed
+ to him to be the light IN which Charles
O'Conor, who was counsel IN both cases,
slI remained at Mr. Stephens residence
/ that evening and during the following day
until train time. He ex xpressed great won
der when / told him Of my intended de-
parture, and begged ME 6 stay week and
| See the country" or, in any event, to
'.come back this way, !" and call to see him
again. l spent Friday evening in conyer-
sation with him, and found him the most
delightful and inexhaustible talker had
ever listened to-. Many of the events con-
nected with the war, with which was al
ready familiar. he related TO me
with such an interesting and attract.
ever eve Known anything of them and
listened to them as to somethifg
entirely new and startling. He spoke Of
the Hampton Roads conference as having
been consented to by JEFF. Davis only to
ttwart another proposition looking to
peace and reunion. The vConfederate Con-
gress was about to pass joint resolution
in favor of a cessation of hostilities, for the
purpose of calling a national conv vention TO
settle all existing differences. Davis want
ed to defeat this, by making the Southern
people believe that the North would accept
no terms but an unconditional surrender,
and this he thought the Hampton Roads
conference would accomplish. Mr.. Ste
phens on his return from Hampton Roads
"eeayineea-- t--=the-Se1theFn
cause was lost, and told jeff. Da-
Wis so, IS. but Davis wouldn't believe
it, He soon after started for his home in
Charlottesville, where he remained until
Fort Warren. He is now engaged in coll
lecting and arranging the materials, for a
book to, be styled "The, War, Its Causes,
Conduct and Results 1t will be in two
volumes, the first to appear about the close
of the present year. He told me he would
say very little about battles or tlc-felds,
for be has an utter lOathing for them. He
holds that war degrades any people that
engages in it, and retards instead of adj
vapees civilization. His book will be on
the war in its relation to civil liberty aud
republican government in thiscountry and
throughout the world.r., is.5ssssf-tr qfIf lir
Respecting the present political contest
in the South, he desires no public express
sion of his views. As one VINO is disfran-
chised and paroled prisoner, he feels it
prudent for him to keep quiet and take no
part in public affairs. 4 shall therefore say
nothing in this letter touching his position
on the question of reconstruction under the
Military law. He converses freely on the
subject and has no hesitation, in giving his
opinion when asked in his own house, He
does SO, however with an injunction that
no public use shall be made of what he say S
on the subject, and he has a right to demand
this much. No man in. the country loves
the American Union more than he does,
and more sincerely desires its preservation;
no one is more artently devoted to consti-
tutiOnal liberty than he; no one is less 9
monarehist or an aristocrat, or more Of 8
republican. He takes little interest in par
ties, except as they tend to promote the
cause to which be is so warmly attachl d.
and views all questions as philosopher
rather than as politician b. .ioty5. .,ri.,
i regretted very much as the hour of two
arrived yesterday afternoon, that must
leave this good and wise old gentlemen anC
his hospitable roof. under which had been
so well entertained for twenty -four hours
AS bade him goodbye be shook me cor
daily by the hand aud told me he wished
men travelling through here from the Nortl
would stop and see him often." He is fonC
of company, and doubt if any one can bt
his guest an hour without being charmed
by his good nature, his simplicity of man
ners, his genial hospitality, his vast fund 0
| information, and his bright intellect which
illumines every subject you can suggest t
| him. a '@N''ai MACK.