The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-06-24


We have not thought il worth while 10
warn our people against any sort OF en-
enlargement to a book purporting TO be Il
record of the life of Jefferson Davis and
70 reveal the secret history of the Con-
federacy, by f. A. Pollard. The char
acter of the man is so notOriously bad,
that his name attached to any publication
warns the public confidence away from IT,
precisely a. people are cautioned not 70
approach pest-house with smallpox,
written over its door way.
The man who buys the last book ct the
common defamer whose name is associa-
ted with it, contributes to the support OF
the worst class Of enemies the South has
ever had. When her struggle for indie
pendence was progressing, under the
cuise of supporting her cause, Pollard
EMPLOYED the printing material which was
at his service, to undermine her govern
ment. breed disafiection, and to destroy
the homes and confidence of the people.
When their cause was lost, he purchased
the favors of the most ungenerous and
ignobIe of her foes by slandering the
leaders who had been put forward as their
representatives, chief of whom is Mr..
Davis, whose biographer he has presumed
to become.
The fact is not germane TO the subject
of his book, butt illustrates his character,
and is therefore worthy of mention-that
although Pollard professed to be an editor
of newspaper devoted to the fortunes of
the Confederacy during the war, he after
wards, for the sake Of thousand dollar
clerkship in the New York Custom-housc,
took the iron-clad oath.
But the object of these paragraphs Is to
introduce the following notice Of Pollard Z
last publication. by Gen. w. NJ. Browne,
in the Augusta Press, who was member
of Mr.. Davis personal staff during a por-
ton of the war, and always enjoyed his
confidence and esteem:
From the Augusta Press.
The National Publishing Company have
sent us advanced sheets of a book called the
Life of jefferson Davis, with secret lis
tory of the Southern Confederacy, by Ed
ward a Pollard.
A very cIrsory view of the insolcnt as
sumption, false pretences. and low malice,
displayed in few pages, suliiced to convince
us that the waMe basket was the proper re-
ceptacle for such trash.
A runaway body servant of the eN-Prest
dent, named Jim, published some year or
two ago. sketch OF the life of Jefferson
Davis. which we consider far more reliable,
less indecent, and less slanderous than any
thing Pollard could write. Jim saw the eN-
President every day, and talked with him
and heard him talk. In the daily perform
ance of his mental duty, he had opportuni-
ties OF observation Of and contact with the
President and the Government officials
thief and ran away from his master to es-
cape the punishment of his crime, but he
never failed. i'm his book even, To respect Mr.
Davis or the Southern gentlemen whose
boots he may have BACKED, or whose hats hc
may have brushed.
On the whole, as Pollard never spoke %
Mr.. Davis one word in his life, and never
saw him except passing in the street, and
had no intercourse Of any sort with the Gov
eminent except in the person of some dis
affected clerk, we prefer for the present the
runaway negro Jim's life of his master.
1t is true that Pollard enjoyed a residence
i'm Richmond during the war, under an eX-
emption as a newspaper employee, but the
fact that he saw Mr.. Davis cross the capitol
square, or ride through the streets, did not
give him the means of writing the life aud
secret history of the Confederate Chief 10 "A
quarter the extent enjoyed by Jim.