Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-08-12


II sip Aboas eoaxhern Leaders.
From the oJew Yorkspos
\ Mr. Edward A Pollard, late Of Riel
mond, Va, has written Iarge. octa'
volume entitled Life Of Jefsrsap 1svi
with . Secret History Of the souuhel
4 Confederacy, gathersd Behind Il
Scenes in RichmoEd,' containing cul
Gus and extraordinary information
the principal Southern characters in II
late war; Here are some of his jud
ments:
jefferson Davis twas as wax in ii
hands of his wife," and removed ii
most Important officer in his govern
ment "because he had presumed TO cri
icise Mrs. Dayis's figure.n He Wv;
pleased with the yerieSt Jacks in ofsc
and would take tribute TO his vanity
the smallest coin;" he was 1.-THE eas
prey of the most unworthy adventures
who understood the approaches to b.
favor" lpages 157, 15S. He stopped
dishonest afterthought, a shallow an
miserable subterfuge," to excuse .h
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. tpage ISL. His cor
duct towards johnson inflicted 'upo
him (Davis) an indelible disgrace,
(page 2S5.) He was "a ruler whose pr
vate obstacles were superior TO all cor
siderations of public interest; nervous
iil-tempered person, making his govern
ment a fretful distribution of his pei
sonal likes and dislikes, page 206.) Nj
Pollard insists constantly that the rea
son Davis did not retaiiate upon tn
Union prisoners. was because be wa
afraid he would suffer for it if the rebel
lion should fail.
Nor does the "Presidentess," as b.
oddly calls Mrs. Davis, fare better will
this historian. Mrs. Davis was ''exces
sively coarse and physical in her per
son, its natural defects "had been re
paired neither by the grace of manner,
nor the chances OF conversation. Mrs
Davis was brawny, able-bodied woman
Her complexion was tawDy
even to the point of mulattoisni, woman
loud and coarse in her manners" moi
such a one as Mr.. Davis would naturally
like, although she might well have
the submission fsuch crea-
ture by the force of her character -
(pages 154-155.
The Confederate Congress comes next
in the order of criticism. 1t was ga Pc
est and most insane bodies that ever
met, ia mere servile appendage to an
autocracy the most supreme of modern
.imes,n (page 1872. 1t gave ''in the per-
ION of its own members an exhibition
If the most arrant cowardice and the
neanest seifishness, an exhibition al
most incredible and unparalleled"
page 203.) THUS meanly expired a
legislative body remarkable in the an
lals of the world fer its weakness and
ignorance whose record was a constant
of the Confederate name, NJ
page 457.
Mr.. Memminger, Mr.. Davis's Secretary
# the Treasury, "knew even less of
hese matters than himself, competed
With him in ignorance" and the two
made up their finance together of "gro- |
esque and abusrb fanciesn page ia.
other members of the Cabinet are as |
veil spoken of as this one. Davis's
light hand man in Richmond was Gen.
raj Winder, of Maryland; "a name"
8 he, in this case justly says, "thac
thousands of living persons yet recall
nth horrorn This "head jailor of the
was near sixty years of
ge; his hair was white and tutfy, and
at distance he had a patriarchal ap-
earance. But his face was q picture of
ruelty-a study for an artist; harsh,
ry face, cruel eyes, not muddy, a. from
emper, but with a clear, cold light In
hem, faded, poisonous mouth, on
'hich smile seemed mockery,p (page
Is. ).He was corrupt, avaricious, treach-
rols vet had absolute power over Rich
,ond for wears mage 2ig.l1 2'sla
Rnf the enemies Of Mr. Davis do poti
.en, to nlease Mr.. Pollard any bbetterit
IAN his friends .Goyeruor .Tosephl
rovn of Georvia. twas the coarse.
bese Prinee5 of Southern dep,aeovues,ii
,age 2i2A He mad been a SSandhiIfI
racker in Soutb Carolina and became
noisv. cumming and false politicjanil
mage 2iS.} 5Faz fa
Foote and Boyee. the two members of
,e, Richmos,d congress who insisted !
! an apgressiye conduct of the war !
ere ueitfler miserable time servers. or II
,eps and Infamous conspirators' page d
lS'1 = = - II 75G < go IN - s
Tn this ocean az abu.e it would bel
range. indeed gjf the nation did not
\, 81 share. and. accordingly. we find Q
,ery vie epiti,et which the passions of c
.e war suggested to the demaeoguesi 7
no tried to ssfire the Southern hearth I
are reapplied. in cold blood and upon 8
listoricalp grounds. to the conduct oil t
Ie war for the Union. 1.-THE North t
,came insolent and ferocious as il r
lined successes at had practiced q
ltrapes and shown a savage dispose r
DuD from the beginning of the war. >
II when assured Of victory it took are- +
'isals of vengeance for what the Mort b
nd suffared:, its ..atrocitiesu form ii 0
tense. disfieuring chapter of horrors"
ace ssS.) Sheridan We'd with ShersI {
an. .sand appeared to envy him for the n
of the ruffiian and the incen-it :
aryu page 46I.) The wailing oil IA
omen and Children. the starvation and r
,melesspess of families. the completed y
ISOLATION of whole districts. Wwas a G
easing MATURE to millions in the l
orth who regarded IL as a sign of their t
,wer or a token Of their friumph. who Ii
= r Il =