Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1869-05-20
THE AUTHORS ANNOUNCEMENT.


| have long meditated writing the life
of Jefferson Davis, and divulging in this
work mass Of curious and extraordinary
information which have possessed con-
corning the private and interior history
of his government in Richmond. 1t was
most remarkable singularity of the
Southern Contederacy, that, though hold
ing out to the world the forms of repub-
licau government, 1t was as closely vellcd
in its operations, as secret and recluse,
as the most absolute and arrogant des-
potism thus many things happened be-
hind that curtain which Mr.. Davis so
studiously soread before his government,
of which the world has yet no knowledge,
and of which even people living in Rich
mond, and in the shadow of that govern
ment, have had only the faiutest percep-
ton, or, at best, chequerod and upper
feet revelation.
The writer may say, without vanity or
self-asser:ion, that he is peculiarly fitted
to be the biographer of Jefferson Davis.
He was near him during the whole war
he had occasion to study his character as
siduously. and to pursue him in his ad-
ministration with curious and critical
industry and his opportunities as jour
naiist in Richmond enabled him to learn
much of the yelled mysteries and inner
scenes of the weak and malous govern
mens thet wrecked tho fortunes of the
Southern CoHfederacy. The writer thus
obtained much of the secret and unwrit-
ten history of the Coufcderacy. involving
Mr.. Davis, -information which, for OBJ
yious causes he could not give to the
newspaper press, and which, since the
war, he has not yet published IN any OF
his memories for peculiar and impressive
reasons.
The fact is, the writer has been for q
long time persuaded by friends, standing
between him and the Confederate p.esl-
dent to withhold the work he now contem-
plates, as it was thought it might be used
apains. Mr.. Davis on his expected trial,
or might infame against him fatal pre-
judice For this reason alone the writer
has for long time deferred the publica-
ton he has now determined upon, and hs
NAV claim that in this he has shown an
extreme and punctilious regard for Mr..
Davis safety. But he can no longer de-
fer to this solicitude for Mr.. Davis; il
has become mere punctillo, since there
is no longer now q reasonable expectation
that the ex-president will ever be brought
to trial, or be disturbed in the foreign
land in which he is reported to have de-
scended to the commonplaces of trade and
au unnoticed existence. At least, il
would be unreasonable that the writer
should longer weigh calculation SO ten
der and remote against debt severely
due to history.
Jefferson Davis should have IN acute
and truthful biographer- who would
do something more than echo the shallow
clamors and interested opinions of the
day. Whatever the estimate of his per-
son, ho performed a great part in history;
and bis character, mixed, angular. abound
ing in surprises, full of caprices and ap-
parent Inconsistencies, is precisely that
which affords the most interesting and
vivid subjects for biography. The VIII
ter is conscious of attempting high AID
diffi-ult task-an extraordinary work.
He comes to it not only with ample liter
airy preparation, but with an unusual an
imation. He has been accused of person
al hostility to Mr.. Davis and is to-day
perhaps, in all his literary capacities,
most widely known to the country as cen
sor of the Confederate chief. He repels
the accusation of any prejudice in the
very front Of his work he is able aud
willing to do exact justice to Mr.. Davis ;
and if he ever attacked him, it was through
supreme devotion to great cause aud
from Just resentment towards the man
who misguided and wrecked it.
Those who suppose that they will Ind
in the work of the writer a defamation
against Mr.. Davis mere amplitude OF
rhetoric. or an excess of passion will be
disappointed. The writer signs to give
Jasts-many of them new, and all Of
them capable of distinct and impressive
evidence. He proposes to address HIM
self to the serious and inevitable hlStorf-
cal question Who were responsible for
the failure of the Southern Confeaeracy
and on this issue he viii insist on asser-
ting that rule. familiar 10 the world, that
these who assume power arc responsible
for Is discharge according to the exact
measure of their assumption, aud that
responsibility in any great cause Is not to
n. Snuandercd through suhorliuateS. -