Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-24
His Alleged Completely in
the Assassination of
President Lincoln.
Mr.. Davis Travels i'm Europe.
His Probable Future Career.

IA'Ci, thC journey was pIuIoI9Cu lOI
four days
At Greenville, Mississippi, where the
boat arrived on Sunday last, the news
spread that president Davis" was on
board, and a crowd of nearly one hundred
persons eagerly rushed to the cabin to
have look, or more fortunately, to get
shake of the hand from their former
chieftain. The same thing was repeated
when the boat stopped at Helena, Arkan-
sas. 1t was noticeable that many color
ed persons displayed as much interest and
enthusiasm as the white people, and
seemed equally gratifed to get few
kindly words from the man about whom
such extraordinary associations clustered.
Mr.. DAVIS Personnel.
had not before seen Mr.. Davis. /
had pictured him as tall, bony and ca
daverOus. All the engravings and photo
graphs given 10 the public, make these
characteristics more prominent than his
real appearance justifies. His height is
little, if any, above the average. His
face is well shaped, with regular features,
his nose being neither so prominent, nor
so emphasized a Roman, as is usually
conveyed by his photographs. The lower
part of his face is small, not indicating
the pushing, aggressive, or bull-like quail
tiles often noticeable in the contestants of
the political arena, but, on the contrary,
indicating a delicate organization, an
amiable disposition and general culture.
1t is not face expressive Of genius or
greatness. His eyes are blue, and, not
Harir ufaulir,ar hot 10 1.ft -, Iofo
tive and almost visiOnless, add TO the
mildness of his face. His hair is quite
grey, as are his thin whiskers and beard,
and his mustache, which is exceedingly
short, is almost white.
The tones of his voice are pleasant, and
his speech is deliberate and measured
quality seldom possessed by one who is
not natural or trained orator In some
important respects, especially in the tones
of his voice and his manner of speech, he
is almost counterpart of Judge Leavitt,
of this city, save that he is fully ten years
younger than the Judge Mr.. Davis
manner is exceedingly quiet and unobtru-
siye. He does not appear to seek nOto-
| rietv, but rather to avoid it, and the at
| tentiOns paid him were received in as I'M
demOnstrative way as they might be
were he simply well-bred country gen
tleman, instead of having been the pOliti-
| cal head and front of the most memorable
| civil cOnvulsiOn the world has yet wit
| messed. He is a man whom accident has
| forced into position of Fictitious promi-
hence. The quality that makes and
| marks a leader among men, sometimes
called personality" Individuality, "
character" that something which i'm
presses the mind into the mood of his
mind, and carries you along with him,
this Mr.. Davis does not possess.
Mr.. Davis health has greatly improved
| since his release from confinement. His
friends who saw him during the troubled
and anxious times of 1862, 1868 and 1864,
expressed their surprise and qualification
at the marked improvement of his ap-
pearance and general health.
| Mr.. DAVIS AND THE ASSASSINATION PLOT.
| The four days travel on board the
''Great Republic" gave me the Opportu-
| nifty of inquiring of Mr. Davis about Ger
tain matters connected with the rebellion,
of which the true history has yet to be
| written; and not least among them, his
alleged completely IN the plot to assassin
ate President Lincoln. Mr. Davis said
| that, owing to the Closeness of his con
flnement at Fortress Monroe, and his
subsequent travels, he had not even read
what had been alleged against him
| The testimony sworn to at the trial Of
the conspirators before the Military Com
mission at Washington, and which is still
credited by tens of thousands of persons
at the North, is, in brief, as follows:
Testimony of Lewis F. Bates, wit
ness for the prosecution, May 80, 1865,
as published in the official report:
81 reside in Charlotte, North Carolina
where | have resided little over four
years. | am Superintendent of the EX-
press Company for the State of North
Carolina am native of Massachusetts,
On the 18th of April jefferson Davis
stopped at my house in Charlotte, where
he made an address to the people from
the steps of my house While speaking,
| a telegram from John c. Breckenridge was
handed him. "
1.-THE following telegram was read to
the Commission:
'GREENsBORoUGH, April 10, 1866. His
Excellency, President Davis: President
! Lincoln was assassinated in the theater at
| Washington on the night of the l4th inst.
Stewards house was entered ON the same
night, and he was repeatedly stabbed, and
is probably MORALLY wounded.
JOHN {. BRECKINRIuGE.
Gin concluding his speech jefferson
Davis read that dispatch aloud, and made
this remark: If it were to be done, il
were better it were well done. | AM
quite sure these are the words he used.
"a day or two afterward Jefferson
Davis and John c. Breckenridge were
present at my house, when the assassina-
ton of the President was the subject OF
conversation. In speaking of it, John {.
Breckenridge remarked to Mr.. Davis that
he regretted it very much; that it was
unfortunate for the people of the South
at that time Davis replied: well,
General, don't know; if it were to be
done at all, it were better that it were
well done, and if the same had beer
done to Andy Johnson, the beast, anC
to Secretary Stanton, the job woult
then be complete
No other witnesses testified TO these as
sertiOns, though five witnesses were called
in support of the personal character anC
reliability of this witness.
| repeated the main points of this test
mOny to Mr.. Davis, and in his quiet ant
habitually undemonstrative manner he
pronounced the whole thing an entirt
and absolute falsehood.
PRESIDENT DAVIS IN ENGLAND AND SCOT
LAND.
Mr.. Davis conversation giving som,
retrospect of his travels in Great Britain
was deeply interesting Like every edu
Gated American, whose ideal association
with the things of the past, are derived
from books, he seemed to have intensely
enjoyed his visits to the Cathedrals ant
the ruins of mOnasteries and abbeys
which carried him back to the days o
early Christian civilization. His recep
ton in Scotland, he spoke of as particu
larry cordial, and his visits TO differen
points of interest there, as Attending hin
the greatest qualification. The account o
his visit to the Giants Causeway, Staffa
and more especially that TO the Island o
Iona, he narrated with much enthusiasm
Iona, little rocky island which lies few
miles off the west coast of Scotland
noted for its curious basaltic columns ant
cathedral-like cayerns, but now desOlat'
and barren, he pictures as it once existed
the seat of learning and piety, and tn
point whence Christianity is said to haY
spread over the whole of Great Britain
He visited the mementoes of its pas
glory, its ruined monasteries, crosses an