The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-27
Jem. Davi. In Pri.on-H,. Mode of Life.

From the Gsulois
Mr.. JEFF. Davis, ex-presdent of the Confederate
States of America, is among US, with his wife,
whose heroism is equal to the harshness of her
destiny. He comes to see Paris and seek a re-
treat to which be can bring in week his children,
left temporarily in America. Nothing can be more
simple than this man, who is experienced, like our
fathers of 1872, and who, like them, sent suddenly
to all points of the Southern States many armies
as the French Republic opposed to the coalition
His chest is not hollow, and his body supports an
admirable head, Joined to broad shoulders by q
rather thin neck. His forehead is ample, his hair
gray, his contour rather bullying, in which are set
clear blue eyes, which are very soft, yet observ-
ing. His face is thin, his cheek.bones prominent,
and consequently his cheeks appear hollow. The
nose is aquiline and like an eagles beak. His
mouth is rather large and indicative of goodness
and resolution !; his chin prominent. The ensemble
OF that ascetic face is now mixture of meditation
and indulgence.
JEFF. Davis speaks mildly, and his face expands
as he smiles. He is naturally slow in expressing
his ideas in our language, which he constantly
mixes up with idioms from his own tongue. He is
quiet in gesture and in recrimination; but his
phrases in the mother tongue are well rounded
concise and neat. Has experience, in the failure
Of better or stronger combinations, rendered him
less positive or does he always proceed, in the
expression of his ideas, less in an absolute than
dubious way 1t is true, he feels his way in our
language.
He has remained true to the principles of slavery,
but modified, as he admits. He comedies rights
to the negro race which can pr0Ue that il Is born
to enjoy them and made to understand them
but. at bottom, he is convinced that the African
and the Caucasian races cannot assimilate. As to
the rest, the extreme violence which the exigen.
cies Of the antslavery party caused, the effect Of
which was the sudden ruin Of the Southern people,
was, in his opinion the consequence of the re.
sistance which the latter made.
Here, JEFF Davis is fully enjoying all the curiosi-
ties that Paris affords, which he finds very beauti-
full, and which he untiringly visits all the day.
As to his material life he does not care as to his
food, breakfasting on slice of bread and butter
and cup of coffee, and dining on two dishes.
Morally, his courage, his views, his strictness,
his exquisite probity, the example of all his de.
votedness, his self denials his good faith to his
principles-to which he has sacrificed everything,
for which he has suffered every thng-the placidity
Of an apostle, and the commiseration Of martyr
fer his enemies, his resignation and serenity-all
these have made JEFF. Davis a rare and great
man-so great that, in the midst of our modern
civilization, one cannot come near him without the
utmost respect.
Mr.. JEFF Davis dined on New Years day at the
residence Of his old representative at Paris, Mr..
Slidell The dinner was quite private, aud Mrs.
Davis, in mourning for her mother, was not there.