Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1870-07-30
MaNAss,s


ADVANCE an NAsiiiNGEoN-rNfph
IlsmEn CORRESPONDENCE DETWEE'
PRESIDENT DAVIS AND GKN, ,, h
JOHNSTON.
Fra, a. ls,A-.a Mss Ciaiilnl
Mr Stephens FIRST g0lume, eniiilsi 'ih'
Mar nsiEegn The Sigifs, Is . eonintniiei
10 hisiary which has adlel more iasiTe q
his nams ihah an else Ae has accomplished
A. AZ inquiry inia ihe naiare of the Gov
srautnt " the uniiel States, OF of The na,
tuas 4 ths urien, which vas established
IN lis original hamsTs, il is available
No amonAi n spsrisl pleading esn over
turn iha Historical truths be has cited, and
ths lslnfsions that logically follos them
ani Nhieh place the snliFe responsibility
Il The rapiuN Nkish oesrrrsi bsiaeen 'hs
States UPON lhs party In lhe AeFlheFs,
States which, having repeatedly violated
fundamental conditions q the compact
hnally succeeded ia obtaining power ~ .
strictly sectional vote for the accomplish
neat ~ al their schemes sgainsl the ml'
naTiiy section,
ia ihs second V0,u.e, as ne lsarn by q
review Of some advance sheets skeiehed Ia
ihe Augusta Consliiuilonalisi, this inVes'
iigsiion Is silll further prosecuted, ahd the
facts Of history unfollel 30 as 10 eoasil'
iuie a e0mplele Vinllealion of tie South
ern States for the part they have Aelei,-
This contribution Is all the more valuable
because Il l. nom the pen OF a statesman
Nho was never elassel as a "Souiherh ex'
iremlsi," but the reverse.
Jaiglns lfom the glimpse The consiiiu'
iloRalisi has afforded the public Of the con-
tents Of the second volume, Il would have
been well FOR the fame OF Mr.. Stephens
and his reliability as an Impartial hislo'
rlan II he had stopped here. lie has been
less accurate IN stating the details OF the
formation OF the Confederate slaies Gov.
ernment aud IN describing the conduct OF
the war, than In tracing the responsibility
OF the conflict 10 its true source. Ito has
committed several errors Of fact which are
scarcely exeusable In one occupying his
position and who has undertaken TO write
for posierliy. one Of these errors render
ell necessary the publication OF the follow
ing correspondence. IL Is the state nent
Tat President Davis "was responsible for
the failure Of The Confederate troops to nd
vance after the victory Of Manassas The
original Of this correspondence has been
Ia the possession OF the writer since II oc-
CURED, and would probably have remained
among tho secret hidden things cfthe Con
fcderacy, II the story, often repeated hy
ambitious penny.a- liners and vcnal serib-
blers, had not found nm enduring place in
20 imposing work as the history OF the
war by the Confederate States Nicc-Presi-
dent.
Mr.. Davis himself is silent. During the
war, when the object of the persecution
of ignorance and malice combined, he for
bore TO speak because the disclosures which
he would have been compelled 10 make in
his own defense would have operated in
iuriously to the cause with which the hopes
of his countrymen were bound up. And
since its disastrous termination, not only
has he been in no condition TO engage in
controversy, but lie has been restrained TO
silence by other motives which ought 10
have protected him from misrepresentation
if not criticism.
Upon the point raised by MIR. Stephens,
the following correspondence is conclusive.
On the testimony of Gen. J. L. Johnston,
il is established that if the victory Mt Ma
nassas was succeeded by n fatal blnhder,
as tho historian in,i,iates his belief, it was
not attributable to President Davis.
,.o,iI ;rieni;nnnllv mar Ills bool, bv tbc
yro ye error which This correspondcncc con.
ss;c,s Lin ~ having committr,;, we trust
,,,o, :, lao bcen hr,ugbt IN His notice in
,;mo IN oImi, nf correction before his vol.
,n,o 10 ;ssned from ihc moss
Tin h;sinr;cal vo,ue If the corrcsnond.
oraa ;s onhonccd Inv ;,s revcloti,n Of the
un,i ,oai causes ,hot nrcvented nm advance Of
IA ~ ranrejcraiea S% after thcir success nt Ma.
nossss
'"'''''' CORRESPONDENTS.
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