The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-06-01
IN JNrERnrEw WITH MIR. DAVIS.
His appearance and Conversation.
Tribute to the Hero ofthe Lost Cause.
Correspondence Of the New York %Tribune.]

Correspondence Of the New York Tribune.]
COLUMBIA, s. c.. May %.
Jefferson Davis arrived here on Tuesday OH
business connected with the life Insurance.
company Of which he Is president. l was in
PRODUCED to him yesterday in a lawyers Office,
where he was holding an Informal reception,
aud had a half-llonr's conversation. Mr.. Davis
bears little resemblance 10 the pictures With
which every BODY was familiar during the war,
and he might walk the streets OF any Northern
city without a chance of being known by peo~
pie VIII have seen only his photographs. Ia
/ found seated conspicnously In the midst of
about a dozen persons a quietlooking
gentleman of medium height, with graz
hairs, thin gray beard and mustache,
light blue eyes, slightly aquiline nose,
rather sallow and sunken cheeks. anu
high, wrinkled forehead, dressed with
scTupulous neatness in a suit Of somewhat
worn black clothes. This was the guiding
spirit OF the great rebellion. Nothing in hl3
appearance Indicated remarkable ability Or
genius. When | was presented By an eX-Con'
lederale general, he arose and greeted me
with a pleasant, cordial manner, continuing
OF first 4 conversation already begun upon
cotton planting. Afterward he spoke oil the
Imprisonment Of the Tribune's correspondents
in Washington, saying that he remembered 9
similar instance when he was in the Senate.
a reporter named Nugent was taken into Gus
tody for refusing TO tell where he got some III
formation relating to dolngs IN Executive
| session, and q thorough search was made to
see ii there was not som place about the
! chamber where he could have concealed him
| self; but no discovery was made, excepsi u
large black cat that was found above the cell
Ing. Nugent was released after q few days, s
| senator having acknowledged that he haG
given the information, and thought there was
no harm in it.
Mr.. Davis carefully avoided politics during
the conversation, saying that he did not desire
that publicity should be given to his opinions
on political subjects. There was some talk
about The present condition OF the negroes,
and he expressed the opinion, which appearn
to be generally entertained by tlloushtlul anG
obserrant Southern men, that the black race
In the United States is diminishing In numbers,
and will ultimately disappear. He said thai
the negroes did not give proper care TO their
Young children. and to their sick, and now
that the whites had no Interest In caring Tor
them they were dying rapidly. He thought
that ultimate extinction was the inevitable
tate of the race. asked il he thought there
| was any tendency among the negroes Oh the
more Northern oil the former slave States
to emigrate to the Gulf States. He did
not believe there was. A number OF
negroes had been brought into Missis--
sippi from North Carolina and Other
| States, by the agents OF large planters, but The
movement did not originate with the blacks.
Those who would be benefited by emigration
were too Ignorant and too poor to move, and
the more Intelligent were doing we'll where
they were, and had no object 10 leave thelr
homes. Mr.. Davis told of one of his former
slaves. a man ''as black as the ten OF spades,'
| who had bought two plantations in Misslssipp:,
one of Mr.. Davis, and one of his brother, from
| which he had sold 2l00 bales Of cotton lust
year. He wrote a good hand, kept accounts
well, and had his agents IN st. Louis, VINO dl1
not suspect they were dealing with a blaca
man. Such instances oil business talent
among the negroes Mr.. Davis thought were
very rare. AS a rule they had SHOWN no
ability 10 accumulate property.
Mr.. Davis spoke in a deliberate way, and In
a low and pleasing tone oil voice, instead Oh
that of q self-reliant man who has played q
prominent part in history. Instead OF looking
into the faces oil his listeners, he looked down
ward In the half.difident way OF one who he's
cultivated O habit OF seeking to escape obser.
WALTON, and, as he spoke, he frequent y spread
his hands out and tapped the ends OF nls MI
gers together. The general impression lie
made was that Of a man WHO has experienced
great trials and mislortuEes, and has lost al
ambition for The future. me cohveIsatlcG
was nearly all upon commonplace SUBJECTS, ahc
was constantly Interrupted by the arrival and
Introduction OF new corners and the departure
OF men who had only remained a fen
minutes. The manner Of The. people pre-
sent toward him was one Of great respect
mingled with affectionate regard. One o;c
gentleman addressed him as "Mr. President
SSn1 said. "You are still my President, and a..
Ways will be-" Mr.. Davis smiled In q hal.
melancholy way, but maoe no reply. Another,
In taking leave, said he had q numerous family
of rebels who would pay their respects IN TIE
evening, at which Mr.. Davis made some humor
Gus reference to the numerous family Of Johr
Rogers. All the callers appeared TO carefully
AVOID any reference to me wal, perhaps on a.
thew preferred not TO have for a listener. II
The evening the "ex.President," as he !
usually designated, held q reception at Genera
preston:s house, one OF the few mansions .
the old first families that the soldiers OF Sher
man spared in their march through tE'
State. A stream OF people came and wen
for an hour and q half. Much the Create
number were ladies, whose warm greeting
told how dear the fallen chief Of the lost cau5
still Is 10 them. ! am told that with the me-
here he Is not so popular, the great family
the Rhetts, with q numerous following na2
inr created a coldness toward him by charg
ing the failure OF the Conlederacy 10 his stun
bornness and INCOMPETENCE. Whlie MI. OaVl
received his quests with atfabillty, his face Vii
by no means Insignificant. He had q high
broad forehead, and the general expression J
his courtenance was that OF a man OF study
culture aud experience; but his face was NJ
that which a ~physiOgnOmist would select j
one belonging TO a leader in any great enter
prise. at one time during The reception,
throng of pretty children dressed IN whit
came up the steps, and Mr. Davis came out q
the gloomy parlor upon the broad piazza al
greeted the little ones afIectionately, giving
Kind word to each, and taking the smallest :
his arms TO kiss.
After the reception there was a concert in
|, little hall attached TO one OF inc notes. al
!, Davis attended the concert, coming III AT!
the audience were nearly all assembled. VINE
he entered, the people ali rose 10 lheir lee'
showing as much respect as SUBJECTS 40 10
king, and they remained standing nntl II
was seated, when they gave MIN q long r9uI,
of applause. at which lie bowed and smiled
At the close OF the concert, the pianlst playe'
1.-THE Bonnie Blue Flag" WITH an enthuslasu
j that he had not shown in any OF his perform
ances during the evening, anu again tRer
was q great uproar of applause, mingled VIE
cries Of s.Davis =! Davis The hero OF tne &C
casion was not disposed to speak, ana IN
PROUD of children who had taken part IN u
Singing. set up q loud call Tor Dixie! : &c
COMMANDED by lalf.frantic chipping anu SIAM
ipp. but the pianist did not RESPOND. IN
audience fingered until some one al
nouncrd that the concert was ended.
induced that this revival Of the memories OF
strlirolc that ended in defeat and disaster wa
not pleasing to the men, from The eXpTesslcl
nnon their faces, but the ladies we're dellgh!
|. ed. All through the South the women cherltl
= love of The "lost cause with a pertinaciE
,ho, son,no like n snecipS ef INSANITY. and I'LL