Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-04
CONFEDERATE ARCHIVES.
An Ex-DiplOmatie Agent Of the COnfed-
eracv ExOnerates the Rebel Cab
met.

From the Savannah Ga Republican,
The writer of this article can speak
with confidence on these topics, because
entrusted by the President of the Con-
federacy with a position, and with du-
ties appertaining TO the secret diploma
cy Of the COnfederscy, which necessari-
" made him acquainted with every
move made in or through the Department
Of State, he shared the entire confidence
Of President Davis in this regard.
He therefore knows, that although
there Is some truth in the statement that
Jacob Thompson was sent TO Canada
on a mission connected with Confeder-
ate diplomacy, for the purpose of ''agi-
tating' on and through the frontier, and
that very large sum Of money was given
him 10 Use for that purpose, yet, to the
best of his knowledge and belief, no
such viIlainOus and cOwardly plan as
that which these pretended dis
patches revealed ever was conceived
or put in execution by him, or commu-
nicated 70 President Davis or Secretary
Benjsmin, andrmet their approval.
Nav, more: when, after the war, on
his return from Europe, whittier be had
been sent as s diplomatic agent of the
Confederacy, the writer Of this article re-
ferred to these designs which had been
widely disseminated during the war by
New York papers, in conversation with
Jefferson Davis, the ex-President most
Indignantly denied any completely or
knowledge in such infamous plots or
proceedings, and branded them as pure
fabricatiOnS. No one who spoke to him
on the subject, and saw the flash Of his
eve and the Indignation the charge eX-
cited, could doubt the innocence Of the
ex-President Of all completely or knOwl-
edge Of so vile a treachery. With Mr..
Benjamin the writer never cOnversed on
the subiect-thOugh both Mason and Sli-
dell assured him he, too, was also innO-
cent Of the charge the Northern papers
made-nOr has opportunity ever Oc-
CURED since the war to see and question
Jacob Thompson, who, doubtless, as soon
as he gets this news be Is now in Eu-
rope will speak for himself and disOwn
this spurious dispatch imputed to him,
which probably Is the chief consideration
for the seventy-fve thousand dollars in
cash paid, for what may be genuine
copies Of Confederate diplomatic ar
chives, said &" 10 contain nothing COM
promising
If they be genuine and complete, they
viii contain more than twenty-five dis
patches from the writer, Of which be
neither is ashamed nor fears the publica-
ton.
In conclusion, the writer would say,
TO divert the suspicion that he is at
tempting to smooth over the faults Of
friends, that 50 far from the relations Of
Mr. BENJAMIN and himself being friend
ly, they were quite the reverse-ss these
archives, if genuine, and published, viii
show: and that while he ever retained
his personal regard for President Davis,
he had also TO forget and forgive much
at the hands Of the eX-PTesident, persO- /
nally, and toward the close Of his ad-
was not content with his
course, OF that of his administration,
and put on record his disapprOval Of the
men and measures he embraced.
Therefore, as an impartial witness,
the writer sOlemnly declares his con-
victiOn, that the charges made are ut
terly false and without foundation, and
the pretended paper If it implicates the
ex- President and the Confederate gov
ernment) is a forgery and a fraud, and
not q genuine document
EDWARD DE LION.
Ex-Diplomatic Agent of the Confederacy In /
-soVoTluah Tt1lv d 1s-2