The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-03-11
INTER zSTENG HISTORY.
The Policies OF Mr.. Davis al the Outset OF
the Late War--Iiis Inaugural 1T
Montgomery the Only AutAeu-
tie Declaration OF Them.


ontSomery the Only Anthem
tie Declaration OF Them.
From tine 4eonardstown (Md.) st
Mary's Beacon OF the twenty-hith ulti
mo We copy the following correspondence
in publishing which thar paper said edi
torially:
The letter, to &c found in another
column, from Hon. Jefferson Davis, ano
which i IN response 10 an inquiry OF
William F. Perry, Esq, OF this county,
in regard 10 the correctness of certain ut
terauces alleged TO have been made by
I Mr.. Davis in speech delivered NJ Stew
+ enson, Alabama, in February. 1861. Is q
settler of the issue recently debated in
I our columns. Indeed, the imputation
against Mr.. Davis never rested upon any
/ higher authority than that Of the late
postmaster. general, and, unhappily for
I Cresweil the fraud attempted in this case
IS not the only one with which, in our
time, his name has been disreputably
associated. BE this as IL may, those nj
least OF our readers who served on the
losing side in the late 'uupleasantness.
viii read with pride the present letter OF
their old chieitain, which hut confirms
their deep-seated conviction that what
ever truth shall be brought to light, he
never will be shamed Partly for the
purpose of keeping up the scare about
'reviving the rebellion. and partly be
cause i; Is pertinent To the issue in hand,
but chiefly TO plague Mr. Creswell and
his friends, we shall publish the Mont
gcmery inaugural of Mr.. Davis in our
next.
CORRESPONDENCE.
NEAR LEoNARDTowN, February ~. 1870.
To the Editors OF the 81. Marys Beacon:
DEAR SIRs-As bearing upon the is
sue in the late newspaper controversy in
this county, and it having been asserted
upon the authority Of Hon. j. A. j.
Creswell, in his Grafton upoE the death OF
Hon. Henry Winter Davis, that "the
leader of the Confederate States said in
speech at Stevenson, Alabama, February,
1861, We will carry the war where it is
easy TO advance, where food for the
sword and torch awaits our armies in the
densely populated cities, and feeling
that this statement was untrue, as | stated
at the time, | addressed letter to Hon.
Jefferson Davis for information upon the
subject, and to ascertain what foundation
there was for such a charge. | received
from him the following reply, accompan-
led with a copy Of his inaugural; and
though no was permission given for its
publication, there is yet no prohibitation,
have therefore deemed it proper and APP
propriate to lay the same before the pub
lie as his best vindication in the matter
under consideration. Yours respectfully,
WIN. +. PERRY,
MEMPHIS, February ., 1875.
VIM. +. Perry, Esq:
Ny DEAR SIR-Your's Of the twenty
third ultimo has been received, and the
letter rs we'll as the accompanying news
paper slips have been carefully noted.
You will please accept my thanks for the
vindication you have made Of myself and
Of the cause we together strive to main
tain. 1t has been a rule with me to
leave criticisms upon my public conduct
to he tested by the record Of my official
acts, which many years Of public service
has made quite full, and which has the
merit or demerit as others may decide Of
a thorough consistency. Adherence to
this rule has been confirmed by the fact
that my assalants take such opposite
grounds that one set might be lett to an
swer and be answered by the other !
cannot, however, under existing circum-
stances, hesitate to comply with your re-
quest for information bearing on. the Is
sue YOU have joined. The specific allie
CATION, the truth of which you have de-
MED, is that in February, 1861, at Stew
enson, Alabama, | said ''We will car
ry the war where it Is easy to advance,
where food for the sword and torch awaits
our armies in the densely populated
cities" This the writer lnterprets TO
mean a general contlagration and indis-
criminate slaughter. / have no recol-
lection of ever having made a speech at
Stevenson, and have examined file Of
newspapers Of that day containing such
matter, but could not find any reference
to a speech made by me at Stevenson.
At the time mentioned | was going from
my home in Mississippi TO Montgomery,
Alabama, in consequence OF notice re-
ceived that / had been chosen by the
Congress to be the President Of the pro-
vsional government Of the Confederate
States At many railroad stations on
the route the people assembled TO mani
fest their good viii, and often went oGt
on the platform of the car TO make due
acknowledgements. Stevenson was one
of these stations, and ! may there, as az
other places, have returned thanks; but
neither there nor elsewhers, neither then
nor at any other time, could / have used
the language attributed to me. or any
language that could be fairly construed 10
have such meaning. Though may not
claim to remember what / said on those
occasions, | do know what were my
thoughts and wishes, and therefore can
be positive as to not having said what !
never thought or contemplated. Very
soon, say on the second day after my ar
rival at Montgomery, the Inauguration
took place, and the address on that Occa-
sion Will show what were my hopes and
purposes, surely more fully and more ac-
curatelv than the speeches made at rail
road stations, even if they could be sup
posed to have been correctly reported. A
copy of that inaugural address has been
obtained and is enclosed herewith. De
precating war on every account, and re-
solved # possible TO avoid it., my wishes
in that regard much exceeded my expect
ations. If, as apprehended, the attempt
should be made to coerce the seeding
States, and war should ensue, / certainly
did prefer the defensve-otfensive policy,
and in that event hoped it might be pos
sible to have the campaigns and battle
/ fields in the euemy's country. When our
army marched into PENNSYLVANIA it was
not to pillage, to burn, and to slaughter,
I 1 4 - H. oh Oft ar