The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-08-26
Another Letter from Mr.. Davis.

The objections made by the Grand
Army of the Republic to MIR. Davis ad-
dressing the citizens ofIllinois upon agri-
cultural topics has resulted in letter of
determination from Mr.. Davis, in which
he deals Il heavy blow to the political
agitators of that organization by unfold
ing the purport of what he wished to say
in the proposed address. His action in
the matter will not be regarded captious
or capricious, and his graceful letter will
satisfy the people of Illinois that it is
their loss in not having so capable and
instructive speaker to advance views
promotive of the common interest. The
New York Herald regards this letter as
frank and manly, and that it will do
much good, especially in the North.
The letter is as follows:
MEMPHIS, Tenn, August Is, 1875.
Henry I. KimdaN, Secretary Of the Vim
meJago County Agricultural Society,
1tOChJVV3 Lp'
DEAR SIR yesterday sent to you a
telegram announcing my revocation OF
my conditional acceptance of the invita-
tion to address your association at their
annual meeting in September next. The
long period which has elapsed since the
receipt of your first letter and the con-
siderate courtesy which has marked your
correspondence, make it my duty to the
Board and to myself that sufficient ex-
PLANTATION should be given of this change
of purpose. Three objects mainly in
duced me to accept the invitation:
Fsrst-The hope that personal inter
course might remove some of the preju-
dices which had been generated by parti-
san faction and nurtured by individual
and sectional hate. Anxious as in
former years to promote the interest of
our great valley of the Mississippi, and
believing that with mutual confidence
and cointelligence much could be done
for their advancement, l only delayed
my acceptance of your invitation until it
became reasonably probable that it could
be met. The productive capacity of the
Northwest needs for its development
cheaper and safer transportation to the
markets of the Southwest and also to
those of foreign countries. In England
especially earnest attention has been di-
rected for several years past to more
direct and economical trade with the
Mississippi Valley. In this connection
there was desire to confer with the
Patrons of Husbandry in your rich and
prosperous section, to discuss with them
questions involved in securing better
means of transporting your farm products
to the most favorable markets, and of
providing agencies which should insure
larger returns to freemen, and by such
conference to learn the views of one
member of the family of the Mississippi
Valley, family the chief interest of all
members of which is agriculture, but cul-
tivators of such various crops IS to make
trade among themselves extensive and
lucrative, while it stamps upon each and
all the same interests and the same policy
as to their foreign trade. To render such
conference effectual there must needs be
disposition to attend to the subject
under consideration, surely not to pur-
pose to smother it by the interposition of
matters having no just relation to it.
iSscond-An effort was made to recog-
nize the courtesy of your Board, and |
was encouraged to believe that your re-
ception of me would be beneficial rather
than injurious to your association. This
was the more supposable because several
other agricultural societies in Illinois
had in like manner invited me to address
their annual meetings. Yesterday re-
ceived printed paper, it being protest
of a number of your fellow -countrymen
against the action of your Board in their
invitation to me to make the annual ad-
dress at the county meeting; thcreupon
sent to you telegram Withdrawing my
acceptance of the invitation, under the
conviction that it would not be useful or
agreeable to participate in the meeting,
and hope that neither your association
nor the directors will suffer harm by the
delay in procuring an orator or by the
correspondence which has caused it.
7hird-The object was to crafty a
wish long entertained to see in its culti-
waited dress the country known to me as
trackless wilderness. But that being
merely personal qualification it may be
indulgcd at my convenience or postponed
indefinitely. I can we'll believe that the
cause which has changed my purpose
was as unforeseen by you as by me, and
you may be assured that | feel no dissat-
isEaction toward the directors or yourself
and have suffered no personal embarrass-
ment from the event, as the invitation
was unexpected and only acceptable as
an expression of general good will. So
my only regret is the loss of opportunity
to promote the public interest with which
the welfare of your community is idcnti-
fed.
Again expressing the hope that neither
the directors nor yourself may suffer
injury or annoyance, and thanking you
for the kindness and consideration you
have manifested, l am respectfully yours,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.