The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-20
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
His Reasons for Declining the Winnie
bago Invitation.

MEMPHIS. Tenn, August l9.-The fol-
lowing letter is published in the morning
papers:
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Aug. Is, 1875
Henry P. Kmhali, Secretary of the Winnebago
County Agricultural Society, Rockford H.,
DEAR SIR-I yesterday sent to you a
telegram announcing my revocation of my
conditional acceptance of the invitation of
the invitation to address your association
at their annual meeting in SeDtember
next. The long period which has elapsed
since the receipt of your first letter. and
the considerate courtesy which has mark
ed your correspondence, make it the duty
of myself to the board that sufficient ex-
PLANTATION should be given of this change
of purpose. Three objects mainly Induced
me to accept the invitation. First. the
hope that personal intercourse might re,
move some Of the prejudices which had
been generated by partisan factions, and
nurtured by individual and sectional hate.
Anxious now, as in former years, to pro-
mote the interest of our great valley of
the Mississippi. and believing that with
mutual confidence and co-intelligence
much could be done for their advance
ment, | only delayed my acceptance of
your invitation until it became reasonably
probable that it could be met.
The productive capacity of the North
west needs for its development cheaper
and safer transportation to the markets of
the Southwest, and also to those of foreign
countries. In England, especially, ear
nest attention has been directed, for sew
eral years past, to more direct and eco
nomical 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 dis
ouss with them the 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,
aud by such conference to learn the views
of one member Of the family Of the Mis-
sissippi valiey-a family the chief of in
| terest Of all the members of which is agri,
culture; but cultivators of such Tarious
crops as to make trade among themselves
extensive and lucrative, while it stamps
upon each ard all the same interests and
the same policy as to their foreign trade.
To render such a conference effectual,
there must needs be disposition to attend
to the subject under consideration, and
surely not purpose to smother it by the
interpoSitiGn OF matters having no Just re.
lation to it,
My second effort was to recognize the
courtesy Of your board, and was encour
aged to believe that your reception of me
would be beneficial rather than iniuriou:
to your association. This was the more
supposeable because several other agri
cultural societies of Illinois had in likt
manner invited me to address their annua
meetings. Yesterday received a printed
paper, being the protest of a number O
your fellow countrymen against the actor
of your board In their invitation to me II
make the annual address at the count,
meeting; thereupon | sent to you tele
gram Withdrawing my acceptance of tn
Invitation, under the conviction that i
would not be useful or agreeable to parti
cipate in the meeting; and l know tha
neither your association nor the director
AL orator, or by the correspondence whic
has caused it.
My chief object was to crafty the wish
long entertained, to see in its cultivate
dress a country known to me as a track
, less wilderness; but that being merely
personal qualification, it may be indulge
| at my convenience or postponed indef
, nitely.
| can well believe that the cause whic
has changed my purpose was as unfor,
seen by you as by me, and you may be a
= sured that ] feel no dissatisfaction towarc
!, the directors or yourself, aud have suffere
4 no personal embarrassment at the even
r AS the invitation was unexpected, an
u only acceptable as an expression of gel
J eral good will, my only regret is the 10
of an opportunity to promote the publ
interest with which the welfare of yor
e community is identified.
e Again expressing the hope that neith
g the directors OF yourself may suffer inju
e or annoyance, and thanking you for Il
IS kindness and consideration you have nar
!, tested I am respectfully yours,
e JEFFERSON DAVIS,