The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-08-27
A Letter From Jefferson Davis.

The Memphis papers of the 18th pub
lished the following letter from Mr.. Da-
Wis to the Secretary of the Winnebago
County Qll.) Agricultural Society:
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Aug. Is, 1875.
Henry p. Kimball, Secrctarv Of the Winnebago
County Agricultural Society, Rockford, Ill.
DEAR SIR: | yesterday sent YOU a telegram
announcing my revocation % my conditional ac-
ceptance of the invitation 20 address your assO-
citation ut their annual meeting in September
next. The long period which has elapsed since
the receipt of your first letter, and the consider
ate courtesy which has marked your correspond
encc, makes it n duty to the board and to myself
that It sufficient explanation should be given of
of this change of purpose. Three objects mainly
induced me to accept the invitation. First, the
hope that personal intercourse might remove
some of the preiudices which had been generated
by partisan factions, and nurtured by individual
and sectional hate, Anxious now, as in former
years, to promote the interests Of our great Val
ley of the Mississippi, and believing that witt.
mutual confidence and co. intelIigencc much go0G
could be done for their advancement, | only de
layed my acceptance OF your invitation until
itbecame reasonably probable that it could be
met.
The productive capacit- Of the Northwest
needs for its development cheaper and safer
transportation to the markets IF the Southwest,
and also to those o fforeiGn countries. In Eng
land, especially, earnest attention has been d.
rected, for several years past, 10 q more direct
and economical trade with the Mississippi Val
ley. In this connection there was 4 desire to con-
fer with the Patrons of HusbanGry in YOUR rich
and prosperous section, to discuss with them the
questions involved Il in securing better means o.
transporting your farm products to the most IA
v0rable markets, and Of providing agencies
which should secure larger returns to frecmen,
and by such conference to learn the views of one
member Of the family OF the Mississippi Valley
4 family the chief interest Of AL the members OF
which'is agriculture; but cuItivators Of such va
rious crops as to make trade anon" themselves
extensive and lucrative, while i stamps upon
each and all the same interests and the same pol
icy as to their foreign tradc. To render such a
conference %ctleCtual, there must needs be a dis
position to attend to the subject under consider
alton, and surely not 4 purpose 10 smother it by
the interpositiOn Of matters having no Just rela-
ton to it.
My second effort was To recognize the courtesy
of your board, and / was encouraged to believe
that your reception Of me wouij be beneficial
rather than injurious TO Your association. This
was the more suppOsablc because several other
agricultural societies OF I!I4nJ.S Ed't n Ike man
ncr invited me to address their annual meetings.
Yesterday | received q printed paper, being the
protest of a number of your fellow cOuntrymen
against the action of Your boar. in their invita-
ton 10 me to make the annual address at the
county meeting; thereupon | sent To you q tele-
gram Withdrawing my acceptance of the invita-
ton, under the impression that it would not be
useful or agreeable To participate n tine meeting;
and | know that neither your association nor the
directors will suffer harm by the delay in prOcur-
ing an orator, or by the correspondence which
has caused it.
My chief object was to CRAFTY the wish, long
entertained, to see in its cultivated dress a cOun-
try known to me as q tracklesS wilderness; but
that being merely a personal qualification, il may
he INDUCED ut my convenience or postponed in
definitely.
| can well believe that the cause which has
changed myEpurpose was as unforeseen by you as
10y me, and you may he assured ;Iat l feel nc.
dissatisfaction toward the directors or yourself,
and have suffered no persona, embarrassment at
the event. As the invitation was unexpected,
and only acceptable as an expression of general
good will, my only regret ! the loss Of an oppOr-
tunity to promote the public interest with which
the welfare of your community il identified.
Again expressing the hope that neither the d.
rectors or Yourself may suffer injury or annoy
ance, and thanking you 10y the kindness ana
consideration You have manifested, ] am re-
specially yours, JEFFERSON DAVIS.