Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-05-30
The Southern Ex-Leader at Home.
AN INTERVIEW WITH JEFF. DAVIS BY A
BOSTON CORRESPONDENCE HOME

Seventy-fve miles east of New Orleans,
on the New Orleans and Mobile railway,
is the little flag station of Beauvo1r, about
equidistant from Mississippi City and
Biloxi, favorite seaside resorts of the
wealthy residents of New Orleans. Beau
voir is the home of Jefferson Davis. This
alone gives it celebrity and pre-eminence
among the quiet and delightful little towns
along the Gulf shore. A correspondent of
the Boston Mass Herald" who visited
the ex-President OF. the Confederate States
on the 10th inst. writes the following to
his paper:
Alighting from the train at BeauvoI
station, you see two or three small brown
structures, a grove of pines and the white
vista Of vanishing railway track, glitter
ing with millions of minute refractions of
the bright sunshine for miles along the
sandy way. Taking the half-perceptible
roadway TO your right ten or fifteen min
utes walk through the pines brings you to
the beach. Here you see a house built in
the airy fashion of this region Of perpetual
sunshine. This is the residence of Rev.
Dr.. Lacock. an aged Episcopalian clergy
uldu. aUlCG Chaplain w UllC OuA0 VI OdLl-
bridge.
Beyond the reverend gentleman's estate
you see, fronting the beach, another estate
the residence OF Mr.. Davis. Entering the
gate, you pass across q lawn dotted with
live oak and other trees, festooned with
the picturesque Spanish moss. Before you
is low and spacious mansion, painted
white, with broad Verandahs. At either
side, trifle nearer the fence, is a small
building, a sort of pavilion.
While resting on the verandah, waiting
for your letter of introduction to be hand
ed to the master, your eye takes in tie
hospitable provisions for ease afforded by
several comfortable rocking chairs, a table
and settee Life here is al fresco. The
broad hall which goes through the house
is open to the breeze, but not to the ardent
sun, whose lays are intercepted by the
verandah. Here, on the front verandah,
Of a morning sits the ex-PreSident of the
South.
| was soon summoned to the little pa
vilion to the right of the mansion. This
building is divided into two parts. The
rearward is occupied by an ancient and
favorite negro servant, whose idea of
housekeeping Is to display his furniture
and tools on his little verandah. He has a
notion of raising vegetable odds and ends
in boxes, and his vagaries excite but a
smile. No one dreams of interfering,
even for the sake of order, with the privi-
leges of this ancient servitor.
TIE STATESMAN.
cupied by Mr.. Davis as library and study.
Here found him, slightly indisposed and
lying upon a lounge. His manner is
genial and very kindly, with that charm
ing courtesy characteristic of the high
bred Southern gentleman. Seventy years
of age, Mr.. Davis has yet fresh and Wig
orous look. His hair, moustache and
whiskers are white in part, but his eye is
bright and cheerful. His face, in repose,
is almost severely Intellectual, but the
smile which lights up his mouth and his
quietly cheerful laugh dispel the first i'm
preston of GOODNESS. Few of our public
men have the quiet fascination of manner,
the old-fashioned grace and the charming
conversational powers of Jefferson Davis.
His memory is capacious and re.entive
One might, with facile photographic
pen, collect great stores of Renaissance
from his lips.
LITERARY HABITS.
[ asked him if, in working on his me-
moirs. he preferred the morning hours for
his literary task. He said that he did not,
Gnat ne couid WORK peGCer evenings, ana
was, in fact, late riser. II got enough
of early rising in the army in my younger
days." he added. The manu- Il labor of
writing was, he remarked, di,tast-ful to
him, and he sought relief in dlctation al
though his thoughts came faster than the
pen of his amanuensis could secure them.
.'Ihe only person who could ever write
IasI enough Tor me, j" ne said, was my
GhleI CLERK When was secretary OF war
he d. dlsnKed compoSltlon, ana equally
dlsllkeo WriGlng. we were. therefore, the
complementS Oh each other."
MI. DAVIS incidentally remarked, while
glanclng through the papers, That 1t was
charged tha6 Inc oouthern Confederacy
nad peeh esGapllSned 20 revive 5ne Save
OTTO consf .tntion ha road tho olonsa nro
hibiting the imnortation Of slaves
Mr.. Davis remarked that John Onincv
Adams was prohahIv the widest read of
American Statesmen "Tf Won could NOT
find the hook Won wanted. M. Ada,os, y
said he .scould fell Won of another which
Contained what Won we're looking for. Mr..
Adams was what few neonle rememher-
--
Early in the afternoon lunch was served
in the little library. While we ate Mr.
Davis talked pleasantly of men and events
in bygone days. He has that rare cheer
fulness of humor which communicates it
self to his auditors, and has, besides, a
quietly witty turn. What was said by
MIR. Davis regarding current politics / am
not at liberty to repeat. But [ may say
that none OF Mr. Davis Judgments OF men
and things were tinged with bitterness.
He seems to discuss politics from the Sc
rener heights of philosophic statesman
ship. He is tolerant of all opinions, while
earnestly believing in the doctrine of
State rights. Without the States there
could, he said, be no Union, and in local
self-government alone lies safety.
THE EXODUS.
Roc,rdina cert.;n n,attars which uoro
dscns 90 d' ;n tha course Of The dau " s
u1iue ~ snoaL as1od ~, - on hn