The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-04-10
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
An Interview with the Confederate
Ez-President in Boston-the
War and Slavery.
Interview of Boston Herald RepOr err.

After speaking of his experience
in Piercr's Cabinet and the Mexican
war, Mr. Davis was led TO express
himself upon the late rebellion, say
my: ut Is generally believed in the
North that | am chieaJ respon sible
tor that great calamity. / was Int
one o vast body of the South,
| and no more responsible than thou
sands of Others. The war would
have taken place without me a, in
rvItably as 1t dad with me. 1t was
one OF thuse Things which was sur,
20 come IN the progress of events
and IN sowing great problems of
government Uuou this continent ,
He conceded expressly that the ahu-
iItlOn OF slavery would prove an al
innate good o the country; that 1t
was a mauitrst advantage u tire
VIII tt race, ipr it. would lead To til,
evelopment Of the South, aAd mul
,iply heI manufacturing and me
chaDical industries. From advan
Jages of climate alone The future OF
the South was more promising than
that OF any other section of the
country, but the condition of the
. esent generation OF the black race
was all The worse by reason of the
abolition OF slavery.
Mr.. Davis doubts very much the
'isdom o. All attempt u educa,
he negro and utterly dIsb,lieve>
IN giving him the ballot. 1t was
his opinion that wherever Tho negro.
race was found it must be as an IN
lerlOr or servIle race, amt in I'll,
long run, would give way to the
superior race under any and.all cur
cumstances Mr.. DAVIS acknuwl
edged, hOweV>r, that he had changed
his mind entirely upon one ques
uOn, viz, that the great staples O.
the South-cOtJoD and sugar
could be pfOduceu with greater
economy amt in greater abundance
ny p lid labor than by the labor of
slaves. This had already heen dem
Onstrated, and that fact alone goes
far to prove tue advantage which
the whites. Referring to the polit-
ical status Of the negro, Mr.. Davis
said the freedmen had naturally
been misled by politicians, thinking
that Northern men were their truest
friends, but of late years they
seemed to have reached the oppo
site conclusion, and IN the long run
it would he found that the negro,
having little real self-dependence,
would vote in accordance with the
wishes and the sentiments of those
who employed him. For this rea
son the negro vote would be less
factor in the politics OF
the future than Northern men sup
posed. Referring to the oft reiter |
ated charges OF coercion and bull !
doing OF negro voters, he said that
he had no doubt there were indi |
vidual instances of cruelty and co
erciOn on the part Of lawiess men
n some sections, but he believed |
The prevailing sentiment among
southern men was one of greatest
kindness and good will toward their
'Ormer slaves.
Speaking of national affairs, he
said he accepted the situation as
decided by arbitrameht of the
sword, and that he was very hope
'ul Of the future of the country. He
I'D not believe there was any exist
ng cause for sectional estrange
ncnt, or that there could be any
hereafter. One of the results of the
var already apparent was that the
south was less dependent upon he
North than heretofore; for, while
he would supply great staples as
efore, her people had begun TO
a great r variety OF crops
or their own use than ever before,
md they would eventually compete
With other sections in manufacture
md mechanical arts. In this con
lectIon, he remarked, that, while
he South was destitute of money
Lnd the value of real estate was
greatly depressed, In a very short
Ime the price OF landed properly
would advance because of its in
rinsIc value IN the production OF
taple articles OF commerce. He re
marked that the only disturbing
dement's to be discerned now were
he efforts of extremists upon both
tides to keep alive animosities and
latreds of the past. Ii Congress
would pursue a moderate course.
md attend to its legitimate duties
If general legislation for the good
IF the whoIe country, all the great
.ocial and industrial questions
which were now a source of So
much contention would soon settle
themselves and the country would
'e at peace. +;
In conclusion he said: "YOu may
.ssure your people that l have no
Inkindness in my heart To them or :
my of the people of the North. l
IN not the devil they paint me. L !
ave neither horns nor hoofs, and I
f they knew me they would find | .
IN very much like one of them
elves"