Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-07-07
TOOmbs on Jeff Davis,

ESTABLlShMENT OF A GOVERNMENT UNDER
THE LATTER IMPOSS IBLE
An Atlanta letter in the Philadelphia TINES,
giving an account OF an interview with General
Robert Toombs, contains the following:
"What in your opinion, was the cause OF the
failure of the confederacy?"
III had to name one thing that was most
fatal should say the conscript act. That de-
moraljzed the troops=and the country. There
was no necessity for 1t, and 1t sprung from Mr.
Davis desire to have the appointment of
officers. He was crazy over his West Point
martinets, and when he could not appoint the
officers OF the volunteers, he went to Congress
and demanded the cOnscript law, and got it,
| said at the time: THE cause is lost and
this should be its epitaph: Killed by West
inefficiency at Richmond was the cause of our
failure. Davis is remarkable character. He is
good writer and that is all. He was a slow
man ma and always acted rashly at last His de-
combination Of variety and refusal to think
he is very small military man. His idea OF
war was based upon the experience in the
Breckenridge campaign. told him that ninety
per cent. of war was business; that we must
organize victory rather than trust to fighting
entirely. / urged him to send to England to
guy an the arms there He ordered 5000 rifles.
Joe Brown, OF Georgia, had more arms for a
long time than the Confederacy had Under
pretense OF giving the Unionists time to leave
South, kept our ports open for sixty days. No
lted credit as we had. We had any amount Of
cotton offered us. l urged Mr.. Davis to send
this to England as fast as it could be carried aud
BUY ships and arms with 1t. We could have
borrowed any amount we wanted. The first
loan made was $50, GOO when 1t should have been
S5,000,CC0. But 1t seemed to be impossible to
get the government to look at the matter In a
serious light. / advanced some $4,000 myself
for Office rent, etc. Semmes was there beg
g1rg for cotton and pledg1ng himself to bring
back ships and arms for every bale he took. He
finally got, think, three hundred bales. The
financial records OF the cOpfederacy was a
failure that would have been ludicrOus had it
not been so serious. With unlimited credit,
packed by rich and patriotic people and con-
trolling the leading staple OF the world our bills
were soon so low down that it was said the
government ran the presses all day, and the
r'ggers ran them at night. Had the first sixty
Gays OF the confederate government been pro-
perry improved we could have so organized That
defeat would have been impossible. At one time
IL was announced that there was an error
OF 5000 000 600 in the amount OF bills out and the
amount on the books Of the government. There
was never moment during the war when Da-
Wis actually appreciated the situation. Why,
after the march OF the cOnfederates from Pap-
pahannOck to SharpSburg and back again when
they had swept everything before them mum.
DerS not awaiting anything against them, Davis
thOught the war was over, and actually began
to quarrel ABOUT who had whipped it. He was
as Jealous as a Barhary hen, and once started
70 have me arrested for ridiculing him, I am
thoroughly satisfied that the establishment OF a
bflity. Indeed the fight was haphazard from
beginning TO end, without method or states
manship. and sustained only by miraculous
Valor as long as 1t was. The constitution was
good one, but there praise Of the confederate
government and its works must end"