The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-04-10
NOT THE DEVIL THEY PAINTED ME.
A Talk with Mr.. Davis-The War would
Have Taken Place without Him.
Intcrr:cw in Boston Herald.

After speaking of his experience in
Pierce's Cabinet and the Mexican war,
Mr.. Davis was led to express himself
upon the late rebellion, saying: "1t is
generally believed in the North that l
am chiefly responsible for that great
calamity. was but one of vast body
of the South, and no more responsible
than thousands of others. The war
would have taken place without me as
inevitably as it did with me. 1t was
one of those things which was sure to
come in the progress of events and in
solving great problems of Government
upon this continent" He conceded eX-
pressly that abolition of slavery would
prove an ultimate good to the country /;
thatit was an advantage 10 the white race,
for it would lead to the development of the
South and multiply her manufacturing and
mechanical Industries. From advanta-
ges of climate alone, the future of the
South is more promising than that of any
other section of the country, but the con-
dition of the present generation of the
black race is all the worse by reason of
the abolition of slavery.
Mr.. Davis doubts very much the wis-
dom of an attempt to educate the negro
and utterly disbelieves in giving him the
ballot. 1t was his opinion that where
ever the negro race was found i. must be
as an inferior and servile race, and in
the long run would give way to the supe-
rior race under any and all circumstan-
ces. Mr.. Davis acknowledged, however,
that he had changed his mind entirely
upon one question, namely, that the great
staples of the South-cotton and sugar
could be produced with greater abun-
dance by paid labor than by the labor
of slaves. This has already been demon
stratcd, and that fact alone goes far to
prove the advantage which the abolition
of slavery has been to the whites.
Referring to the political status of the
negro, Mr.. Davis said the freedmen had
naturally been misled by politicians,
thinking the Northern men were their
truest friends, but of late years they
seemed to have reached the opposite
conclusion, and in the long run il would
be found that the negro, having but lit
tie real self-dependence, would vote in
accordance with the wishes and senti-
ments of those who employed him.. For
this reason the negro vote would be o
less important factor in the politics of
the future than Northern men supposed.
Referring to the oft reiterated charges of
coercion and bull-dozing of negro voters,
he said that he had no doubt there were
individual instances of cruelty and CO.
erciou on the part of lawless men in some
sections, but he believed the prevailing
sentiment among Southerners was one of
gaeatest kindness and goodwill toward
their former slaves. Speaking of nation
al affairs, he said he accepted the situa-
ton as decided by arbitrament of the
sword, and that he was very hopeful of
the country. He did not believe there
was any existing cause for sectional es-
arrangement or that there could be any
hereafter.
One of the results of the war already
apparent was that the South was less de-
pendent upon the North than heretofore
for while she could supply great staples
as before, her people had begun to pro-
duce greater variety of crops for their
own use than ever before, and they would
eventually compete with other sections
in manufactures and mechanical arts.
In this connection he remarked that
while the South was destitute of money,
and the value of real estate was greatly
depressed, in n very short time the price
of landed property would advance be-
cause of its intrinsic value in the produc-
ton of staple articles of commerce. lie
remarked that the only disturbing ele-
ments to be discerned now were the
efforts of extremists upon both sides to
keep alive animosities and hatreds of the
past. If Congress would pursue 4 mode
rate course and attend to its legitimate
duties of general legislation for the good
of the whole country, the great social and
industrial questions which were now a
source of so much contention would settle
themselves, and the country would be at
peace.
In conclusion he said: "Ypu may as
sure your people that l haveFAo unkind-
ness in my heart to them or any of the
people of the North. am not the devil
they have painted me. / have neither
horns nor hoofs, and if they knew me
they would find am very much like one
of themselves"
TILLMAN UNDER THE PALMETTO. -
i Ill Nnp