The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-18

a man walked noi>lly into the church. anu
handed the President 4 SIN OF paper. Nr.
DAVIS read the y aler, rose AMI walked out
of the church without agitation. but nis
face and manner evidently restrained.
Then follows a dramatic description of the
tumultuou> scene winch took place during
day and evening III R!chuoni
"A scene never To tie forgotten IN the
memories OF Richmond The ni.ht was
hOarSe with the roar 81 the great night. Is II
where, III this dramatic ami tunuttlou>
scene. was President DAVIS? When he
had received news OF Lees de.eat ne hal
SUNK from hi, pew in II. Pau Church,
and while the fountains OF the government
We're being broken ~. aud the great hnai
catastrophe had Mounted the stage. the
principal actor was wanting ne, the Pre-l-
dent, the leader, the historical hero, hal
never shown his ia c, hal spoken a word.
Was satisfied To prepare secretly a >umptuous
private baggage. and ny from Richmond-a
low. unnotlced fugitive under cover OF he
night. In such scenes a great leader i nat
ura,ly sought for by the love and solicitulc
of his people there are works of noble
farewell 70 his countrymen; there are
touching souvenirs of parting with his ofi
GERS. But there were none these of In Mr.
Davis case. : he did not show him
self to the public, az a great lie Ter might bc
expected TO do in such a supreme calamity
he attempted no inspiration. comfort or adj
vice; hid IN his house, busy only with his
private preparations, inquired OF by no one,
without any mark Of public solicitude for
him, without the least notice from popular
sympathy or anxiety, the unhappy, degra-
ded President Of the Southern Confederacy
never showed his face in the last catastrophe
of his Capital until he stole on the cars that
ICaro RI haor hin, tna pIana Of 50 Fpty ani
fled from the doomed city, unmarked among
the meanest Of its fugitives. He left no
work Of tender or noble farewell for Rich
mond, and the last souvenir of his power
was ar order to burn the city that for four
years had given him shelter, countenance,
and hospitality.
The resumption of Mr.. Davis flight to
ward the South was III consequence OF
what had taken place in his interview with
Generals Johnston and Beauregard. 1t was
an interview of inevitable embarrassment
and pain. The two generals were those who
had experienced most Of the prejudice and
injustice OF the President he had always
felt aversion for them, and it would have
been an almost impossible excess of Chris
tsan magnanimity if they had not returnee
something Of resentment and GOODNESS to
the man who. they believed, had arrogantly
domineered over them, and move than once
sought their ruin. We have seen how I'm
tremendously and cruelty Johnston had
been hustled off the stage of atlanta. True,
he had now been restored to command; but
under circumstances which made 1t no con
cession to the public and no favor to him,
for he was restored only to the conduct Of a
campaign that was already lost, and put IN
command of a broken and disorganized force
49, ho1 ,lrocIy Ir-o .,,-1
two States. When, some time before, pub
lie sentiment was demanding his return to
service. he wrote bitterly that he was quite
sure that if the authorities at Richmond re-
stored him to command, they were resolved
not to act toward him in good faith and with
proper support, but to put him IN clrcum-
stances where defeat was inevitable, and
thus confirm to the populace the military
judgment Of the President. He had no
reason to thank Mr.. Davis for his present
command in the forests of North Carolina,
where the President had now come to him
to ask little less than a miracle at his hands.
AS for General B~eauregard, his painful rela-
ions with Mr.. Davis had been public gossip
ever since the battle of Manassas. There
had been, too, a recently unpleasantness,
fresh in the minds of both, on account of
General Beauregard having evacuated
Charleston against the orders OF the P.esl-
dent, although what idea the latter could
have had, within the limits of sanity in at
tempting to hold this city after Sherm m'S
army had fanked it, is difficult to imagine,
These three men were now to meet to
consult of the condition of the country, and
the occasion invoked that they should rise
above personal feelings in the circumstances
of a great public sorrow and anxiety. There
was obtained for the Interview a mean room
on the seconl floor of a house owned by a
Confederate officer. Mr.. Davis sat cold,
d;gni6ed. evidently braced for an unpleasant
task. He spoke in a musing. absent Way,
and it was remarked that, while speaking,
he never looked toward either commander,
his eyes being amused by a strip of paper
which he was twisting in his hands. His
heart must have beat with a great anxiety.
for he must have known how much depend
ed on these generals countenancing bis plans
Of continuing the War aud yet he spoke as
one who had merely resolved to state his