The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-12-22
Especial dispatch TO the Baltimore SUM-

1
TRY.
| Especial dispatch 10 the Baltimore SUM-
| PHILADELPHIA, December 20.-Colone
Mcclure devotes his letter to the Times
which will appear tomorrow. entirely TO ;
description OF his visit TO and conversation
with Mr. jefferson Davis. lie writes from
Mississippi City, and describes the DOrse,
place, where the eX-COnfederate Presiden
| lives with his nephews and their families
| Colonel Mcclure writes:
| "Soon after had been bowed into The
parlOr Jefferson Davis entered alone, anC
| his greeting was the cordial welcome Of the
proverbial hospitality OF the South. con
| TESS to disappointment In the general ap
pearance OF the man, who stands in history
to-day as the soldier. statesman without .
country. expected TO find the strongly.
| marked traces of a grevously disappointed
| life, and serene ciyiIity and studied ieti-
cence in discussing all things OF the past ;
| but those who believe Jefferson Davis TO be
misanthrOpic in temperament and embitter-
ed against the nation and the world greatly
mi>iudge him. Nor is he the broken invalid
that he is generally regarded. His YET
abundant locks and full beard are deeply
silvered, and bis face and frame are spare,
as they always have been; but
HIS STEP Is ELASTIC
and steady, and the bard lines OF bis brow
which are so conspicuous in his pictures
are at once effaced when he enters into con-
versatIon. Instead OF ImpresSing the vi>i-
tor as a habitual recluse, who has no inter-
est in the land to whose citizenship be will
live and die stranger, he at once invites
the freedom OF the planters home by chat
ting without reserve, save when his cOntem-
poraries are likely TO be criticised, when he
adroltly and pleasantly turns the discussion
into inoflensve channels. He well under
stands that he cast the die for empire or for
failure that must make him alien 10 the
country and the world, and that he lost !;
aud he knows that he is to-day the most
pOweress OF all men in the land to retrieve
the fortunes Of those who followed him to
bereavement and sacrifice"
After referring to the fac, that bis Vice
President (Mr. Stephens) had been elected
TO a seat in Congress; that two OF his
UNSOTED WARRIORS
have sat ia Republican Cabinets; that
" Lees ablest lieutenant is the Republican
Minister to Turkey; the man who marched
the irst regiment of volunteers 10 Charleston
aud who served as Confederate senator un.
iii AppomattoX became hist oric, died as the
Republican Minister to Russia" and that
the Senate, House, and the Washington
Departments contain other men who were
abreast with Jefferson Davis in The
war, Mr.. Mcclure continues: But Davis
is the embodiment OF humiliation, while bis
fellows go in and out without dispeasure.
[ heard no allusion to or complaint Of this
injustice, but it is plainly evident that Davis
entirely appreciates it, and that be believes
he would not be consistent with himself and
the grave responsibilities he assumed, how
ever mistaken he may have been Ia assum.
ing them, IL he did not deliberately remain
an alien TO the Government that he, more
conspicuously than all others, struggled to
overthrow. He could not help the South
or himself by seeking or accepting restora-
ton to citizenship, anG he is
WISELY CONTENT
with stubborn faith in the rectitude of his
lost cause. have long desired to know the
exact truth from the fountain Of southern
knowledge on the subject in regard to seve-
raj important events OF the war, and was
agreeably surprised at The freedom with
which Mr.. Davis met my inquiries. Why
Beauregard was ordered to fire upon An.
derson Ia Fort Sumter after his surrender
was inevitable at specified time without
assaultng the flag has never been entirely
understood. Ii was the act OF madness, as
il made division in the North impossible,
and have always believed that the real
cause OF the order TO open fire was to unity
the South aud end the threatening move
ments for rtdnion on terms.
"Mr. Davis ans xered promptly and en-
phaticaliy that the order was given solely
foil hah DO nv hf I in
cnin Administration 10 attempting to re-
inforce Anderson, aud that the South need
ed no war to-, soidlfy its people. think
he errs in Understanding the probable
power Of the movement in the South for re-
before the war, but 1t is evil
dent that ia deciding to issue the fatal order
for the
ASSAULT UPON SUMTER
he believed the Conftderacy inyincible, an d
de6antly resented what he regarded as a Vi
olation of the pledge Of the Federal Gov
eminent. That act practically consolidated
the North, and thencsforward the COnfede.
racy was a fearfully hopeless venture. On
another important point he answered with
the same freedom. When asked whether
the aggressive movement OF Lee tina, culmi-
mated at Gettysburg was adopted as purely
military strategy or the offspring OF pomi.
cal necessity inside the Confederacy. he an.
swered that 1t was the wisest Of both mill
tary and political strategy, but that 1t was
DOT dictated at all by political considera-
tion. He said that the wisdom OF the mill.
tsry movemea! was proven IN the recall OF
Meade from Virginia and the transfer Of
both armies TO northern soil. But he so.
berry added the battle was misfortune.
The chances were equal, as he regarded IT,
for military success, aud that would have
the whole plan OF the Govern.
meet asd inspiredits resources for the cam
paigD OF that year as militsry movement.
Mr.. Davts says the Gettysburg campaign
had the caiire spprora: Of Lee, aud there
were no pswitical divisions In the South to
dictate any departure from the wisest mill.
tary laws.
~ desired 10 know whether, at the time
II the Hampto " Roads conference between
Lincoln, Seward, Stephens. and Others, Mr.
Davis had received any intimsti0n FROM any
source t,Nat Mr.. Lincoln would !
assent to the payment OF four hundred
millions a. compensation for slaves II The |
south would accept ema qci patton and re- |
urn to the Union. He answered that he
al M ami. snttn,at e,c.sx