The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-12-30
The Ex-President Of the Coufederacy
and Col. A. X. Mcclure
DISCUSS the War and It's Consequence
and Some OF It's Details
By Mr.. Davis Preside.

ing letter from editor Mcclure
10 a forest Of green live oaks, richly laden
orange trees, aud a proiusiou of wines and
flowers, large frame plantation house was
presented. Ii is q single story in height
and has the regulation pillars and broad yt-
randas of an aristocratic Southern mansion.
there the ex-Coniederat President lives with
his nephew, Gen. Davis, and their Joint
families. The eX-Quecn of the Confederate
court Is a stout, mothery. cultivated zee
NAL woman, and her daughter. strongly
marked copy of the mother, possesses uuus-
ual attractions both of person aul intellect
The house is furnished with every regard t1
comfort, As the we'll worn easy chairs and
lounges and the hall and parlor divau- daith-
fully attest, and the walls are decorated
with ancient paintings and modern bric-a-
brac, while the wide chimney places and che
pacious mantel tell how the cheerful pine
hre sllences the song of the mockiug bird and
the bloodthlrstv serenade of the mosquito.
Soon after had been politely bowed into
the parlor, Jefferson Davis entered alone.
and his greeting was cordial welcome of
the proyerbial hospitality of the South.
confess TO disappointment Ion the general au-
pearance of the man who stands iu history
to-day as soldier and statesman without a
country. l exected TO find the strongly
marked traces of grievously disappointed
life and a severe civility and studied reti-
cence in discussing all things of the past
but those who believe Jefferson Davis t1 be
misanthrOpic in temperament aud embittor-
ed against the nation and world greatly mis-.
judge him. Nor is he a broken invalid, as
Is generally regarded. His yet abundant
locks and full beard are deeply silyered. and
face and frame spare as they have always
been, but his step is elastic and steady, aud
the hard lines of his brow, which are ~ con-
spicuOus in his pictures, are no once claced
when he enters inters into conversation.
Instead of impressing the visitora- poe
htical recluse who has no interest i'm the land
to whose citizenship he will live and die
stranger, he at once invites the freedom ola
planters home by chatting without reserve
save when his contemporaries are likely to
be criticised, when he adroity and pleasant
ly turns the discussion into modtnsiva
He is yet the same positive man
in all his convictions and purposes that
made him the leader of q causecs- rebellion.
He well understands that he cast the die
for empire or for failure that must make him
an alien to his country and the world. and
that he lost and he knows he is to-day the
most poweress of all men in the land to re-
.rieve the fortunes Of those who followed
aim to bereavement and sacrifice
He reads Alright the memorable Judgment
hat makes him eXecrated for the COuted-
,racy, while his equally guilty sub1rdinates
nave been welcomed of the fatted calf His
Vice President, who followed the slave ems
)ire Off when darkness and doubt gathered
bout it, made haste TO scramble over the
uins Of the Confedcracy and regain the
eat in Washington from which be seeded
With Davis to aid in guiding the rebellion
Two of his noted warriors have sat iu tho
Republican Cabinets; Lees ablc-t Liouteu-
mt is the Republican Minister to Turkey;
he man who marched the first regiment of
'olunteers to Charleston and served as 20
Confederate Senator until Appomattox be-
anne historic, died as the Republican Minis
er to Russia, and the Senate and House
nd the Washington departments swarm
With men who were abreast with Jefferson
Davis in every effort to dismembcr the re-
ublic, but Davis is the embodiment of
while his fellows go iu and out
yithout displeasure. / heard no allusion
D, OF complaint of, this injustice, but 81 is
lainly evident that Davis entirely appre-
iates it, and believes it not to be consistent
nth himself and the grave respon-ibilities
@ assumed, however mistaken he may have
cen in assuming them, if he did not dclib-
rately remain an alien TO the Government
e, more consciously than Others struggled
o overthrow. He could not help the South
r himself by accepting "a restoration To-
citizenship, and is wisely content with the
tubborn faith in the roctude Of his Lost
;ause
have long desired TO know the exact
ruth from the fountain source and knowI-
dye of the subject in regard TO several inns
'ortant events of the war, and was agreea-
ly surprised at the freedom with which Mr..
Davis met my inquiries. Why Beauregard
vas ordered to fire upon Mai. Anderson i'm
Fort Sumter after his surrender WIS iucvi-
able at a specified time without assaultug
he flag has never been entirely understood.
{ was an act of madness, for IL made division
n the North impossible, and have always
elieved the real cause of the order to open
ire was to unity the South, and end the
ertain terms. Mr.. Davis answered prompt
= and emphatically that the order was
iven solely because faith had been broken
y the Lincoln administration In attempt
ng to reinforce Maj. Anderson, and that
he South needed no war to solidify its peo-
lie. | think he errs in Understanding tho
robable power Of the movement in the
outh for reconstruction before the war, but
t is evident that in deciding to issue tho
ltal order for the assault upon Sumner, he
elieved the Confederacy inyinciblc, and
efantly resented what he regarded as "a
collation. of the pledge Of the Federal Cove
rnment That act practically consolidated
he North and thenceforth the C0nfederacy
vas fearfully hopeless venture.
On another important point he answered
With the same freedom. When asked wheth-
It the aggressive movement of Lee that
eliminated at Gettysburg was adopted as
purely military strategy or the offspring of
political necessity inside the Coniedcrcy
he answered that IL was the wIse-t act Of
10Th military and political strategy, but was
Tot dictated at all by political cousilera-
ions. He said the wisdom of The military
movement was proven in the recall of Meade
rom Virginia and the transfer of bo.u armies
O Northern soil, but, he soberly ADDED, the
,attle was a misfortune. The chances were
dual, as he regarded it, for military success,
nd that would have deranged The whole
Ian Of tile Government and impaired its
for campaign that year As
military movement, Mr.. Davis saws the
campaign had the entire apprJ
al Of Lee, and there were no political
divisions in the South to dictate our dop1r-
ure from the wisest military laws.
/ desired also 10 know whether &c the time
f the Hampton Roads conference between
lincoln, Seward, Stephens and others, Dir.
Davis had received any intimati1n from any
redible source that Mr. Lincoln would
ssent to the payment Of $400oJO.oOD os
for the slaves If the south
7ould accept emancipation and return To-
he Union. He answered that be had no
UGH intimation from any source, but that
such a proposition lla'A Ifti AlIft'lN mo
OuId not have entertained 10 as lhe EXccu-
i've Of the Confederacy. lie said he was
he sworn Executive Of q government
bundled on the rights Of States that slave
V was distinctly declared 10 be exclusively
State institution, and that such issue
ouId have been decided only by the indie
endent assent Of each State. Some of
hem, he added, would have accepted such
erms at that time, but that others would
ave declined it, ard peace, therefore was
impossible on that basis.
SIR. Davis discussed the present attitude .
nd future Of the South with manifest iu-
crest and great candor. While be is not
nd cannot be factor i'm attaining any de-
ired political results for the South, be
hares the hopes expressed 10y the great mass
f the more intelligent Southern people,
hat all difficult problems are yet 70 be wise
? solved By the gradual advancement and
nal harmony of the races and sections. He