Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-02-04

| cepting a restoration to citizenship,
and Is wisely content with the stub
born faith in the Lost Cause.
have long desired to know the
exact truth from the fountain scarce
OF knowledge on the subject i'll re-
gard to several important events
during the war, and was agreeably
surprised ut the freedom with which
Mr.. Davis met my inquiries. Why
Beauregaid was ordered to fire upon
Ma or Anderson in Fort Sumter af-
ter his surrender was inevitable, at
Il specified time, without assaulting
/ the flag. has never been entirely un-
ders' ood. 1t was an act OF madness,
as it made division in the North i'm
possible, and [ have always believed
the rcol cause of the order to open
fire was to unity the South, and end
the threatening movement for re-
union on certain terms. Nj. Davis
answered promptly and emphatically
that tho order was given solely be-
cause faith had been broken by the
Lincoln Administration in attempt
ing to reinforce Major Anderson,
and that the South needed no war to
solidify its people. l think he errs
in understanding the probable pow
/ er of the reconstruction before the
war, but it is evident that in decid-
ing to issue the fatal order for the
ASSAULT UPON SUMTER.
He believed the Confederacy irwin
cible, and defiantly resented what
he regarded as q violation of the
pledge of the Federal Government.
That act practically consolidated the
North, and thonceforth the Confed-
eracy was u fearfully hopeless VEN
ture.
On another important point he
answered with the same freedom.
When asked whether the aggressive
movement of Lee that eliminated at
GettysL was adopted as purely
military strategy or the offspring of
a political necessity inside the Con.
federacy, he answered that it was
the wisest act of both military and
political strategy, but was not die
tated at all by political considera-
tions. He said the wisdom of the
military movement was proven in
the recall of Meade from Virginia
and the transfer of both armies to
Northern soil, but he soberly added,
the battle was misfortune. The
chances were equal, as he regarded
it, for military success, and that
would have deranged the whole plan
of the Government and impaired its
resources for 4 campaign that year.
As military movement, Mr.. Davis
says the Gettysburg campaign had
the entire approval Of Lee, and
there were no political divisions IN
the South to dictate our departure
from the wisest military laws.
| desire also TO show whether at
the time of the Hampton Roads con
ference between Lincoln, Seward
Stephens, and others, Mr.. Davis
had received any intimation from
any credible sou,co that Mr.. Lincoln
would assent TO the payment of SlOO,
900 600 as Il
COMPENSATION FOR THE SLAVES
If the South would accept emanci-
patton and return to the Union. Ho
answered that he had no such in
formation from any source, but that
if such proposition had been made
he could not have entertained 1t as
the Executive of the Confederacy
He said he was the sworn Executive
of Government founded on the
rights of States: that slavery was
distinctly declared to be exclusively
State institution, and that such
issue could have been decided only
by the independent assent of each
State. Some of them, he added,
would have accepted such terms at
that time, but that others would
have declined it, and peace, there
fore, was impo sible on that basis.
Mr.. Davis discussed the present
attitude and future prospects OF the
South with manifest interest and
great candor. While he is not and
cannot be factor III attaining any
desired political results for the South,
! he shares the hopes expressed by
the great mass Of moro intelligent
Southern people, that all difficult
problems are yet to be wisely solved
by the gradual advancement and
final harmony Of the races and Sec
tious. He was unreserved in ex-
pressing belief that civil service IN
the South that would ensure fidelity
to the Government and people could
not fail to find partisan or sectional
issues between the South and the
Garfield Administration, and unite
both North and South i'll the promo
ton of our National interests of the
whole country. His discussion OF
the relations of the two sections un-
der the