Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-01-13

diedsssthe Republican Minister to
Russia, Eand Senate, House and the
Washing department. swarm with
men wlfo weres abreast with j efsrson
Davis in every effort to dismember
the Republic, but Davis is the EN-
boGiment of humiliation while his fell
lows go i'll and OUT without; displeas-
,ure. heard no allrision to or COM
Iplaint, of this injustice, but itisplain-
.lysevident that Davis entirely appre.
ciates it and that he believes he would
not be consistent with himself and
the eraveress?onaibilities he assumed
however mistaken he may-have been
in assuming them, if he did not de-
liherately remain an alien to the gov
ernGen5 that-he more conepicuously
than ali Others struggled tooverthrow.
Hsscou!l! not help the South or him.
selfsby seeking or accepting restora
tionfo citizenship, and he is wisely
content with stubborn faith in the
rectitude Of his lost cause.
SOME "REMINISCENCES OF TIE WAR,
* have long desired 10 know the
exact truth from the fountain Of
Southern knowledge on the subject,
in regard sto several important events
ofsthe war, tandI was agreeably sur
prised attbe freedom with which Mr..
Davis. metfmy Inquiries. Why Beau
regard was ordered to fire upon. Ar
derson in Fort Sumter, after his SUI
render was inevitable at specified
time without assaulting the flag, has
never been entirely understood. 1t
was the act of madness, as it made
division IL the North impossible, and
I have always believed that the real
cause o: the order to open fire was to
unity the South and end the threat
enins movement2 forreunion on terms.
Mr. Davis answered promptly and en-
phatically that the order was given
solely because faith had been broken
by tie l. ncoln administration in at
tempting to reinforce Anderson, and
that the South needed 10 var to SOL
iilty its peopIe.9 l think he errs in
Understanding thespfobahle power
of The movement in the South for re-
construction bsf5rs the war55 out it is
ey:tiont-tiias in deciding 10 issue the
fatal ordersfo: The assault ueon Sum
ter, lie believed tie Con:e,ieracy IN
vncib:c and deiiansly resented what
he regarded asa vioationol tilepiedse
q: th2 Fedora! Government. Tie act
practically consolidated the North,
ami tt.ea;cfofth the Confederacy was
a isarfu!!y hopeless venture. Ga an
other important noiut he answered
with the same IRE dom. Wien asked
whether the aggressive movement cf
L9e that cuiminate,i st Gettysburg.
vas adopted as purely military STRAIT
esy or the offspring of-poli'icsi ne
cass;ty inside The ul9afederaay. lie ar
swerad that it was The wiseat u both
miIitasy and political strategy, but
that i was n9t dictated at all by PC
lisicsl considerations. Hs said that
the vision pfthe military movement
was proven by the recall u Meade
from Virginia and tha1ransi4r Q: both
ARMIES 10 Northern soil; bue. he So
barly aided, tEesb,.ttle was u lnsior-
tune. The chances We're eq al, as he
rasa.l5t
li.at wonll have deranged the vhole
.plln :of the Goyerumene 2sti impaired
for the campal1n OF th2t
year. As !. military lnova'nenti Mr..
Davis. ssia, tue Gettysburg campaign
had Cue entires approval of Lee, and
there were 10 political adiyisions in
slle sesltsff, .stos disfa;e any departure
from The wisest military lAas. l de
sired, also, to know whether, at tn:
time of the Hampton R,a.ts confer
aace between Lincoln, Seward, Ste
pheas and others, MF. Davis had re-
ceived any iutimation from any cred
ible source, TIA: Mr. lincoin would
assent to the payment o. lonr hun
dred millions RS compensation tor
slaves if the South would accept
emancipation anA return 10 the Union.
lie answered that he had no such IN
tiEnation 4 ron any source, but that if
such proposition a:d bcen ma'ie, he
could not have enteitained IL as the
Executive Of the Conlederaoy. He
said that he was the sworn Executive
or a Government founded Oil the
rights Of the States; that slavery was
distinctly declared to be exclusively
a State institution, and that such an
issue could have been decided only
by the Independent assent Of each
State. Some CT ttem, headed, would
have accepted such terms at thattime
but'uthers would have deelined it,
aad peace was, therefore, impossible
on that basis
DAVIS IroBEruE or TIE serrH.
Mr.. D.yis discussed The .pfs'ent ct
titude and fatule prospects OF the
South with manifest interest aod great
candor. WhiTe he IS not and cannot
- L;o;So d-v Gaa;,.e1