The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-01-13
eMisefllanp.
A Talk With jeff Davis.
Cor. Of the Philadelphia Times.

A journey through the South Tor
the study of the currents of opinion
and the present condition and prob
able progress of the reconstructed
States would be incomplete with
out q visit to the one man who
must stand in history as the front of
the overthrown Confederacy.
IL 4
DAVIS IN CONVERSATION.
His yet abundant locks and full
beard are deeply silvered, and his
face and frame are spare as they
always have been, but his step is
elastic and steady and the hard lines
of his brow which are so conspicu'
Gus in his pictures, are at once
effaeed when he enters into CONVEX
sation. Instead of impressing the
visitor as as political reclnse who
has no interest i'll the land to whose
citizenship he will live and die a
stranger, he at once invites the
freedom of the planters homes by
chatting without reserve, save when
his contemporaries are likely tn be
criticised, when he adroltly ana
pleasantly turns the discussion into
Iinoffensive channels. He is yet the
same positive man in all his con-
victions and purposes that made
him the leader of a causeless re-
bellion. He well understands that
be cast the die for empire or for
failure that must make him alien to
the country and the world. and that
he lost; and he knows that he is to-
dav the most powerless Of sll men
in the land to retrieve the fortunes
OF those who followed him TO be
reayemeut and sacrifice. He reads
right the inexorable judgment that
makes him execrated for the Con
federacy, while his equally subor-
dinates have been welcomed TO the
fatted calf. His Vice-Prsident who
followed the slave empire star on
when doubt AID darkness gathered
about It made haste TO scramble
over the ruins of the Confoderssy
and regain the seat in Washington
from which he seeded with Davis 10
to aid in guiding rebellion. Two
of his unnoted warriors have sat in
Republican cabinets. Lees sblest
lieutenant is the republican Minis
ter To Turkey. The man who
marched the first regiment of volun-
Iteers TO Charleston and who served
as Confederate Senator until Apo
matox became historic died as the
republican Minister to Russia; and
Senate, House and the Washington
, departments swarm with men who
we're abreast with Jefferson Davis
lin every effort to dismember the
Republic. But Davis is the en-
|, Ibodiment of humiliation, while his
fellows go in and out without dis
pleasure. i heard no allusion to or
, complaint of this injustice, but it is
, plainly evident that Da y entirely
!, appreciates it, and that L5 believes
. at he would not be consistent with
himself add the responsibilities he
assumed, however mistaken he may
have been in assuming them, if he
did not deliberately remain as alien
to the government that he more
conspicuously than all others strug-
gled to overthrow. He could not
+ help the South or himself by seek
| ing or accepting restoration to citi-
zenship, and he is wisely content
o with stubborn faith in the rectitude
p of his lost cause.
SOME REMlNIscENCEs OF THE WAR.
1 have long desired to know the
$ exact truth from the fountain of
: Southern knowledge on the subject,
/, in regard to several important
s events OF the war, and / was agreea-
e ably surprised at the freedom with
which Mr.. Davis met my inquiries.
Beauregard was ordered to fire upon
Anderson in Fort Sumpter, after his
' surrender was inevitable at speci-
fed time without assaulting the
l flag, has never been entirely under
e stood. 1t was the act of madness,
. as it made division in the North i'm
: possible, and I have always believed
s that the real cause Of the order to
r open fire was to unity the South and
: end the threatening movements for
l reunion on terms. Mr.. Davis an
swered promptly that the order was
r given solely because faith had been
: broken by the Lincoln administra-
ton in attempting to reinforce An
J. derson, and that the South needed
: no war to solidlfy its people. l
think he errs in Understanding
e the probable power of the move
!, ment in the South for reconstruction
r before the war, but it is evident
: that in deciding to issue the fatal
order for the assault upon Stump
, ter he believed the Confederacy In
vincible and defiantly resented what
he regarded as violation of the
pledge of the Federal government.
: The act practically consolidated the
North and thenceforth the Confed,
eracy was a fearfully hopeless ven
8 ture. On another important point
Il he answered with the same freedom.
$ When asked whether the aggressive
e movement of Lee that eliminated at
e Gettysburg was adopted as purely
:, military strategy or the offspring oI
D. political necessity inside the Con
;, federacy, he answered that it was
The wisest of both military and po,
8 litical strategy, but that it was not
: dictated at all by political consider
Il erations. He said that the wisdom
:. of the military movement was proven
v in the recall of Meade from Vir-
Z ginia and the transfer of both ar
h mics to Northern soil; but he sober
: ly added, the battle was a misfor
tune. The chances were equal; as
d he regarded 1t, for military success
@ and that would have deranged the
$ whole plan of the government anG
: impaired its resources fer the cam
d paign of that year. As a military
|, movement Mr.. Davis says the
8 Gettysburg campaign had the entire
Y approval of Lee, and there was nc
/ political divisions in the military
! laws, | desired also to know
:; whether, at the time of the Hamp
!, ton Roads conference between Lin
d coin, Seward, Stephens and others
!. Davis had received intimation from
y any credible source that Mr.. Lincoln
: would assent to the payment oI
70 four hundred millions as compen
!, tion for slayes If the South would