The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-09-23
jeff Davis Status.

Judge Kelly, in an editorial on JEFF Davis
In the Boise Statesman, gives the following
account of . conversation he had several
years ago, IN San Francisco, with man who
was one Of the "powers behind the throne ;"
of the tottering Confederacy and had been
as close to Davis as Thurlow Weed was to
Lincoln. He had negotiated The Confeder-
ate loan In England and equipped score Of
blockade unners with a.ms, powder, qu'nine,
etc. In that fea, fully Unequal struggle,
where many good men fought in an evil
cause, he was man among men. he said +:
"Why, confound Davis, for an impractical
and visionary day-creame.. He never was a
man of The people. Had his heart gone out
to the masses as Lincoln's did, we couldn't
have lost the fight. and even as 1t was, he,
and he alone, Is to blame for the war being
prolonged fifteen months beyond what IL
should have been. In 1884, just befo.e Grant
led the Federal troops into the slaughter
peus at the wilderness, myself and four
others were at Niagara Falls and signed a
letter to President Lin,-oln, asking II he
would come to Niagara Falls or let us come
to Washington, TO see what could be done
about treaty of peace. Mr.. Lincoln knew
that the slaughter of Federal troops was far
greater than that OF the Corfederates, con-
sidering the relative size Of the two aIm;es.
He knew that the draft was The most odious
measure ever originated, and that it was in
consistent with the spirit Of q republican
form Of government"
"Well, what had Uncle Abe 20 do about
npn
DO about itp He acsed with his naive
shrewduess In the mate, just as he did in
everything. He was The ablest politician
America ever saw, by long odds. He issued
a proclamation headed: TO whom II may
concern ignoring us altogether. and Davis
too, but sta.irg hat he would he only too
happy 10 meet he dry ei'c'ed Gove'no OF
the Stares of (and here he named he seeded
oues), with view to cay OF peace. This
In Feb ualy. 1854, m nd youp"
"Did they eve NEE. him9"
"Not q 5;t OF It. The arrangement lei
JET out In the cold, and he wortdn't have i
that way. He bulldozed the Cove. nofs o
Mississippi, Louisans aud A.kapsas in.o hi
way OF thinxiug, aid that broke IL up. Joe
Johnston, Hood and Jack Mag uder were II
favor Of It, and from that time he never lost
|. chance TO vent his spleen upon them. Had
he consented, the war could have been ended
fifteen months before 1t was, and the Soutf
would have been that much better off,"
aAfe The masses of The Southern people
fully coenizant of these facis?"
aOf course they are, and 1t j. for thai
reason tha. Davis 10 hated by the masses
inst rs old Joe Johnston Is 5e'oved, and p
the names OF Hood and Magruder are almost
canonIzed in their hears along with o'd
S,onewall and Sydney Johnston. When
Won come right down TO 1t, Davis Is man Of
brains, but impractical. Lee and Joe John
son knew the cause was lost for year BE-
fore they could surrender, and had Davis
han : man Of any tact q all, he could have
ended the war by accepting Linco'n's humane
.uposition and brought Lee and old Jot
out with unsullied swords. But his incrdin'
.se vanity upset everything and left him On
object Of mingled pity and derision; II va.
plsin enough afler the time speak o. tna'
thc onl, way he could benefit the south VA
"a eet up 3 first class funeral and furnish tne
corpse himself"