The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-03-31
THE LOST CAUSE.

For several years IL HAS Deeu all-
nounced that Jefferson Davis, expires.
ident of the late Confederacy, was en-
gagged in writing a history Of the gov
eminent of which he was the head.
and of the fruitless war it waged for
its own perpetuation and the independ-
ence of the people who created it.
Late reports indicate that the long,
expected work has been completed
and in a short time it will have been
sent broadcast over the country. The
book has been issued from the press
of D. Appleton & Co. New York, and
will be in two large volumes.
This man. now in the 73d year Of
his age, energies for the first time
from the seclusion in which for many
years lie has enveloped his life. Ever
since he walked out of the prison ut
Fortress Monroe,--expatriated in cf-
feet, but free, two years after Grant
and Lee met under al apple-tree at
Appomattox,- he has led as quiet and
uneventful a life as ever fell to the
lot Of 4 great public character. lie
has studiously avoided the throngs of
the southern people who still revere
him rs the leader of the lost cause, and
by whom the sight Of him and the
sound of his voice would still be Gu
Enthusiastically welcomed. He has kept
his opinion on public affairs to himself.
His lips have been sealed to all the
interviews Of the press. While Alex.
II. Stephens, Robert Toombs, Gen.
Joseph f. Johnston, and scores of
the leading statesmen and soldiers of
the cOnfederacy have said their say
on matters past and present, with the
utmost freedom and fullness, in the
newspapers, in books and in the n;,-
tional legislature, Jefferson Davis has
been as conspicuous for his complete
retirement fro II all the affairs of pub
lie life, as>he was prominent in the
making Of history. But though dumb.
even i'll the humble role of Il mere
observer he has not been inactive.
For ten years he has been elaborate
and undoubtedly the last defence of
secession that will ever lie written.
The southern people recognize it us
the first formal and comprehensive
history of their cause. They will
welcome it as the first general history
Of their struggle. In Alex. II. Ste.
phens' books are presented his theories
of what the confederate policy in the
field and in the cabinet should have
been, and Gen. Johnston tells the story
Of u campaign or two. All southern his
tories yet published are more or less
tragmentary, special, and narrow.
Mr.. Davis book is the first attempt
to cover the field. He will make an
exhaustive justification Of his policy
and acts as president of the southern
confederacy, and a sharp, aggressive,
even bitter, attack upon the men who
opposed him in his cabinet and in his
congress.
Mr.. Davis introduction is a short
one, covering not quite two pages. In
it he makes very clear, concise, and
forcible statement of the political
principles which it is one of the main
purposes of his history to defend and
justify. He dedicates his work to the
widows and orphans of the confederate
dead. He conceiyes it to be his duty to
countrymen to prepare this history of
the rise and failure of their cause. He
finds in the structure Of the thirteen
independent states, and their relations
to each other, the primary principles
and vested rights Oh which lie rests
his v;ndicatiOn of the confederacy.
lie evidences the doctrine of State
sovereignty, and the compact by which
the states voluntarily gave their con-
sent TO Il federation: with ITO design,
expressed oI implied, ever to become
fractional part, Of a nation; and he
believes that those who resisted the
violation Of this original compact
were, in fact. the true friends of the
constitutional union.
It is learned that the author, dis
cussjng principles and events in their
natural and logical order, first gives
his attention to African servitude,
and the long and bitter sectional strife
to which it gave rise. He then takes
up the question of states rights. giving
the constitutional and historical argu-
ments on which he rests the principle
OF state sovereignty, and quoting
copiously from all the authorities on
the subject. The remainder Of the
work is given to narrative of the
struggle, including the fullest state
Inent yet written from /. southern
standpoint of the fierce dissensions in
the confederate councils, and of his
defense of the prolongation of the war
for many months after many of the
ablest men in the south were fully
convinced that their struggle WAS Il
hopeless one. In opcnin. the work,
he treats of the early legislation on
the subject Of slavery. lie acuuits
the south Of all responsibility for the
existence in its midst of the peculiar
institution, and calls attention to the
tact that Virginia WAS the first state
to prohibit the importation into it's
territory of blacks brought to this
country and reduced to slavery, and
that Georgia WAS the first state to in.
corporate in it's constitution IL prohi-
b,tion Of the African slave trade. All
through the Work he treats Of slavery,
not rs the cause Of the war. but only
Us in incident Of The secession move.
ment. The paramount question he
declares was equality in the territories,
and to the inability OF the south to
maintain it's equal rights in the terri
tories and the new-nlade states of the
Union he traces the conflict which
intensified until it burst into war.
While upon this subject he speaks
III condeinnatory terms Of the Missouri
compromise, which he regards as a
surrender Of rights which belonged to
the south, and which it should have
maintained. But after it was adopted
he believed it should have been
adhered to. and he arraigns the nortl,
and the federal government for the
failure Of the compromise. which was
practically repealed by the bills or.
gallizing the territories of Kansas and
Nebraska in 1850.
It will be observed that Mr.. Davis
takes occasion to declare in many places
throughout the work his devotion t.