The daily gazette., 1881-02-23
Cameron I'm q. Carolina
INCIDENTS RECALLED BY THE
ARRIVAL AT CHARLESTON.

THE CONTEST BETWEEN THE SECTIONS
BEFORE THE FIRST SHOT.
Correspondence of the Press.
CHARLESTON, S. c., February 8.
Charleston is a thriving city. 1t is the
fourth largest cotton-shipping port IL
the United States and sends more rice
to market than any other place In Amer
lea. Time aud the demands OF prosper
ily have wiped cut the footprints of war
here and except in rare instances there il
not relic of the late conflict to mark
the spot where the Rebellion began.
Forts Moultrie and Pickens at he mouth
of the channel and historic Sumter,
erumblng into decy in the centre and
nearer the city are, however, three great
monuments of it and are still left. On
looking out into the by one would almost
miss Sumter if he we're not reminded
that the pile of brick and stone grim and
desolate, which disfgures the habor, is
what IS left OF the once great fortress
which felt the first shock of the greatest
civil strife Of modern times. As we look.
ed out at it Mr.. Cameron said: Chow
well | remember the day when the fort
was fired upon. The first boom OF the
gun which carried the ball against Its
battlements awoks the North TO the fact
that slavery had at last arrayed the two
sectious ofthis country in armed hostility
TO each other.
LINCOLN, CHASE AND SEWARD.
81 remember very well that President
Lincoln, Mr.. Chase and Mr.. Seward be-
lieved up to that moment that there
would be no war. Seward thought
that the great conflict of ideas could be
averted and settled by diplomacy. Mr..
Lincoln and Mr.. Chase thought that at
least the South would submit the cues
ton at issue TO q convention Of the
States for settlement. Many more of
our leading men thought so too. Sena
tor Collamer of Vermont, one of the
ablest men in the Senate then met
Southern Senator Oh the steps of the
Senate Chamber as he was leaving the
capital for the South and the two shook
hands. AS the Southerner passed on
Collamer turned and said: "Good- bye.
expect we will not meet again until
the naxt National Convention" Both
of them thought that the contest between
the North and the South Oh the question
of slavery would be settled without re.
sort to arms. 81 never thought so." It
was the policy of Mr.. Lincoln's Admin
istration TO treat the Southern States in
an amicable spirit, with view of bring
ing about peaceful settlement of the
difficulties and TO force them to begin
the war If it was begun. None of us
cared especially for Sumter, but the
firing upon it was the first overt act of
rebellion, for which the Administration
waited before it struck. / remember
telling Mr.. Lincoln at Spring
field, Illinois, after his election to the
that the result of his cleo.
impossible, but l felt sure of il for
months before it came.
AN INTERVIEW WITH JEFF DAVIS.
81 remen Der one morning during the
exciting debates in the Senate prior to |
he re retiment of the Southern Sena.
ors that j eff Davis, with whom / had |
been upon the most intimate terms for |
ong time, invited me to breakfast to talk |
ak over the questions At issue, and to |
'sk II | would not use my influence in |
behalf OF peaceful separation. The |
ak between us while at breakfast,
which lasted some tine was quite anil
nated, but all In good temper, but to.
ward it's conclusion il became very
warm. Mr.. Davis was then, as l sup
ose he is now, man of uDgovernable
will, and, of course, took the positive
round that the States had right TO Sc
EIDE and would do so unless their de-
hands were acceeded to- / denied this
IRh., and said that any attempt on their
art to leave the Union would result In
Iar' Both of US we're stubborn upon
he diverse positions taken. He got
ute excited and a. l was leaving said
ngrily: Cameron, II there Is any at
smpt on the part of the North to CO.
rec US, and war between the States
9sults, l will draw limo through the
9untry at the Potomac River. No. he
ided Immediately, Il will draw q line
the Susquehanna, and your house
lall be my headquarters l answered
Iuch In the same temper: X on will new
: be permitted . break up the U MON and
you try 1t. war will be the result, you
Ill, be- soundly thrashed, and slavery in
us country will be doomed when the
rst gun is fred History has verified
IL prediction. Davis soon after left the
snate, and l have never seen him
nee"
After this talk, which the memories OF
Inter had revived, we walked lels
rely along the streets toward the Char
ston Hotel. We turned into the mar
1t. busy with the hustle Of hucksters,
I'd traversed it's whole length TO the
ain street of the city. From thence
Q walked along the different streets
oking at the place, noting its old land
arks, as we'll as many new residences
FaF V IN hara viSi hlA