The Portland daily press., 1881-07-12
Bob Toombs.
HIS VIEWS ON THE MEN AND MEAS
URES OF THE CoNFEDERACY.
A Characteristic ana Merciless Criticism
on Jeff Davis and His Book.
Corr. Philadelphia Press.l

The homo Of Gen. Robert Tsombs, the irst
Secretary of State in Mr.. DAvis's Cabinet, is
here.
Washington was where the Oonfedsraoy
died, 1 believe" said to-day az was chat
ting with this interesting man upon the war
and its results
Eyes, this was the place whore ii finally
gave official notice to the world that 1t was
dead The Confederacy died when Richmond
was evacuated. The conflict ended even be-
fore Leo surrendered. 1t is a wonder that 10
lived as long as it did, considering the manner
in which it was managed and the men and
policy which controlled its affairs"
JEFF DAvIs's BOOK
"Have you read Mr. Davis's book7"
'No, sir: 1 never intend to. / do not reoog-
nize Mr.. Davis's history. 1t would have been
great deal better for him and the South II It
had never been written. Most of the people
in this country regret that it ever was written.
The truth is, the bulk of the people of the
South pity rather than admire him. The troub
le with Davis was and is, that he has an OF
alted idea of his own importance. He has
some ability, but no nerve, and has not the
slightest capacity for managing men. I have
not thing against him except his follies He
wanted my photograph 10 put In his book, but
declined to give it. 1 didn't want my pic
turo to go down to posterity in any such som-
pany. They say he has one in the engraving
showing his original Cabinet, which makes me
look about 10 years old
"Werc you present when Mr.. Davis held
his last Cabinet consultation here in yosr
beautiful town.
"No sir; l did not even invite Ar. Davis to
my house when here. mover spoke to hin
after left the service. Breckinridgs aud
Reagan, of his Cabinet, were my guests dur
ing their stay in Washington. Davis stayed at
Mr.. Robinson's. offered to send my carri-
age for his use and do any other act of kind
ness that could, but could not receive him
at my house. When the thing had finally
burst told Breckenridge and Reagan 10 say
to Mr.. Davis that would get him out of the
country without trouble, and any member Of
his Cabinet who desired to go. said it would
only take five days to reach tho Florida coast,
and would have a vessel there to take them
to some foreign country. l do not know wheth-
er they ever told him or not but I did assist
all the members except Mr.. Reagan, who de-
cided to stay with Mr.. Davis, and Mr.. Benja,
min, who left the party soms twenty miles be-
fore they reached this point. 1t was sorry
party indeed; but what else could you expsct?"
THE FIRST CABINET.
"You were his first Secretary of State?"
"Yes, sir, was in his first Cabinet. but it
was not very envable position. do not be-
lieve that there was man in the Cabinet that
I.oI AL, Sf
money when the war broke out. / had both.
In Europe had almost unlimited credit, and
used to endorse the drafts of the Confederaoy
to get funds, and I had to pay $4,000 of the
Confederate debt after the war, in the shape
OF draft had endorsed when Secretary Of
State. They had queer way Of running the
Confederate Government. Memminger, the
Secretary of the Treasury, was OF an economi-
cal turn, and understand he used to hire mig
gers to print the Confederate money, and, in.
stead of paying them for their labor, he gave
them the use Of the presses at night to print
for themselves. In the army it was the same
slipshod way No one had any official author
ity. Somebody said l was General, and
went and took command; but never knew 10
officially, and 1 think no one else ever did.
The first Cabinet was queer crowd and had
queer history. L remember that, when the
Government was moved to Richmond, and We
got in five or six more States than we had
when the Cabinet was originally organized, ]
told Davis that would not stay with such Q
crowd as he had around him then. ] placed
my peremptory resignation in his hands unless
| he would dismiss the whole Of them. He told
| me he did not like to do that arbitrarily. but
said he should deeply regret my retirement,
| and asked me to say to every member OF the
| Cabinet that, as more States had been added
| to the Confederacy since the Cabinet was ere
ated, he thought that all ought to resign and
| give him chance to make o new one. I did
| as Davis told me, and told every one of them
| exactly what Davis said, and told them that he
| told me to tell them. But all Of them stuck,
| and insisted that Davis himself must bring ths
| word. The trouble was, none Of them had q
| place to go if they got out Of the Cabinet. 10
was grounding or no dinner with them."