The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-06-14
JEFF DAVIS m RICHMOND.
His Reception in War Times-His I'm
popularity-The Lees.

His Reception in War Times-His Un-
popularity-TheL Lees:
From Philadelphia Times.
The presidents house was, Of course,
open on the evenings Of regular recep-
tons to any man who had clean face
and wore decent coat. The crowd gath
cred there on such occasions was motley
assemblaee. Wide latitude was allowed
III the matter of dress, and the hideous,
though patriotic, homespun figured side
by side with the pretty toilet, whose
possessor had ruin the blockade or come
south under the flag Of truce. Such
dresses as these were last we're rare and
merely served to emphasize the new
calicoes and carefully preserved silks
and woolens in which most Of the ladies
present were arrayed. Mr.. Davis lnva'
riably wore citizens dress at these re-
ceptions, but the blaze Of officers uni
forms made brilliant the spacious rooms
of the old-fashioned mansion:
Probably the president of the confed-
crate states was the most unpopular man
within their limits. Grave, gentle, cor
dial and dignifed, his manners in the
presidential mansion were all that could
be desired, but outside he was brllsQue
to the verge of rudeness and carried his
private prejudices into public life. The
Examiner attacked him fercely and criti-
cised him mercilessly. John M. Daniels
brilliant intellect and keen satire made
his paper a power in the country, and it
was by far the most popular among
Southern journals. Thus Mr.. Davis mis-
takes, and they were many, were fully
informed of all quarrels in the confeder-
ate cabinet or with the generals of tie
army. Perhaps the chief cause of his
unpopularity was his scarcely concealed
enmity to General Lee, who was, on the
other hand, the idol of the army, and
through it of the people at home. :.
Probably nothing but Lees stately
courtesy and perfect self-control pre-
vented an open rupture between him.
self and Davis. 1t was often charged
that only the fear of an open revolt In
the army kept Davis from endeavoring
to remove Lee from the command of the
confederate forces. Doubtless any such
step would have provoked a revolt, hut
the vexed question Of state rights stood
also in the way. Lee was the chosen
chief of the Virginia troops and as such
could not have been removed by even
the president of the coufederacy. In
deed ,Virginia,claimed a peculiar position
among the billigerent states. The
Mother of States and Statesmen" had, in
tartily accepting the federal constitution
of 1889, expressly reserved the right to
withdraw from the union under certain
contingencies, right tacitly acknow!-
edged at the time by the rest of the Old
Thirteen" None of the other seceeded
states having made the same stipulation,
she was, therefore, in her. own eyes,
more than any other, q sovereign state
asserting her sovereignty. Even JET
Davis had too much prudence to pro-
woke an open issue between Virginia
and the confederacy and thus the old
dominion held her @pis over her favor
tie son, who, in fact, was in the confed-
crate army rather from loyalty to his
state than as an advocate for secession.
Mrs. Davis was handsome and wcl! &C.
customed to society by years of life in
Washington. She discharged her duties
as mistress of the presidential mansion
wirh quiet grace and dignity which, Il
it won her few friends, ct all events
made her no enemies. She was emf.
nent]y domestic in her tastes, devoted
to her husband and children, and after
the terrible death Of her little boy, Who
was killed during the second year OF the
Ss~S
rear Of the house, she Withdrew from
society as much as possible, leaving her
sister to fill her place. This the young
lady was nothing 10th to do, and indeed
magnified her Office to such an extent,
as the Richmond ladies' said, gave her
self such airs" that she came in for her
full share Of i'll feeling toward her bro
ther-in-law. =. Es... ;.
Mrs. Lee was an invalid, whose deli
cate health confined her almost entirely
almost altogether to her own house.
She held the office Of president Of the
soldiers aid society BY the wish Of the
whole country, but the actiye duties o.
the posts developed chiefly on the vice
presidents. Her daughters were, Of
course, leaders IL society and were
Slowed and admired no. less for their OWE
attractions THAI th cir father p sake.
Illinois has furnished 25e, ~ whits
! and 1911 colored soldisIs during the
wears 1881 1855 The mortal ity va &