Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-24
SOUTHERN HISTORY
An Addition to the Literature of the
Late War-Jefferson Davis and
Alex. H. Stephens.
4 Defense Of the Confederate Leaders,
Cotton aud the BlOekade-"Nhat
Night Have Been"
NEW YORK, March 2S.-The Herald pub.
fishes the following letter:

NEW YORK, March 23.-The Herald pub !
fishes the following letter:
To the Editor of the Herald:
Talleyrand it was, I believe who said words |
were invented to conceal the meaning OF what il |
said Ia your recent obituary sketch of Gsorgia's
late lamented and llustrious governor you said |
M Davis Away. appeared TO look upon his asso
ciate (Mr. Stephensl with suEpieion,''' 'SusPi- |
cion'' is generally born Of the Illicit intercourse
of weak minds with strong pIejudices,
when inspired By either malice or Jealousy
lures deal only in convictions, aud it could
amount to nothing less than cruelty to i'm
pute TO Mr.. Davis a httleness 81 which NO
of which he could not do without forfeiting uni
versal private respect and public confidence He
was incapable of the pitiiul meanness of harbor-
ing, much less expressing, directly or indirectly,
suspicion" against the conduct or character Of
so illustrious a parsonage as his associate was
universally regarded to be. OF this the evidence
was conclusive from the simple fact that ne Sc
lected Mr. stephens, late as February 20 rep
resent the Confederate government at the memoTa-
b. Hampton Roads Confsrsncs, on which occasion
it was but to be expected that each government
diplomstists, but her most incoruptitle pa riots
guard her interests in the conduct of the antici
on his own motion, but against the protests of
ciared his conviction that MI Davis
sent the confederate government Undeniaoly
true It is, admit, that they did entertain antipo
| importance Nj. Davis was friendly while Mr..
| stephens was opposed TO both martial law and
enade Mr Stephens received on The evening of The
/ day he elected vics president by the 'Provi-
| sional Congress" he made speech in which he
struck tue keynote 10 the Confederacys success,
in the simple suggestion OF the purchase Of every
lock of cotton in the South and the immeeiste in
vestment of the proceeds of its resale in Europe
| in enough of iron-clsd war steamers to keep
| Southern ports open. Had Mr.. Davis ipdorsed
| this suggestion earnestly It would have been
promptly adopted. He practically rejected it.
| What WAS the result? First, the bloekade-Hgo,
| hai1on OF the value of the necessities OF life,
| suffering at home, Generalization in Con-
federate camps open desertion from the ranks, un-
| til Gen. Lee had but 5000 muskets in line to
| surrender st AppomAttox, while his muster-rolls
exhibited the fact that there were absent without
| leave 10000 men who had gone home to club
from their doors the providing wolf. This we
| know is what did happen. Now, suppose we look
/ advice been adopted. There could have been no
| blockade, and the white wings of foreign mer-
chantmen hunting for cotton would have lowered
| in Southern bays. Foreign commercial inter
| course is Away. regarded as q necessity when 1t
promises to be profitable, and intercourse must
ali, the CorfedeTzcy wcaid have been admins.
tered upon specie basis; Confederate bonds
flour could have been bought at home for IS,
when it did sell for $500 per barrel in the same
currency soldiers received for q1enching the
thirst of the earth with their blood only Sill pei
month. Confidence would have then reigned in
the Confederate ranks because comfort would
| would have cried for bread nor would the wound
| es in hospitals or the captives in prisons have
| moaned for medicines. The Northern man can.
| not comprehend. he says, how Mr.. Stephens could
consistently first oppose and then accept seces
sion. This, however, should excite no surprise
as in doing so he inundated policy on the altar oil
| principle, whereas rad Gals always sacrifice prin
| ciple on the altar of policy. But he was con
| trolled by consideration in accepting seces
| sion which, had he not believed in the
right of secession, was wise enough in its policy
to justify his coiduct. The North had said tc
the South through orators pulpits and presses
go in peace" and Mr.. Greeley had not ONLY
advocated their right TO do SO, but intimated
that If the North could believe that q msioritJ
of the Southern people wanted to go they
| would be permitted TO do SO. Mr.. Stephens
never fer one moment entertained 4 suspicion
that they did not mean what they sid. Then Il
| prevent bloodshed-to avert a war and insure per
manent friendly relations based on treaties fo
mutual protection between 1.-THE rival republics
he did surrender his theories of policy to es
pouss his principles of right, and challenge both
biography and hi tory to produce ano her instance
in which so noble a ma II ever did another as nobl
deco for as NOBLE a purpose. But he has gone Il
| his final account. he one of the few grea
men whote mental majesty and moral grandeu
increased the more the nearer you approaches
him. All the virtues that ennobled and none o
|, the vices that degrade humanity were his. How
could any man, not determined to be unjust, hRr
| Dor against him "suspicion2' Respectfully,
ANDREW n. Fl. DAWSON