Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-08-11
miscellaneous.
Richmond During the War.

A correspondent Of the Philadelphia
Times writing Of social life in the Confed-
crate capital SAYS:
The Presidents house was. of course.
open on the evenings Of regular receptions
to any man who had a clean face and wore
decent coat, The crowd gathered there
on such occasions was motley assem-
blage. Wide latitude was allowed in the
matter OF dress, and the hideous. though
patriotic homespun figured side by side
with the pretty toilet. whose pOssessor had
run the blockade or come South under the
flag OF truce Such dresses as these last
were rare and merely served to emphasize
the new calicoes and carefully preserved
silks and woolens in which most OF the
ladies present were arrayed- MIR. Davis
invariably wore citizens dress at these
receptions, but the blaze of officers uni
forms made brilliant the spacious rooms
of the old-fashioned mansion.
Probably the Pre- -Ident of the COnfeder-
ate States was the most unpopular man
within their limits. Grave, gentle, cor
dial and digniied. his manners in the
presidential mansion were all that could
be desired. but outside he was brusque to
the very verge of rudeness and carried his
private predjudices into public life. The
Examiner attacked him fiercelv and criti-
cised him mercilessly. John NJ. Daniels
brilliant intellect and keen satire made his
paper power in the country. and it was
by tar the most popular among Southern
Journals. Thus Mr. Davi.'s mistakes. and
they were many, were fully held up to
public view, while the people were duly
informed of all quarrels in the Confederate
cabinet or with the generals of the army.
Perhaps the chief cause of his unpopulari-
ty was his scarcely concealed enmity to
Gen. 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 cour-
tesy and perfect self-control prevented an
open rupture between himself 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 Con-
federate forces. Doubtless any such step
would have provoked revolt, but 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 Confederacy. Indeed, Virginia
belligerent States. THE mother OF
States and Statesmen had, in tardily ac-
cepting the federal constitution Of 1889.
expressively reserved the right to with
draw from the Union under certain con-
tingences. at right tacitly acknowledged
at the time by the rest of the "Old
Thirteen" None of the other seeded
States having made the same stipulation,
no uaS thprpf.,rp in har nwu avQa moro
than any other, sovereign State asserting
her sovereignty. Even JEFF Davis had
too much prudence TO provoke an open
issue between Virginia and the Conted
eracy. and thus the Old Dominion held
her egis over he favorite son, who. in fact
was the Confederate army rather than
loyalty to his State than as an advocate of
secession
Mrs. Davis was handsome and well ac-
customed to society by years of lite in
Washington. She discharged her duties
as mistress of the presidential-mansion
with a quiet grace and dignity which. if
it won her few friends, at all events made
her no enemies. She was enimeDtly do
nestle in her tastes. devoted to her hus-
band and children, and after the terrible
deatl of her little boy. who was killed
during the second year of the war by a
fall from the high porch in the r, ar of the
house she Withdrew from society as much
as possible, leaving her sister to fill her
place. This young lady was nothing 10th
to do. and indeed magnitied her Office to
such an extent. as the Richmond ladies
said. gave herself such airs" that she
came in for her full share of the ill-feel-
ing toward her brother-in law.
Mrs. Lee was an invalid, who delicate
health confined her almost altogether to
to her own house. She held the office of
president of the soldiers aid society by
the wish of the whole country, but the
active duties of the post devolved chiefly
on the e-presidence. Her daughters
were, of course, leaders in society. and
were loved and admired no less for their
own attractions than their fathers sake.
Wealth had little or nothing to do with
social position. Nearly every one was
Strengthened alike and privations were &C.
cepted as sort of honorable martydom,
OF which people were proud rather than
ashamed. The refugees who thronged
the city belonged. many of them to the
best blood in the State, and represented
families whose historic homes are on the
James and York rivers and in the North
cru NeCh Dut littl6 VI tueiT wealth. was
portable. State bonds paid no dividends,
and the stay law prevented the forcible
collection OF debts; therefore, they were
fain to earn a scanty living by hard work
The men were in the army on beggardly
pay while the women toiled in the gov
ernmental offices for a mere pittance
Thus many of the most refined and cult
waited people in the city were in actual
want OF all put the merest pecessaries Of
life. and sometimes even of them.
Government contractors and mauutact-
arers made money "hand over fist. >, and
whoever had anything to sell was sure of
high prices; but merchandise was far SAT.
er property than confederate money,
which evaporated. so to speak its value,
measured by what it would buy. growing
less and less every day. After the social
ed funding OF the debt in the second year