Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-01-03
WHOLE NO. 2, ,555.
Davis and the Dictatorship.

10 the NaSnVllle banner.
The letter, purportiDg to hav
been written by A. III. Stephens t
II. v. johnson, in April, 1864, an,
given to the public by Gen. Shei
man, proves nothing against MI
Davis.
In March, 1864, Lieut-Gen. Polk
then at Demopolis, Ala, sent tn
writer to Richmond. The objects O
that mission have nothing to d'
with the matter in hand.
The condition of affairs in tht
confederacy at that period, while
not generally regarded as desperate
YVES seriously alarming. There wa,
among the people and in the ar
mics feeling that all was not be
ing done that could be done; that
! there was lack of vigor-a want o
energy somewhere. Among the
soldiers, especially those of the
west, and among the people al
large, there were many who believ-
ed that the congress was Obstruct.
ing the best endeavors OF Mr.. Da
Wis; while another party held thai
The president had brought upon
us succession of disasters by
attempt TO direct campaigns from
his executive Office in Richmond
There was talk of a dictatorship,
but If the idea met with favor
among the statesmen of the confed-
eracy, it found but very few friends
around the camp-fires.
On the writer's return to the
west, about the 10th of March, 1864,
he stopped for night at Augusta,
Ga. The hotel was crowded with
soldiers and citizens. In the pub.
lie room were gathered, after sup
per, large number of officers, rep
resenting nearly every corps OF the
several armies OF the confederacy.
An officer of Gen. Johnston's army
and the writer were engaged In CO
versation. 1 recounted so much of
an interview with President Davis
as was properly subject for talk in
public place. tr
''What do you think of making
Davis dictator ?" asked my friend.
My reply was that / had heard
whispers of such a project all the
way from Demopolis to the Virgin
in line, but that during my stay in
Richmond, in free intercourse with
many who were presumed to be
near to the president, / had not
heard syllable of any such thing.
At this moment a gentleman in
citizens dress, who had been stand
ing near us, faced me abruptly, and
appeared about to speak. AS II
restraing himself with an effort, he
turned away, but / observed that
the unknown remained near us,and
that he listened, while studiously
avoiding the appearance of doing
so. This man had already attract
ed my attention. Rather above.
medium height, of pOrtly frame, a
handsome man, his air was so much
that of a grand seigneur that | took
him for one of the higher rank of
civil officials of the government.
Somewhat nettled at the very ev-
ident interest this gentleman had in
our conversation, l went on to say
"If Mr.. Davis is to be made king,
the king-maker isn't at Richmond.
Warwick doesn't live in Virginia.
The scheme will never get beyond
the conception. Within thirty days
after Mr.. Davis assumed dictatorial
power, Sherman could march into
Atlanta without resistance, and
Grant could camp his army along
the James without firing a gun"
The handsome gentleman shrugged
his shoulders and pushed his way
out of sight through the crowd.
The hotel was not q large one
rooms were few and the guests
many. The unknown and myself
were put into the same room and
occupied the same bed.
AS was natural, we talked-at
first of the weather, the latest news
from the front, and the like. The
ice of mutual reserve soon melted
away. The tide of conversation.
drifted hither and thither, from
grave to gay OF life in the camp
and in the far away homes. So far,
not a word had been said from
which one could know who he was.
After pause
"How does it happen that you,
with Gen. Polk, don't like
Mr.. Davis? Your general is most
highly esteemed by the president,
and they are warm personal friends
son the contrary" ] replied, II
10 like Mr.. Davis, and / admire
him now more than ever. / be-
ieve him to-day the purest of all
our statesmen"
Sand you are right. / heard
your remark to your friend in the
room below, that the confederacy
would go to pieces in thirty days |
after President Davis assumed the |
dictatorship. In that / think you
ire mistaken. 1t is just what will
save us, and if l had Influence
to bring it about, / would.
\ Mr.. Davis, however, is
ncorrigible. The matter was sug-
,ested to him, and he met the bare
with scorn and indigna-
ion. 1 believe he would hang the
nan who dared to make such a
to him."
pardon me-" said I. "Tell me
rankly how you can speak so pos
lively"
His reply satisfied me. The gen
leman's name was Howell, and if
mistake not his sister was Mrs.
Jefferson Davis. @. +. V.