Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-30

His views or Gems. Johnston Lee
jackson, Hill, and secession
rom TIE Bdl;jmore Sun.


BEAUvCIR, MISS. sept. '.-Ihe ex-
President Of tie Southern Confederacy,
;s one of the most remarkable inen OF bis
dov Ee was the chief OF the greatest
civil war the world has known; the bead
of q government and an army which, con-
s;deriug their resources, or the lack oil
,hem mt on record the greatest military
ochiavements of the age. The brave,
,rre-bearted men OF the South do not re-
oard Mr.. Davis as a monster who drove
tbam into rebellion, but as a revered
Ladder. their chosen representative, VINO
wasas faithful to them as their Chief exc
cutiye as he had been renowned solder,
on unexcelled official and wise states
nan bafore the Southern States withdrew
tnor, the IJnion They know also that
no nriyate lite and character OF Mr.
Dovis have been as noble and stainless as
bia nubtic career was grand ana nonor-
nhJd No man ever survived with like
preservation OF all his manly virtues
eI,ch dangers, trials and sunerlng. per-
secution and SANDER as he mas SO noDly
borne. ,.. .--u., l,o.,, l.,
Kantuckv. one in Christian, the other III
4ordin county. Davis drifted South,
lincoln North, and their political courses
divoryed accordingly until elimination
nc onnosinp chieftains Of great armies
ard Governments in the irrepresSible con-
Act Davis was a year older than Lln-
coin. two years older than the merry
Toombs, four years older than Alexander
Fl. Stephens, five years older than W.T.
liam l.. Yancey, four years otGer man
Judah p. BENJAMIN, two years older than
YnIee. and twelve years older than John
& breckenridge. All these are gone. and
the ex.President OF the Confederacy can
we'll lament and say with Ossian:
"Where are the companions OF my
youth" co..
under Davis in the Confederacy-Judan
p. BENJAMIN, Robert To0mbs and K. NJ.
4. Hunter. Mr.. Hunter is the only one
now living and surviving Secretary
seward There were four Confederate
Secretaries of War. OF these l.. Pope
walker, the first, only survives, with
simon Cameron. Geo. W. Randolph,
lanes A, Sedden and John G. Brecken-
ridge sleep with Edwin NJ. stanton In the
CITY of the silent. There were two Con-
federate Secretaries Of the Treasury-C-
G. Memminger, who still lives, and g. A.
Trenholm, who has passed away Wath
Chase and FessendeD. Davis had only
:
and he and Gideon Welles have both gone
to their final rest, There were three Con-
federate Attorneys General. OF these.
Thomas Bragg is dead, as is Judge Bates,
of the Lincoln cabinet, and Thomas II.
Watts and George E. Davis are still
living. There was only one Confederate
Postmaster General, John II. Reagan,
and he survives Montgomery Blair aud
Governor Dennison, of the Lincoln cabi-
net.
The vigorous mind of Jefferson Davis is
alive TO every important incident of to-
dav, and shows no mark of his advanced
age. He says he has no wish TO re-enter
public life. and courts the privacy OF his
home. Columns could be filed with bis
charming talk about his experiences as
Secretary of Far in Mr.. Pierce's cabinet.
and as United States Senator from Mlssis-
sppi, his career as President OF the
Southern COnfederacy, his "reminiscences
OF men. and his keen, Incisjve opinions of
measures and policies. HIS eyes kindle
as in eloquent phrase be speaks of Sidney
Johnston, Lee, Jackson and other great
leaders of the COnfederacy, and OF the
ragged. barefoOted heroes vino followed
them. MIR. Davis Gays as a soldier Albert
Sidney Johnston had no peer on either
side during the war. if he ever had in
American history, and his loss to the Con-
federacy was irreparable. He says that
Robert E. Lee was his associate and
friend in the Military Academy, aud they
we're friends until the hour of his death.
BE says:
"N passed through many sad scenes
together, but l cannot remember that
there was ever augbt but perfect har-
mony between us. Ii ever there was
difference Of opinion it was dissipated Dy
discussion, and harmony was the result.
repeat, we never disagreed, and / may
add that never in my life saw in him
the slightest tendency to self-seeklng. 1t
was not his to make record it was not
his to shift blame to other shoulders, but
IL was Els, with an eye fixed upon the
welfare of his country, never iallering, to
follow the line OF duty to the end. His
was the heart that braved every difficulty;
nlsWas the mind that wrought victory out
OF defeat"
Speaking Of the seven doys' battles
around Richmond, Mr.. Davis said Gen.
Lee conceived and executed the desperate
plan to turn the flank ard rear of Nc
teHan's army, which drove it from the
CITY. he said that the failure to annihil-
ale the Federal army was due chiefly to
toe lact that Gen. Lee had no maps OF tie
country below Richmond, and that his
hFiny moved in ignorance of the country
anu with guides who. for the most part.
proved themselves utterly inefficient. He
ssid that Gen. Lees object in the retreat
from Petersburg was to reach Dsnville,
anu then unite with Gen. Johnston and
crush Sherman before Grant could come
up.
In speaking of Stonewall Jackson he
sdd nobody expected that this quiet pro-
lessor When he lett the academic shades
o. Tue virginia Military Institute would
nave an opportunity to show the great
qudiiues he possessed aud become the
great hero Of the war. lie added:
~ lie silent professor constantly rose
rrNe meteor over the battlefield of the
ttUu'ederacy-onlyl like a meteor in its
vrlghtness, for his light was steady as
tle orb OF day. 1t sbone TO the very close,
Increasing In brilliancy and in the trust
Mmuicn the people reposed upon 1t. ie
ii,,e .u9 lor ms country, never doubling the
Justice OF his cause, believing il was
iasuleous and trusting in ~. He died
aeenng thatthe Conlederacy ought to have
succeeded, because IL was founded on
mutn and Justice. He gave his life for the
h"uole country, and the country gave its
Heart to Jackson"
nl'er thus speaking in the most exalted
ms OF bin, Mr.. Davis said jackson
eunus IN the opinion OF Europeans the
nnigntlest chieftain Of the iederate
cause hao ne not fallen at Chancellors-
poue, ne says, the Federal Army Of the
Ac.Sohsc, the bulwark Of the Union In the
ilanuc States, would have disappeared
ier .o history under circumstances far dill