Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-10-07
Esae Jsasis E,e..er

E'sac 5s;ssis E.c:.cs
Il is general. admitted lEat :il" article i,
ona OF Tie .acS5 interesting contributions to
the literature OF the aar viicl! .aa bsen
made for many years. IN RADICAL repub!,
can circles Tie opinion Is expressed - sOma
is.at the letter can be turusd 10 Political ;:G
Vuntsga hacau7e of hs alrot . language used
.2GIns: s..c:2 y uDiUn heGo g.; Sh":nlan Lut
others IN nc sni!G circlr: auG Of equally
rronouncei re":, hold Tia: il ,:aa the
right Of S!r Davis 10 vinGicaie himself, and
t!iat his language j. not Hriustiiiable. The
sentiment with sc:Ge, aud this includes
members ol both go.itica! parties, is that
Mr.. Davis would have GcHe better 10 pro.
serve absolute silence an The Su1;eC. Of Gen.
ShoTaan's loose assertions, j!., ihcae arc Of
the class Wno, slngu!nriy enough, have not
objected IL ;he u:ttrGnCe3 Of the 2etrhctors
Of Mr.. Davis, while al ;hc a21Ia tiG.e think.
ing he eh9niG EeTer ii;ive opened his mouth
publicly irom the time oi his capture in
1865. Upon the whole the hest iudgmeG;
Is that Ir. Davis has done exactly
right ia 80 eilcc:Ga!!y d!sppsiag uf the SLAM
ders upon him; and wf;e 10 cne is disposed
20 Dciitlto StISlCcS uI SIeii. Stler
man in the field, some Of tho bravesG union
soldiers say he IS put III u position where he
justly deserves cen7u!e, and his skin must
be very thick if Ep does Dot realize. The
ex confeterates say they ooYer ior il iao-
menL put any faith III the charges Of Cen.
Sherman against their former chleftain. but
they are most glad that he has given bis
crushing rejoinGer to the world. DR.. f. Y.
p. GaEnett. tbs intimate friend ard family
physicia:! CT Mr. Davis, "0o is referred! 10
in !n2 !aite", wns asked a. 10 n expression
OF hta visws. He replied:
You asl: ne if have read Mr. Davis's
letter, which appears in The Baliiin )re SIN
OF to-day, and what is my opinion Of he let
ter? fyour inquiry embraces my tpiuioa
OF that document in oil Of its aspects, as tc
lis sentiments, its propri"ty, lis rhetoric, its
historic value, | reply that ii would require
more !lmc than | have ut my COMMA I'd 10
DO so. Viewed III the concrete, huwele e., I
have no hesitation in expressing my apnrnv-
al and conmenaation of II. Under the :ir-
cums;ances, in my Judgment, he ought iol
10 nave done less certainly, rs !, ,.p;,sa,s,
he could not have done more lie had been
attacked in the most vital par: OF bis p0lit
cal faith, tue very cartlina! principle upon
which lie and his people had conscirntio,,sly
and rat;io,icaliy stakeG :i!eir independence
NJ :. free people and aui,mit,el their cause
TO tas uncrr;nin :s$ue t.! civil var. The
principle for which au>h unpArraiIe,! sacri
fees, ha:0iSE and forti!udo had been dis
played rs his people, ani which lie had il.
Illustrated i'll his public career from youth,
VA attempted to bs '!isGrsd;tch in hi. Oil
cis! aCt- 81: the chosen exponent cf cur fai!n
and he held up 10 the world Gs IL political
charlatan and quack IL WAS due Glsl 10
his personal homer second, to his Integrity.
consistency aud patriotism rs :, statssman
third. to Tie people whom h4 represented
and the eai!se for which thcy fought: iunrth,
to the ;rr:!r 81 hi.inry and TITO impartial cu.
lghi"nmenL % is"&joity. HE G,,.iy
conversations which had with Dir.
Davis during III. c:vi ;gnr enabled n;o 10
testify To ,he pumGtilicuS :in4 sensitive re-
gard he 3; Isl! tunes exhibited for the prac-
ticai observance Of States T;@nis. notably
in the case uf 10" >late Of Kcntucky. 20
which hu refers | III. oriv surprised hal
ne ShCull have - long delayed replying 20
aud correcting thee c.:nmGiea, I,.ovagatad
under the s,nricD of the United States
Senate agai;:sg Ei@l, upon 50 sender and vi
tai a point. No living mGn has been 50 ma
liciously, purpO5oiy aud in5anely msrepre-
sented as Mr.. Jefferson Davis In the mat
ter OF the AnderaOnvil!a prisoners, | have
it in my power to contradict the eXuhcraut
falsehoods which were circulated through
the entire country regarding IL: Davis
conduct towards these unfortunate prison
ers and to yiCdicato him against such SIAN
ders. At that very time toe Southern SOL
diers in the field were starving for food, and
the government at Richmond was utterly un-
able 10 supply them with il. On many occa-
sions was present atinterviews betWeenGen.
Windcr and Mr. Davis relative to the con-
dition OF these prisoners and the possibility
of getting supplies for these starving people,
aud IL every iuStance The greatest cou-
Germ and interest "ers expressed BY Mr..
Davis for their condition, always coupled
with expressions uf sympathy and de-
sire that so:uething shcGd tie done Il
possible 10 afford saeGn rSliet from s,arva-
ton. That Mr.. Davis shoulA have made
mistakes in the administ ration Of such higll
and delicate duties as devoived upo1 him
must be admitted, especially ia his judg-
lneut Of u!en, but tbat he Was Il cruel and
inhrman uau, or ever sacrificed his homer
or betrayed Il trust, | know TO be- utterly
untrue"
Ex-Pay nlaster-Gsneral Brice, L. s. A., ra.
tired, who was az old friend Of Jefferson
Davis and was 6 classmate of his Mt West
Point for three years, said: II have always
had the highest regard for Davis. As Il boy
at the military academy be was the soul OF
honor. and when he had reached .aan'8 es
tate he retained the characteristics tha;
made me respect him so highly during gu.
school days. | would take HE word TO-DAY
unsupported Dy evidence. as soon "a t.,a' .
any other man living. I am personally
aware that his statement t. tbs effect that
he did not favor secession and did al il Ai.
power to prevent it is true. H w.. :, i;,G
Lol,1 ~