Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-12
JEFF STILL ON DECK
The Ex-President of the Southern
COnfederacy Replies to
ATTACKS FROM GEN. WOLSELEY.
He Sharply Criticises Review Of BIS Adj
ministratiOn, and Says
THE FOREIGNER ONLY BECAME ANaRT
Because he ReceiYsd No Attention From Him During
the Rebellion.

Jefferson Davis has written letter in 70
ply to General WOlseleY's article in the
North american RevieD. He pronounces
the Generals alleged historical facts to Be
baseiess fiction, and directly eontradiets
many of his statements. he says the van
ity of the Englishman was wounded by the
fact that Davis paid no notice to him during
the war.
NASHVILLE, May 1.-THE AnseTieGR
tomorrow will publish the following letter
from Jefferson Davis. The letter was writ.
ten in reply to a request made Of Mr..
Davis by E. W. Carmack, editor of the
american, for statement in reply to Gem
eral wolseley's article in the North Anaeri-
can Reuieac for May, criticising Mr.. DaviS
course as President of the Confederacy. The
letter of Mr.. Davis is as follows:
BEAUvoIR, MISS, May 8, 1889
Mr.. F. W. Carmack:
MY DEAR sIR-Your kind letter and the
copy Of the North An1ericGD ReUtsD Of this
month forwarded by you have both been re-
ceived. comply with your request for
notice Of the article by General Wolseley,
which is contained in that RevGe10
Supposing that you have only desired reply
to the passages specially directed against my
self. it will be SO limited A year or so since
that same writer published an article contain
ing matter purporting to have been gained by
intercourse with General r. E. Lee, while his
guest during the war between States Of the
American Union.
GOOD WORDS FOB LEE.
To those personally acquainted with General
Lee who knew his characteristic discretion,
his strict regard for official courtesy and the
personal friendship and confidential relations
which had long existed between him and Presi.
dent Davis, it was Incredible that he should
have seized the opportunity offered BY the ar
rival of an itinerant foreigner to make such
statements as would afford material for the
criticisms of the article referred to on the adj
ministration of the Confederaey. For the man
ifested hostility to me I could imagine no
cause, unless an egregious vanity had been
wounded by my failure to notice his presence
in our country. presence which it Is almost
probable was unknown to me.
My reply then made to his article exposed MS
historical errors his baseless hctions, and ac-
knowledged that had previously known moth
ing of him, save through his large perform
ances on a memorable occasion In the article
to which you now call my attention the AdJu-
tant General of the British army, Viscounf
Wolseley, with increased venom renews his at
tack upon me and opens it with the mean cover
Of a hypocritical pretens1on OF sympathy. dlS
arrogance heretofore exhibited, was so exs
treme as to be harmless and merely proVoke
contempt while it suggested the inquiry put TO
would die with him. Now, having learned that
facts are needful to sustain allegations ne tot-
lows his deprecatory remarks concerning me
by ibelous statements.
SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS.
Where, when or how did ever express the
opinion shat 10000 Enfield rifles" would suf'
fee for the Confederaey? Where, when or
how did then refuse to receive 1856, 900 mem
offered for the Confederate service2 Where,
nj hou rvoc n1et'f
ever offered to me? What means were re-
jected by me when proposed oy others Tor
placing the finances OF the Con1ederacy on 2
sound basis? These are the specifications Oh
his arraignment. Where are the proofs2
He expresses regret that no answer was pub.
hshed in the Century to go forth with
he restricted to a rehash of the articles thefs
published and to the views eyOlyed
from his internal consciousness. why, II
he wishe to know cns .nt5sI,,,. sn sn9 son-.so .
of information such as Admiral Semmes
memoirs of Service Ahoat. OF secret ser
vice of the Confederate STATES In GuL9pes ~
Captain James d. Bullock, the naval repre-
sentative of the Confederate StaIes IN Europe.
or the History of the Confederate states
Navy by ]. P. Scharps, @. 5. AZ OF tne report
chase and shipment of ordnance and ordnance
stores. or of General ]. Gorges, CneI OF Ord
nance Department, or the reports OF sne 1Leas-
ury, War and Navy Departments OF sne Con
federaey or the siqnaI refutation BY Secreta-
ries Memminger and Turnholm OF me silly
reflection made after the war upon the Con-
federate Government Tor not naVlns st,9 sens ~
the cotton crop of 1S6l-'62 as basis OF public
credit.
PARTING SHOT
In these and elsewhere. except in the writ
ings of sectional enemies or our disappointed
candidates for Executive favor. Is TO be found
concurrent evidence of the prompt and ener-
getic efforts to secure large importat1ons OF
xrl0kN N1n TnNn hwF
the grossly misrepresented policy OF enrolling
only men who could be armed to draw from the
large amount Of private arms in the country,
the weapons to supplement- our denclency
when the Confederacy was organized.
Respectfully and truly.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.