The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-12

Lee to the command of the Army of
;: Northern Virginia, having previously,
on March 18th charged him "under
{ the direction of the President, with the
! zconduct of military operations" Dur
sing visit to the army in the Western
department in December, 1852, Mr..
sDavis, in an address to the Mississippi
e SLegislature, defended the conscription
CLAW, and declared that in all prospects
sthe Confederacy was better prepared
sfor war than it was year previous"
8 The proclamation of emancipation by
q President Lincoln, to take effect Janu-
Gary /, 1862, called out from Mr.. Davis a
; aretaliatory proclamation, dated Deem
8 Der %, 1862, in which, after reciting
samong other acts, the hanging of Will
3liam B. Munford for tearing down the
sUnited States flag at New Orleans after
sthe city was captured by the national
Sforces, Gen. Benjamin F. Butler was
sdeclared felon, and it was ordered
sthat all commissioned officers serving
aunder him, as we'll as any found serv-
Ning in company with slaves, should be
streated as robbers and criminals de-
Sserving DEATH" These threats, how
Fever, were not generally executed,
sthough supported by the legislation of
Sthe Congress. In his message of Janu-
gary 1863, Mr.. Davis announced his in
stention of turning over national pris-
8oners for prosecution in State courts, as
sabettors in servile insurrection; but
ssthis proposition was rejected by Con-
sgress, and provision made for their
stheir trial by military tribunals. The
stwo long messages sent by Mr.. Davis
9to Congress in 1868 consisted largely of
8discussions of the position of the for
seign powers especially Great Britain,
with reference to the war. The one
Adated December 7th, announces the
& fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson,
sand urges tie compulsory reduction
sof the currency to the amount required
Sby the business of the country" to-
9gether with other measures for improv-
ling the finances, which had become
ahopelessly deprecated. They had
&never been on sound basis, and the
Scurrency had declined in value till it
Swas nearly worthless. In April, 1868,
Gin m2liance with request Of the
sConfederate Congress, Mr.. Davis had
Sissued an address to the people of the
sSouth, in which he drew the happiest
@conclusions as to the success of the
8Confederacy, from the way in which,
Elm the face of obstacles, it had already
sorganized and disciplined armies. cat
ano previous period of the war," said he,
ss'have our forces been so numerous, so
swell organized, and so thoroughly dis
sciplined, armed, and equipped as at
spresent.
q The disaster of July-at Gettysburg
land Vicksburg-coming in the face OF
this assertion and the state of the cur
srency just mentioned, emboldened the
sopposition party in all parts of the Con.
Afederacy fiercely to assail the admins
Stration. Mr.. Davis was held RESPONSE
able for the advance into Pennsylvania,
sand accused of partiality in appointing
sPemberton to command in the West.
aCharles G.. Memminger, secretary OF
@the treasury, resigned, and his place
awas filled by George T. Trenholm; but
athe new secretary was unable to stop
1.-THE depreciation of the currency. The
Alack of coin in the country, the inabil-
aity of the people to bear more taxation,
land the spirit of speculation, fostered
sby the enormous issue of paper money
ahastened the financial ruin of the Con.
sfederacy. Food, too, was scarce. Ken
@tueky and Tennessee, whence had
acome most of the meat supplies, were
Slost to the Confederacy, and the army
Twas on half rations. At this time there
3 was clamor against the commissary'
Col. Northrope. A committee
gof the Confederate Congress investi
agated the matter and exonerated him;
abut the opponents of the administra
@tion have continued to hold him, and
!. Mr.. Davis through him, responsible
afor the scarcity of food in the Confed
& eracy, and therefore, indirectly, fol
3 much of the sufferings of the Union
Il prisoners during the war. The ex
Exchange Of prisoners had been inter
q @rupted for some time by the refusal Of
1.-THE Confederate government to recog'
Mnize negroes as national soldiers, anc
@after many futile attempts to come tc
Ian understanding with the national
s government, 1--WE offered" (says Mr.
#Davis, "Rise and fall of the Confed
@erate gomernment," Vol. 2, page 6ol,"
a"to the United States government theil
;asick and wounded, without requiring
:aany equivalent" ,
81 The year 1864 opened with Confed
gerate successes in Florida, the South
#west and North Carolina, and Mr.
q Davis, in his message of May 2, said
1.-THE armies in Northern Virginia anc
@Tennessee still oppose with unshaker
gfront, formidable barrier to the pro
3 sress of the invaders. That progress
#however, was not long to be stayed
8By an order issued on the seventeenth
& of July, 1864, Mr.. Davis removed Gen
SJos. F. Johnston from the command o.
6 the army opposed to Gen. Sherman II
y Georgia. The cause and alleged III
8iustice of this removal have not ye
aceased to be subjects for controversy, i
Mbeing asserted by Mr.. Davis's oppo
g Hnents that personal reasons Influenced