The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-06-15
JEFF DAVIS REPLIES.
He Treats the Viscount's Asser-
tions with contempt and Ad.
Vises Him TO Read An.
lhentic History Before
Writing Another


Article.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, May IL. - The
American Tomorrow will publish the
following letter from jefferson Davis.
The letter was written in reply TO
request made of Mr.. Davis by
E. W. Carmack, editor of the Ameri-
can, for q statement in reply to Gen.
Wolseley's article in the North Ameri-
can Review for May, criticising Mr..
Davis course as resident OF the con-
federacv. The letter from Mr.. Davis
is as follows:
BEAUvoIR, Miss., May S-Mr. Z. w.
Carmack: My Dear Sir - Your kind
letter aud the copy of the North Amer
lean Review of THIS month forwarded
by you have both been received. L
comply with your request for notice
of The article by Gen. WOlseIey, which
is contained in the Review. Suppos-
ing that you have only desired reply
TO the passages specially directed
against myself, IL will be so limited.
A year or so since that same writer
published All article containing matter
Durporting to have been gained by an
intercourse with Gen. X. T.. Lee while
mis- guest during the war between the
states OF the American Union. To
those personally acquainted with Gen.
Lee, who knew his characteristic dis
nrelion, his strict regard tor official
courtesy, and the personal friendship
and confidential relations which had
long existed between hIm and Pres
ident Davis, it was Incredible that he
should have seized the opportunity
,ffered by an itineraut foreigner to
make such statements as would afford
material for the cynical criticisms of
the article referred to on the adminis-
Iration Of the cOnfeieracy.
For the manifested hostility to me
could imagine no cause unless an
egregious vanity had been wounded by
my failure to notice his presence in our
country, presence which it il most
probable wSs to me unknown. My re-
ply then made 10 his article exposed
ais historical errors, his baseless fic
tons, and acknowledged that | had
previously known nothing OF him,
save through his large promises and
'mall performance on memorable oc-
casion.
In me article to which you now call
ny attention the adjutant- general of
tho British army, Viscount Wolseley,
with increased venom renews his at
tack upon me and opens it with the
mean cover of hypocritical preten-
sion of sympathy. His arrogance,
heretofore exhibited, was so extreme as
to be harmless and merely provoke
contempt, while It suggested the in
quiry put to one of old, whether he
thought knowledge would die with
him. Now, having learned that facts
are needful to sustain aliegatioAs; che /
follows his depreciatory remarks con.<
cerning me by libellous statement6.s 3
Where, when, or how didIexer ar
press the opinion that 10000 Enfield
rifles" would suffice for the confedera-
cy; when or where did then refuse to {
receive 1866 600 men" offered for the
confederate service? Where, when and
how was the East Indian fleet" ever
offered to me? What means were
rejected by me when proposed by
others for placing the finances of the
cOntederacy on sound basis?
These are the spG cificatlons of his
arrangement. Where are the proofs?
He expresses regret that 10 answer
was published in the Century to go
forth with the indictments against me.
But was he restricted to a rehash
of the articles there published and to
the views evolved from his internal
consciousness. Why, If he wished to
know the truth and to tell it, did ne
not consult more authentic sources of
infOrmation-such as Admiral Semmes
Memories of Service Afloat," or "Se-
cret Service OF the T.. 5. in Europe"
bxyH Honk nrI hz
representative of the Confederate States
in Europe; or the history OF the Con-
federate States Navy by j. T. Scharpe,
q. s. A. or the report of Maj. Caleb
Huse, charged with the purchase and
shipment of ordnance and ordnance
stores; or of Gen. j. Gorgas, chief of
ordnance department; or the reports
of the treasury. war and navy depart
ments of the COnfederscy, or the signal
repetition, by Secretaries Menminger
| and Trenholm. of the silly reflection
made after the war upon the Confed-
crate government for not having sent
out the cotton crop of 1862, as basis
of public creditP
| In these and elsewhere, except in
the writings of sectional enemies, of
our disappointed candidates for execu-
tive favor, is to be found concurrent
evidence of the prompt and energetic
efforts to secure large importations of
arms and munitions, and at the came
time by the grossly misrepresntede -
icy of enrolling only mesa1
be armed to draw frs,h me fs large
amount of private arms in the country ,
the weapons to supplement our defci-
ency when the Confederacy was organ
lied. Respectfully and truly.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.