The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-29

sonal hostility to the president-elect, nor
from chagrin at the defeat of the demo-
| cratic candidates, but from the fact that
the people of the south recognized in Mr..
Tossing principles destructive to their
peace their prosperity and their domestic
tranquility"
Mr.. Davis was not one of those who
wished blindly to rush into civil war. He
comprehended only too clearly the miseries
which must ensue, let the result be what it
might.
Gas, unlike most of my associates, I did
not believe that secession would be peace
ably accomplished, but that war would
surely ensue between the sections, and that
the odds against us would be far greater
than what were due merely to our numeri-
cal inferiority, was slower and more re-
luctant than others, who held different
opinion, to resort to that remedy. / soon
learned that l was regarded as too Slow
their assertions that l was behind the gen.
eral opinion of the people of my state as to
the propriety of prompt secession
Mr.. Davis attacks q belief which was at
one time accepted very generally in the
| north.
troops of the United States army were SO
disposed, by Il collusion between the south
ern leaders and Mr.. Floyd, the secretary of
| war, that the seizure of forts, arsenals and
| custom houses III the south was rendered
possible and easy. No such conspiracy ex-
| usual condition. There were no fewer
troops at the time of their seizure by the
states than there had been for many years,
nor than there is, generally, even to this
dav (1SS9).''
Of his election to the presidency he says:
las my election had been spoken of as a
probable event, and as I did not desire that
position, or any civil Office, but preferred
| to remain in The post to which | had been
elected, and still held lat the head Of the army
of Mississippi had taken what seemed to me
ample precautions to prevent my nomina-
sition because ! could not decline it, but
with the expectation and intention of soon
returning to the tield.''
| He was at the time engaged as planter
| at Baurtield, Miss.
Mr.. Davis discusses the emancipation
proclamation at length. Yielding to the
great pressure brought to bear upon him by
the popular feeling in the northern states.
"On Sept. 90, 1862. President Lincoln
issued preliminary proclamation of eman-
| cipation. 1t declared that. at the next ses-
sion of congress, the proposition for eman-
cipation in the border slave holding states
would be again recommended; and that. on
Jan. l, 1868, all persons held as slaves with
in any state or designated part of a state,
the people whereof shall then be in re-
bellion against the United States, shall be
| then. henceforward, and forever, Free
Mr.. Davis describes the various militia y
and naval operations of the confederacy in
a concise and lucid style, avoiding the
| temptation to verbOsity which is the pre-
yaillng fault of nearly every history of the
civil war which has hitherto been written.
He touches upon the events which created
SO much terror in the north at that time
namely the capture of northern vessels by
southern cruisers. Speaking of the Sumter,
he says
During her cruise, up to January II,
1862, she captured three ships, five briggs
| six banks, and three schooners; but the
part of the damage done to the enemy'F
commerce. Her appearance on the seas
created such alarm that northern ships
were, to a largo extent. put under foreign
flags, and the carrying trade, in which the
United States stood second only to Great
Britain, passed rapidly into other hands
The Sumter, while doing all this mischief
was nearly self-sustaining."
The account of the battle between Tho
Alabama and the Kearsarge is very dra
matte:
ION the 10TH of June. 1864 the alabama
i, left the harbor of Cherbourg to engage the
'kearsarge,' which had been lying off and OF
the port for several days previously. Capt
Semmes in his report of the engagement
writes:
, "'After the lapse Of about one hour and
ten minutes our ship was ascertained to b.
the French coast, gave the ship all steam
and set such of the fore and aft sails a
were available. The ship filled so rapidly
however, that, before we had made mucl
progress, the fires were extinguished.
now hauled down my colors, and despatched
a boat to inform the enemy of our condi
tion.'"
COpyriphtad