The Washington critic. (Washington City, D.C.) 1890-1890, 1890-02-16

man, but Poor Studant-President
Buchanan's Unmistakab1e Sympa-
thy With the South.
Special Correspondence of The Critic.
CHARLOTTE, N. c., Feb. 14.-General
Thomas F. Drayton, the only survivor
Of the class at West Point to which
Jefferson Davis belonged, is possibly at
deaths door. He has been sick now
several weeks, and, on account of his
old age, his friends fear he will not be
able TO rally. The General has lived
here almost always since the war, and is
a most honored citizen of the place. He
is perfect type of the old-time South.
ern gentleman, and his loss will be
very great one to this city, where he is
truly beloved by all classes of citizens,
including the negroes.
spent very delightful evening with
the General just before he was taken
sick and he told me a number of inter
csting things about his old class mate
and lifelong friend, Jefferson Davis.
One thing that he said will be regarded
as q valuable contribution to the history
of the country just preceding the war,
and shows conclusively that President
Buchanan was in sympathy with the
South.
just previous to the outbreaking of
the war; the General was the president of
the Charleston and Savannah Railroad
Company, and while on visit to the
North to purchase locomotives for
the road he stopped for few
days in Washington, and, of
course, called 1pon Mr.. Davis,
then member of the Senate. CAT this
late day." said General Drayton, there
is no harm in giving you an account Of
my visit to the Capitol. While walking
up Pennsylvania avenue one afternoon
with Mr.. Davis, after the Senate had adj
journed for the day, the Senator asked
me If l would not like to cali upon the
President
II replied 1 would be pleased to do so
If it was not intruding. Mr.. Davis said
Come along, then. ] think the Presi-
dent has something important to say to
you. Anyway know he will like to
talk with you Arriving at the White
House we were ushered into Mr..
Buchanan's presence, and rather
thought from his manner he had been
expecting the visit. At this time the
war feeling was very strong in South
Carolina, and the President questioned
me very thoroughly about it. / went
over the ground pretty thoroughly with
him, Mr.. Davis adding remark now
and then by way of Supplementary
what said. The President listened
very attentively to all / had to say. and
when | had finished there was mo-
ment of silence which was broken by
Mr.. Buchanan. AS near as / can re.
member the President used these
words:
eff / felt as you and the Southern
people do l would not hesitate about
shouldering musket. When you re.
turn home wish you would make it O
point to see Governor e. of your State
and tell him about your visit to the
White House, and what / have said
You can also tell him that he had bet
ter 90 ahead with his plans, and shall
not be in any hurry about stocking the
forts on the South Carolina coast
81 returned to South Carolina in the
course of few weeks after this visit tc
the White House and called upon oul
Governor. / told him in detail every
thing that had passed between the
President, Mr. Davis and myself
/ was very much engrossed with the
affairs of our railroad, and very unex
pectedly and shortly afterward Sumter
was fired upon by Colonel Anderson. >
Two or three visitors came into the
room, and the interruption cut Genera
Drayton's story very abruptly off, and
did not have an opportunity to ask hin
what Mr.. Davis said after they left thu
White House that evening. The mex
day he was taken sick, and has been il
no condition since to give me all the de
tails connected with his interview will
President Buchanan, and | fear very
much that the grand old gentleman will
never be able to do so. Previous to re
lating this incident the General told I'M
about his long friendship with Mr.
Davis.
"Our friendship began" he said, IA
West Point, and we at once became
great friends during the last years tina
we were at the Military Academy
We were mess mates Even at tina
early age Mr.. Davis was leader anon!
his classmates, although no one thel
supposed that he possessed the abilit,
he displayed in after life. He neve
could have been called a student unit
after the Mexican war, when he settle,
down in his home in Mississippi. A
the Academy he never studied har
and was seldom at the head of his class
We had literary societies among tn
cadets and it was in these that MI
Davis took most interest.
"He was by far the best one in debat
of anyone in our class, and for so young
man he was wonderfully logical an
was always conscientious in what h
ea,l 10 fond o. ll linIc n
sports, and was the best rider at Yves
academy there in those days, and the wa
they used to train the cadets to ride the
was to ride upon each other. One DO
would bend down and rest his arms upo
another's shoulders, and then they woul
hard for them to get Mr.. Davis off b
balance. / have often seen him ride
wild horse after we left the Point.
1.-The first place that we were statione
together after graduating was at Jeffe
son Barracks in st. Louis. The Mi
souri, city was very lively in a soci'
way in those days, and several nigh
each week there were large balls giveI
at which the officers from the Barrach
invariably attended. In returnin
from one of these balls early one morI
ing, what then seemed rather a livel
incident occurred In which have ofte
laughed at with Mr.. Davis in years Ion
afterward. There were four officers
the party, and We were coming alon
the levee to catch the boat that was
take us down the river to the Barrack
A turnip was lying in the middle of Il
sidewalk and Mr.. Davis kicked it,
"Just as he did so rough, looking S
of boat hands stepped on the sidewal
in front of ns and the unpetahln strnC