Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-08

from the time tnat tney Iepfesehteo
that President Davis was captured Whilst
wearing a hoop-skirt, woman's frocK'
and sunboanet. to this day, the ex'
tremists OF the northern press find no
story too villainous or absurd to publish
about our dead Chief
The latest emanation Of their ignorance
and malice describes the death OF rich
old man, the Rev. NJ. u. Payne" at
Fremont Ia. of whom II Is said that
before the war he was an intimate
friend OF Mr.. Davis: that Davis of1ered
Payne the place Of Secretary OF the In
terror" OF the Confederacy. which Payne
declined: that Davis borrowed OF Payne
10000 and forgot to repay IT," and that
the family OF Davis sent for Payne to
preach the dead statesmans funeral. All
lies.
There was no such ONCE as Secretary OK
the Interior Of the Conftderacy. and we
have Just seen a card frem Gsnerai 1o-
seph r. Davis, Of Biloxi. Miss, In which
he declares that President; Davis never
borrowed a cent from Mr. Payne In MS
life, and never borrowed dollar from
any one which ne did not repay. Nor
was any Mr.. Payne sent for to preach the
funeral Of President Davis.
From the names OF the members OF
Mr.. Davis's Cabinet following 1t VIII be
seen that he sought as his councillors
men of great eminenco and ability. ana
>hat Payne would have been as much
out Of place amongst them as he would
have teen amongst the judges OF the SUI
preme Court Of the United States. In
the Montgomery Cabinet. the State port
folio was in the hands Of Mr.. Toombs. OF
Georgia TIE Secretary OF the Treasury
was c. G. Memminger. Of South Caro-
lima. John II. Reagan, Of Texas. was
PostInaster-General Stephen X. Mallory,
OF Florina, was Secretary Of the Navy;
tary OF War. and Judah =. Benjamin, OF
Louisiana, was Attorney-General. Nir-
g!nia, North Carolina, Arkansas. and
Tennessee not having seeded up TO that
time. were. OF course. not represented In
the Cabinet. But observe the class OF
men whom Mr.. Davis took into his con-
fdence. and compare them with Payne.
Mark the difference.
Ono Of the editors Of the New Orleans
Picayune, who knew Mr.. Payne imme-
d,ately after the war. says that Payne
had been FOR number OF years freight
err and wsgon-train owner on the west
ern plains. lie was in 1856 engaged IN
rrelghting With oY-trains from Omaha
to the gold mines Of Montana HIS
name was Moses, ard he was sort OF
nreacher; but that did not prevent him
from swearing at his men and animals
when necessary; but he was en- active
and responsible Businessman. and was
highly esteemed by the men who worked
for him. He WAS rough-hewn man,
and far filter to be a wagon-master than
a Cabinet officer"
The fact seems to- be. as we learn from
the Picayune, that Mr.. Payne was In the
service OF the celebrated Alexander Ma
iors. who took the contract TO trans
port army stores to Salt Lake at the time
OF the so-called Mormon war. for
lle use Oh ofItThl AIpeIt oiJHcy Johh-
ston's army. in 1857. Mr.. Jefferson Davis
was Secretary OF War OF the United
States at that time. and had large con-
tracts with Majors. TT is possibly In
this way, II at all. that Mr.. Payne had
any acquaintance with the secretary, and
the balance OF the story IS. In ali
probability, a fabric OF the glowing I'm
as1nation OF some newspaper correspond
emit"
IT is altogether unlikely that any efforts
on the part OF the southern people
will avail TO overtake and correct all the
errors mot to say slanders) circulated In
the North concerning President Davis;
yet, 1t is our duty to try to stamp them
wherever we find them. And by the
same token we ought to cease using par
tisan school histories In our schools. and
should substitute therefor the best others
TO be found. relying upon the publish
ers, into whose pockets We pour our
money, to correct and improve their books
as later editions are called for. We might
have had a well-proved and entirely ac-
ceptable series of school histories by this
time II, ten years ago. we had given our
patronage to only the best series offered
us What is the use OF our paying so
dearly for our experience. II we are never
going to utilize It?