The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-02

NJ rmitted to visit me. Not a word was said on
Into power at tao North q part upon the prin-
this subject i had requested in view Of the
probable con %.erencS. The other thing in tho
should have, thought that any stafr offleer was
more suitable or competent to mako an investi-
cation into the truth, of the Prisonsr,s state
m:nt, o.,, .,o.o .s.u.,a. ,,nu., ..,,
presently answer. AS 10 the second, IL scarce-
~ seems possible that you should take UNI
bragg, at my not ASSIGNING. to you a duty which
was the appropriate function of a subordinate
me that il Mr.. Gables statement be- true (Which
changed You further said III no shall be
pREoRii im G so my NJ NOUS house s Snd % confer with S' him. M
&c. It. was, plain that you did not know the
Of: his statement shouId:be ascertained before
he was paroled. and he should visit you for
conference after he was paroled. Il you had
and ascertain the truth for yourself YOU might
have been assured by the readiness with which
/ accepted your proposal to visit Mr.. Lincoln
that l could have had no possible. objection.
nor can l suppose that you deemed a permits
visit any Yankee prisoner NJ his prison.
You certainly did not from your letter con.
template that should do so imprudcnt a thing
as TO oarole tho man to 90 at largo before ex-
animation into his character was had. nor did
| This strange thing that you found in my let
ter of tie 18th OF April is as unin Ineligible TO
me now as it ever could have appeared strange
What l did say was It so often happened
that prisoners make representations which de
proper to make an inquiry into the case before
The plain Inference that I took It for grant,
ed that you would draw from this statement
was that I did not believe the story OF the
how. you could attach any inheritance or credits
to the tale. of man who was taken prisoner
Florida from the South Caroiin0 coast. and
who. notwithstanding his being captured in
frms' t6 PsoT pesce part si% 81 the y :N%o on q %ls' TSe
report OF. Gen. Winder shows that / was not
mistaken % t psd in my es G'd ate, Of d,a the n prisoner one - ana nd
probable. sir. that 1 Judged it useless to enter
into any exposition OF the oroper mode OF treat
ing with him until the result Of the examine
ton into his CAGE was made known. THIS 10
my answer to tho other strange thing, that
peat to you in a private letter the desire that I
peace which we:declared TO be possible. namely.
peace with indeoendence, and eternal separa-
equally desire to drive from our country.
ua nfour second point ns sir: may DC more sum UNI
lumbia. S. g.. on tho call of the citizens. early
In October last. 1ts contents | do not pretend
bort Of Il until. on the receipt o Of sour ST letter.
caused search to DO made for 1t. and It 10
now before me in the Charleston Mercury Of
Lincoln aGn To a5s Me seE fna' b SSa lSsf in this s speecSf
States. North and South. as a means Of obtain
ing peace. ! canno,spare the time to refute q
the premises from which 1t is drawn. Your
next reason is that the tone and substane Of
peace were. in short, that there was no prospect OF
peace except by the sword: that a peace party
our arms over theSn:'' that the only way to
make. spaniels civil is to whip them.' II my
iip0t :his " extract rsa'i II It / had + really beea di Gs { TED
against the peace party at the North. this fact
would . bot bear out souT assertion ser fInc that my my
Mcclellan But my speech was not such as
you represent it, and I now quote the passage
form the latter half Of . sentence. l said.
Does any. one believe that Yankees ere to be
man imagine that we car como uer the Yankees
by retr, ating before them. or do You not all
is to whip themT' and toward the close Of the
soeech 1 plainly intimated my desire for the
words: Let fresh victories crown our arms
and the peace party. II there be srch at the
sases must suffice without comment to satisfy
ANY fair;iudging man whether you have correct
S s1HSsI truth III i so" sir. that your inferenc IS from
this speech are so strained and unnatural as TO
evincc the difficulty YOU fouEd in answering
my sim ole question for O statement of any
acts of mine on which you thought proper
TO base your published assertions.
Il opCSN ~ uLh ~ NhS ~ ~
Inc is an appeal to the people TO trust 10 their
own courage and fortituie for the mainte-
the peuGiication Of Mcclellap's letter aSowinr
his purpose TO fierce reunion by war. If we de-
fore warned the people against delusive hopes
of peace from any other Influence than that to
Querable spirit.
There is nothing In the speech as nov
peaa IN N il 'h the ! re Spote Vail sIIu sIsa'I to a Choice opiesfb 81.
tween Lincoln and Mcclellan. 1t does. low.
ever; i contain ia n den%ncia q ~ 6 St fd hin e IN IL ana no
II now say that knowing ! had never done
act. nor uttered q word that could JUSTIFY you
in attributing TO me q preference for Lincoln
over Mcclellan. l addressed YOU my note of the
2lst OF November in the hope: that you would
II must accept your letter of the 18th ult-
as a substantial admission that you had ne
Just ground for your statement. though it
would ilaye been much more acceptable to me
I mud the admission made frankly. instead OF
character OF the points on which you seek to
base II;
respondence should have been forced upon me. I
am aware that | was unfortunate enough to
nS.1 h sSSE si'nSp sys SsS Si %S P fpo@ my ! r sGSu of
bearing ali anim6dversion In silence and lehv-
ing my defence to the future II 1t had not
seemed to me that a publication by the Vice
President. intended quite plainly to d!spar-
age me and to inspire distrust of me among the
people. WAS calculated to do public injury. It
respondence hns done. that your statements
tIldl yOu Juuktl WI u hSIS tlhI p0
ferred Lincoln TO Mcclellan was unfounded.
and tina. YOU are equally without justihca-
ton for the expression in the letter to which
this IL a reply,.that you could form no other
conclusions than that IT was nv Intention In
my remarks ut Columbia to strengthen among
the people of the North the opponents OF
peace instead OF its friends
II have felt much reluctance in calling your
attention to this subject. as my earnest wish
Is. II possible. TO avert. at least to postpone
till the close OF the war. all discussion or dis
pute with those Tho are united with me in .
common hostility against the enemies of our
country. i assure you that It would be to mo
n source OF the sincerest pleasure TO see You
| d~evoting YOUR great and admitted ability OK
clusively to unfolding the confidence and ami
mating the spirit OF the people to unconuuer-
able resistance again At their toes. ! am, very
respectfully yours, &c..
JEFFERSON DAvIs.''
In this sharp encounter OF pens between the
| Two great Southern statesmen, Mr.. Davis
seems TO have held the advantage. Mr..
Stephcns's letter has a heavy, labored tone, as
CT one pettifogzing a weak case. Some of his
premises were wrong. and the reader will note
with what quickness Mr.. Davis seized upon