The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-06

~ The constitution, is so thorouchly nj VA = |
lance with all his public acts that | can
lot understand how any one OF ordinary
Intelligence. and with any degree OF ia
with his acts. could indulge iuI
Such an assumption. His speech on re-
aring from the senate OF the United States
MS acceptance OF the appointment OF ma
or-genoral for the State OF Mississippi.
MS message and proclamations as presi-
ient, the energy and foresight displayed
by him In preparing for the war. all show
how fully he realized the immnenco OF war
rom the first. But why tax the patience
of an intelligent exConfedeiatc by com.
batting so utterly unfounded and incredi-
BILE charge
10 sustain this absurd charge the doctor
makes the following statement towit, that:
Two years before the birth of the
Confedeucy the British parliament
had refused to grant to the British
East India company a renewal of its
charter and when the news Of the
formation of the Confederate govern
ment reached England two young men
from the South bought at n very low
figure the whole fleet Of that company
and offered to sell ii to the Confederate
government. Here was an opportunity
for tho Young nation to obtain a navy;
but why purchase ships of war when
the Federal constitution could be relied
vi w piotS't us iIOH q WAT OIL COeT-
cion? The Confederate chief and his
secretary OF navy refused the offer OF
the ships.
And he adds to this the following:
AT the same time the Enfield Arms
company, Of Enfield. England. offered
TO sell to the Confederacy any number
of stands Of Enfield rifles, then the fin
est army gun In the world. But why
purchase rifles when the provisions OF
tho Ea1cpat constitution all cnffi-
cient to protect the South from war
of coercion?
The doctor tells us that:
The vessels belonging to the East
India company were built with view
to their being easily and quickly con-
verted into war vessels. The East In
ia company offered to sell its fleet to
the Confederacy at n very low price.
and offered 10 take cotton in payment
therefor. Two young Jealous Southerners
bought an option on the East India
fleet and fastened to Montgomery to
offer 1t to the Confederate government.
Forty-eght thousand bales of cotton
would have paid for the ships.
have thought it best to make these ex-
tensive quotations from the address of Dr..
Robbins before making any comment on
them.
1t is to be regretted that so important
and so remarkable a statement should
have been withheld from the public until
after the death Of Mr.. Davis. He could
have met it, not with probabilities as l
must do. but with conclusive facts. While
| can not say that DR.. Robbins has been
misinformed as to the offer to sell to the
Confederate government a fleet of ves-
gels. and the offer to sell to 1t any number
of Enfield rifles. l never heard OF either
Offer though ! was member OF Mr..
Davis cabinet from March 6. 1861, until
the close of the war. And the doctor, III
making these points for the purpose OF
showing the great mistakes of the Con
federate president and his responsibility
for the failure OF the Confederate cause,
ought to have been a little fuller il the
statement of his facts He ought to have
given us the names of the two enterpris-
ing young Southerners who bought an OPP
ton on the fleet OF the East India com
pany and ought to have stated the num-
Der and character OF these vessels, anc
how we were to get them out of English
ports during the tendency of war, whef
that government was refusing TO allow the
Confederate government to obtain vessels
from her jurisdiction, or even to give
asylum to such vessels as we had. And h'
ought to have told us whether the Con
federate government owned $4,000 bales o
cotton with which to pay for these vessels
and If not how II was to obtain so larg'
an amount of cotton. And ! submit tina
before condemning the president and sec
rotary of navy for not purchasing thes'
supposed vessels. he should have showI
| that they were of a character to meet th'
necessities of the Confederacy, and tina
they could have been safely brought from
| British, probably British India. ports, AM
| escaped capture by the vessels OF tn
| United States. Without some such in
| formation how could just Judgment b.
| formed as to whether they should o
| should not have been purchased
| AS to the supposed Enfield rifles, the
would have been contraband OF war, an
| Great Britain at an early date In IN
| struggle proclaimed her neutrality, an
would not have permitted them to leav
| that country for the Confederate service
| That such charges against the memor
| OF President Davis should have been mad
| by an ex-Confederate and by Mssissip
| Man. il not made manifest would hav
| seemed to be Incredible; and that the
! should have been reserved to be made al
| ter his death, Is, to say the least, TO be re
| GREETED. In tho organization OF govern
ment and the marshalling of armies, un
der tho circumstances Wnich suIFouhu n'n :,
| which II required more than four years
terrible war and armies aggregatng 2,soo
0OO mon TO overcome. he exhibited extra
| ordinary executive ability. And the put
lie services of his eventful life, in so gre
variety OF important positions, SHOVE
him 10 be great statesman; while u
oarnestness of his devotion to the cause
the South. the great sacrifices he male Il
her cause. the vicarious suffering he III
derwent for his country while imprlsont
after the war, the grandeur oil his COZ
duct and course during the closing yea
of his life. and the undoubted purity d.
disinterestedness and unselfishlcss 81
whole life. ought to have proiectei h
memory against such charges as thol
made by DR.. Robbins.
trust you will pardon the length
this letter. l thought this much 10 be dl
TO the memory Of the greatest, the pure
and tina most unselfish patriot eV'
knew. Very respectfully.
John II. Reagan