The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-24
REAGAN THEN AND NOW.
HIS OFFICIAL VIEW AS COMPARED
WITH HIS INTERVIEW.
Some Important Facts About the
Final Winding Up of the COnfed-
ernie States Government.

Some Important Facts About the
Final Winding Up of the COnfed-
crate States Government.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla, Dec.
81 dislike to take issue with so eminent
an ex-Confederate official as Postmaster
General John H. Reagan, but am COMPEL
ed to do so in order to sustain my pre-
vious statements in regard to the position
occupied by him and President Davis and
Lieut.. Gen. Wade Hampton during 1.-THE
last days of the Confederacy." 1t is like
a case of appealing from Philip Drunk to
Philip Sober, in that appeal from Reagan
the reunion orator Of 1899 to Reagan the
cabinet officer of 1865. In my previous ar
ticles on this subject 1 have asserted that
so far as 1 could discover from the official
records-they being the only reliable guide
President Davis and Gen. Hampton were
the only distinguished Confederates who
openly advocated a continuance of the
struggle after the surrender of the armies
under Gen. Lee and Gen. Johnston had oc-
CURED.
1 claimed that all the cabinet officers
had given formal opinions, solicited by
him, to President Davis against contin-
uing the struggle for independence. am
surprised, therefore, to find in MIR. Rea-
gan's interview, published in the October
issue of the Confederate Veteran, a con-
| trary statement as to himself and Gen.
| John c. Breckenridge then Secretary of
War after this war had been complet-
ed (winding up the affairs of war and
postoffice department at Washington, Ga.)
says Mr.. Reagan, Mr. Breckenridge
struck out for the West, hoping to be able
| to rally the remnant of the Southern
army and continue the war. 1 followed
| and overlook Mr.. Davis, and was with him
when he was captured. Before reaching
| Washington, Ca, Mr.. Breckenridge and
myself had advised Mr.. Davis to disguise
| himself in a soldiers uniform, make his
way to the coast and thence TO Havana,
| where he could take an English vessel
| for the mouth of the Rio Grande. Then
! he could make his way through to the
! West, and in the meantime the plan was
| that Mr.. Breckenridge and I should rally
| the remnants of the regiments of the
| Southern army and be in readiness for Mr..
| Davis coming to continue the contest AT
| Washington l mingled with the men a
great deal and became convinced that no
| considerable proportion of them would win
| our proposed movement, and l communi-
| Gated my observations to Mr.. Breckinridge,
| but he was of the opinion that he could
rally an effective force, and left for the
| west for the purpose of putting the plan
| into execution. The result is known and
perhaps it is better So
Now for the official records upon which
I based my statement that Reagan and
| Breckenridge opposed continuance of the
| contest. After referring to Lees surren-
| der, the abandonment of the capital al
| Richmond by the civil authorities Mr.
! Reagan says of the Sherman-Johnston
terms of surrender: Painful as the neces-
! sity is, I must advise the ac-
! ceptance of the terms of the agreement
The army west of the MississipDi
is unavailable for the arrest of the victori-
Gus career of the enemy east of that river
and is inadequate for the defense of the
| country west of it. With these
| facts before US and under the belief that
we cannot now reasonably hope for the
| achievement of our independence which
| should be dearer than life if it were pos
| sibly attainabe, and under the belief that
continuance of the struggle with ira
| sacrifices of life and property and its ac-
emulation of sufferings without a rea-
sonable prospect of success would be both
unwise and criminal I advise that Won
assent to the agreement. am
of opinion that if our people could he in
| duced to continue the contest with the
spirit which animated them during the
| hrst years of the war, our independence
might yet be within our reach; but soc
no reason to hope for that now
These are brief extracts from the
lengthy opinion given over his own sigma
ture by Postmaster General Reagan. to
President Davis, under date of Charlotte
~. c, April Y, 1866 And the next dav
at the same place, Secretary of War
Breckenridge rendered a briefer opinion Ia
the PRESIDENT. After recounting the mill
tary disasters of recent date and the
probable loss of several border states 10
the Contederacy he says: For these and
Tor other reasons, which need not now ha
stated thlnk We can no longer contend
with a reasonable hope of success ~
seems TO me that the time has arrived
when, In large and clear view Of The al
uatlon, prompt steps should be taken IN
put an end to the war ra
specially advise that vo,, ra.,,,
20 the states and the people the fms,
which you are no longer able IN defend -
| The following day Secretary OF rhe No,,,.
;. X. Mallory gave n similar opinion onl,,
| longer an which he declared that IN
Contederacy Is conquered: It's davs aro
numbered As TO rallying a new arm, -
resistance, he says of the people. "sISh,,,
are weary OF war and desire peace -
they could be rallied and brought 10 tha
Held, united and determined neorio
might even YET achieve independence. M
many circumstances admonish ms tbst
we cannot count upon their cordial ana
united action" anu
secretary Of Stale Judah p Rent,r,,,
on ApilI q gave an elaborate opinion. ana