The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-08

public busire or Issue any official order
while in Washington But The end did not
come in Charlotte or Abbeville.
This seems to have been The purpose OF
President Davis in his Charlotte spsech
to join Gen. Kirby Smiths forces in the
Mississippi and keep up the struggle
in the hope to save al least fragment If
the original Confederacy. Bui President
Davis finally submitted the question 10 his
cabinet, each member TO present his views
in writing. This sep was taken in Char
lotte and in my previous articles l have
shown that every cabinet officer opposed
a prolongaiion of the struggle, some In
very plain terms and others in a more
milder form. This made the Charlotte
meeting of the cabinet a very important
one but il was not the last meeting he d.
nor did the COnfederacY so 10 pieces in the
famed county of Mecklenburg. President
Davis and his cabinet and some of the
head of military departments, left there
together for Washington, Ga.
What President Davis did say, and he
said 1t in public to the citizens Of Char
iotte was in a far different strain. This"
said he, has been war of the people FIR
the people, and [ have been simply th-ic
executive, and if they desire to continue
the struggle, I am still ready and willing
to devote myself to their cause. True,
Gen. Lees army has surrendered. but the
men are still alive, the cause is not Yet
dead; and only show by your determna-
ton and forlitude that you are willing 10
suffer yet longer. and we may still top
for success"
When Gen Johnston held his conference
with Gen. Sherman 10 fix terms of sur
render, Gen. Wade Hampton was absent
from the main army, and he claime1, Oh
his return. that he and his command were
not included in the transaction. He, one
of all the great leaders favored cutting
III 1,.lt -
place of defense where the struggle could
be continued
Rev. DR.. j. G. NJ. Ramsey. the Tonnes
see historian, in a very comprehensive
and interesting sketch of Mecklenburg
county, says: 1T was in Charlotte, that
the unselfsh and vrtuous President of
the Southern Confederacy called together
his scattered secretaries and he'd his last
cabinet meeting and communicated to
them the unwelcome intelligence of the
surrender of the Confederate armies"
History is truth, and il is nonsense TO
speak of the truth of history" There
may be narratives. like the above and
stories and so-called histories. that are
full of error, but all that is history must
be true-there can be no false history
Facts are the basis of history-some-
times cold-blooded facts, but we cannot
warp or change them to suit our views or
purpose. A perverted fact ceases to be a
TACT, ana ueuce loses It's nlStOflcal Nalue.
Now we meet DIR. Ramsey's history
with the fact that the Confederate armies
had rot surrendered-ony a portion of
them; and with the added fact that Pres
ident Davis did not communicate any such
terrible sensation TO his cabinet, at what
Is termed its last meeting.
/ am gratfed to know that my previous
articles in the Morning News on this sub
ject have been Endorsed by so distinguish
ed a statesman as EX-Postmaster John H.
Reagan, who not only was present in
Charlotte and Abbevlle and Washington.
but was the only cabinet officer or head OF
a military department that remained with
President Davis and shared In his capture
in Irwin county, Georgia. / have simply
tried to write history-not a mar
rative to please-and to gather
up facts that can be used
in a more permanent form In the future
by some historian ambitious for fame in
this direction Sidney Herbert