The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-06-06
CONFEDERATE REVELATIONS.
Interesting Statements by the Southern Pro
visional Congress.
St. Louis Republic.

f,. 3. p Z ~.
In comfortable frame house at
Woodland, a pretty suburb on the
Wasbash railsoad, live oaeof the only
two survivors, OF; the proyisio oal con.
gress OF the southern Confederacy.
He is DR.. Samuel Howard Ford. for
more than 62 years q clergyman Of the
Baptist Church, ac LII. d., ID. d.,
and Ph. D. The other living mem
ber Of that memorable congress is j.
L. NJ. Curry, formerly Of Alabama,
now Of Washington City.
DR.. Ford is SO years Old: For more
than so Years he has edited the Chris
tian Re oository, one of the foremost
Bapt;fs periodicals Of the country.
He was born in England, but came TO
this country with his parents in his
early childhood. DIR. Ford came to
St. Louis from Memphis in 1871, after
the yellow fever epidemie in che
south. It was his second coming to
the city in. which he had been educat.
ed and had served in editorial posi-
tions. Prior to his Memphis residence
he lived in Mobile. Talking recently
Of the early days Of the war he said:
II was astonished TO learn that I
lad been elected by the legislature q
commissioner for the State sof Ken
tucky to get that State into The Con-
federacy, and that l was a member Of
the provisional congress from the
Louisville district. Luke Blackburn.
afterward governor Of Kentucky, wss
my opponent, but the final vote was
unanimous. i had never appeared in
public as q politician, and at arss felt
inclined not to accept, bnt I went on
to Richmond and was duly sworn in.
That was in February, 1861. '
"It is Q fact not generally known
that number Of tho men in the pros
visional congress were not originally
secessionists. Alexander II Stephens,
the vice president, was NOT, neither
was Ben Hill Of Georgia, nor Rives Of
Virginia, and / was not, with many
others. But we were in the current,
and we had to do our best.
''There is one thing I would like 20
mention, which is known to but few,
which is, that motion was made in
the provisional congress, whose doings
were in, secret, to confiscate all the
debts due in the south to northern
creditors. It was favored by Jefferson
Davis and the administration, but op.
posed with great power by Robert
Toombs Of Georgia, who said in the
language Of Aristides in regerd to
seising the shipping in Che port Of
Athens. 'It wss . good thing for
Athens, bus most unjust, aud 80 let
no unjust act mark the course OF this
Confederacy.' It was due to Tocmbs's
strong ssszs tfss iii iii failed
There was . great deal Of Discus
sion just at that time in regard 20 the
failure ofsan advance on Washington
after the battle Of Manassas. ! was
sent BY Mr. Davis with member from
South Carolina, Boyce, TO soc Reaurss
gard in regard 70 his going .acfusg 10
Kentu0ssy toS 90 operate wish Sydney
Johnston, Mfiisl h6| Gods d 3 II Il III do:
In the consessas iSn II learned ,dofhite.
ly fromsB Beapre gard that the advance
on Washington saas not possible, as
they had no 1ranspo ation, and every
body thought the whole war was over
after the Bull RIM viesass 's:s..sss, Il
"J.LsH Onrsy 4 then ofs Ala ssaa, ],
now Of Washington City, iss the only
one left, besides myself who served
in that original PROVISIONAL congress-.
Senator Vest, from this State, be-
came . member afterHard and was in
the permanent congress-. { deelinei
to run as . candidate for the psrma.
nent congress, but waa offered posi-
tiona in connection with iti tihe cabinet,
which I3aiso daoiined. sssss
"Wigfsll of Tsxass one off the most
effective bpeak akerss; and devoted
champion of Dasia, gsssed at once out
Of sight. No one has ever known
what his end was. Reagan of Texas.
member Of tho aduainia ion, still
lives.
my opinion Is that if Toombh had
been president of shs Co onfederaoy the
whole thing would have been dooided
in three months. Toombs would have
been President instead os Davis, 4, On
the day of the election ha S had not
been the Worso For liquor. He p sas .
man Of great deciaion and unqueslion-
ably one of the firat orators, bnt st the
same time inclined to quar!ssii even
with his best friendd ID d.