The National tribune., 1903-11-19
JxYY. pAv1s's rAru1rY.

J1YH. DAvIs's YAfuIrY.
WHEN any Southern writer or orator
gets away from rhetorical adulation Of
the Lost Cause" and Of the men whs
figured in 1t, he Is In danger. Any ATTEMPT
to give actual facts II exceedingly risky,
and sure to get him into trouble. For
example: Gen. Gordon has just stirred
up the South BY the statement of what
occurred during the first week Of March,
1885. when Gen. Lee sent for him at .
O'Clock a. m, to como to headquarters,
where painfully interesting conference
lasted until daybreak. Gen. Gordon says
that Lee had at that time about $1,000
which Grant was moving LAO. 900 men. and
gradually extending his left flank % az
to envelop tho rebel right at Petersburg.
We will not stop now to discuss Gen. Cor
don's statement Of the relative numbers,
but 60 on with his story. 1t Was that
the Confederate cause was recognized BY
Lee Al in q most desperate situation, and
aV AAohAAy SthSSo tAAt tucA0 WSKe Ubb
| three courses open, as follows: First.
make terms with the enemy. the best we
can get. Secondly. il that u not practi.
cable, the best thing to do 10 to retreat
abandon Richmond and Petersburg. units
by rapid marches with Gen. Johnston in
North Carolina, and strike Sherman be-
fore Grant can join him; or, lastly, We
MN Ent,f IL
Lees preference was unmistakabiy for
the first proposition, but President Davis
and those about him, including the Con.
federate Congress. were absolutely unable
to grasp the situation or to take proper
measures regarding Ii. Gen. Gordon saw
the awful seriousness quite as clearly as
Lee did, and urged Lee to present il
again to Davis and his counseIors, but
Lee sadly declined. saying that the people
only expected him to continue to do his
duty, and it was his business to obey
the orders that he received from his su.
periors. He had already made full repre-
| sentations, which had been disrexarded,
and he did not feel it right for him to
again obtrude his opinions upon the Ad-
ministration. Yet Gordon was 10 insistent
that Lee finally consented to 70 to Rich.
mond again. When he returned he told
Gordon, Nothing can bs done at Rich.
mond. The Confederate Congress seems
not to appreciate the situation" And WITH
regard to Davis, he said in q way that
burned into Gordon's memory, you know
the President IL very pertinacious in opin-
ion and purpose" The result was that
Leo was forced to the last alternative.
that Of making one more desperate effort
to cut and destroy the iron band with
which Grant was incircling him. The des-
perats attack made BY Gordon on Fort
Stedman. March %. 1885, followed. The
fort was captured. with several hundred
prisoners, but the assailants were finally
driven of with loss Of 5000 men, which
Lees army could not at all afford. This
publication by Gen. Gordon II stirring up
the South anew. and the friends Of Davis
are rushing to the defense Of his memory.
Their worl will be futile, however. and
what they may say will convince no ons
except those who want to be convinced,
for JEFF Davis II destined to 60 down into
history as a narrow, selfish, intensely self
opinionated man. who threw away repeat
ed opportunities to make good terms for
his people at q time when every sensible
man knew his cause to be hopeless, and at
last brought upon them the Overwhelming
prostration of the whole South at the feet
of the conqueror. There was really NO
hope for the Southern Confederacy after
Jan. /, 1894. and If Davis had had even
a respectable element Of craftsmanship
he would aavs recognized this then and
saved his country Is months Of terrible
war. Absolutely hopeless as the condition
Of the Confederacy was Jan. I, 1884, Il
was incomparably worse year later, and
on Jan. 1, 1885. nothing but miracle
could have saved it from destruction. Mr..
Davis was a heavy penalty for the South.
ern people to pay, but we now begin
to see that it was best for the future Of
the United States that he should have
been such senseless obstinate a. he was
when the Confederacy was on its DEATH
bed in that awful Winter Of 1865.