The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-12
Mrs. Hayes Says Her
Mother wrote It To
Justify Her Action.
COULD NOT BEAR
HEAT OF THE SOUTH
Mrs. Davis's Income Was Large
and Sister Had Literary Am
bitiOns; New York Was
Therefore Considered
Best Place for
Residence.

NEW ORLEANS. December 1.-THE
much discussed Mrs Jefferson Davis let
Ter. which created "a sensation az the re-
cent convention Of the United Daughters
o. the Confederacy. ls tonight a subject
u an explanation written By Mrs. Mar
garet Howell Jefferson Davis Hayes. the
only surviving daughter of the Confeder-
ttc President II is addressed 10 General
stephen j. Leo. commanding the United
confederate Veterans, and made public by
Tim.
Tho fun text OK AIRS. jefferson Davis.s
.etfer was suppressed from publication.
i gives Mrs. Davls's reasons for having
made her home IN the North after the
"ar. and criucizes Mississippi the State
~ Jefferson Davis's residence. Mrs.
Hayes's letter says.
Written Years Ago.
''As 60 this letter OF my mother. allow
ne 70 say IL WAS written some years
AFo. and was prompted by a desire TO
Justify ner actions iu the eyes OF the
southern people. whom she loved with
unfai4nE los atty and devotion. This de-
Tense of herself sent 20 "A friend 10 De
read after her death. she wrote after
rumberless articles from different news
papers. aud letters condemning her ac-
tons were received by her when she was
~ falling health. II she had been con-
Z
placed. the letter should never have been
made public. FOR only last spring after
discussing tho fact of its existence. nv
mother decided 90 recall g. and J honed
nnui heard ~ its being read that Il had
been destroyed.
Excessive Heat.
p" "haiever my mother may have been
goade5 20 write 80 the time this letter
vas sent 20 Julia Kimbrough. she fel.
sac 800 the iove. respect and consldera-
t"n oi her own people. and among pbor,
she would g-aniv have lived and died -
ler health had permitted but. mn
fortunately. She could not bear the ey-
cessiNe heot ~ the South and was n-oue
90 malaria Then AFTER nv fatbe-.~
death. she was afraid 20 I've IN the coun-
try with her sister. there being no other
member of the family who could stav
with them"
she added that. as her mothers income
VS. large anf the sister mentioned tsa
literary ambitions Mrs Davis co,,i5 ir,.e
W New YORK. more easily than elsewhere
she says tnat Mrs Davis also made 3,
handsome salary from New YORK news
paper writing.
No Apology to Offer.
DO not offer an apology for any ac-
ton ~ my mother" the letter saws. srb,,,
] must feel tnat n anything she v-ots
gave offense 70 the people ~ The so,,th
particularly Mississippi. it was rDisunder-
stood and FAR from being Intentionally
hurtful Nv mother decided that Rich
mond as the seat OF government during
the Coniederacy. was the proper place for
my father and his descendants 10 rest
u Mississippi was slow in asking for NV
tather's remains am sure it was nor
through lack OF love Also. n Governor
Lowry wrots anything which wounded
my mother M the time. 7 feel sure he
did not intend 20 do So for 7 know he
was one of my fathers devoted and
loyal friends I urged the claims of Mis-
s'ssippi. as above all other States Let no
one think other than that my mother loved
and houored the South and Southern.
people above everything 7 hope that her
few enemies viii Doe silenced. Il not won.
by this explanation"
The letter closes with an appeal fo-
reverence and respect for the memory
or the mother Of the Confederacy.r