The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-12
MRS. DAVIS |
SOUTH ABON
Mrs, Margaret Hays
Her Mothers FseIiR
WRITES LETTER TO GEN
Gives Reasons for Living In the North
and for Crlticlslng Mississippi,
the Home of jefferson
Davis.
New Orleans, December i1.-The
discussed Mrs. Jefferson Davis

| New Orleans, December u,-The
| discussed Mrs. jefferson Davis
which created sensation at the .~.el.o
convention of the United Daughters of
! the Confederacy is tonight the subject
| of an explanation written by Mrs. Mar
garet Howell jefferson Davis Hays, the
only surviving daughter of the Confed-
crate president. 1t is addressed to Gem
eral Stephen d. Lee, commanding the
United Confederate Veterans, and made
public by him.
The full text of Mrs. Jefferson Davis
| letter was suppressed from publication.
1t gave Mrs. Davis reasons for having
made her home in the north after the
war. and criticised Mississippi, the state
of Jefferson Davis residence, Mrs. Hays
letter says:
Loved With Unfailine Love.
AS to this letter of my mother, allow
me to say that it was written some years
ago. and was prompted by desire to
justify her actions in the eyes of tho
southern people. whom she loved with un-
failing loyalty and devotion. This de-
| fenes of herself, sent to a friend to be
read after her DEATH she wrote after
numerous articles from different news
papers and letters eondemning her actions,
were received by her, when she was in
failing health. If she had been consulted
by those in whose hands Ii was placed.
the letter would never have been made
public, for only last spring after discuss
ing the fact of its existence my mother
decided to recall 1t. and l had hoped until
/ heard of its being read that 1t had been
destroyed. However my mother may have
| been goaded to writing at the time this
| letter was sent to Julia kimbrough size
/ felt safe In the love, respect, and con-
sideration of her own people aaafg whcfR
she would gladly have lived and died
il her health had permitted but I'M
fortunately could not bear the excessive
heat of the south and was very prone
to malaria
"Then again after my fathers death she
was afraid to live in the country with my
sister, there being no male member of
our family who could stay with them"
! Here Mrs. Hays added that as her
mothers income was not large. and as
the sister mentioned had literary am
| btions. Mrs. Davis could live in New
York more reasonably than elsewhere Sho
| says that Mrs. Davis also made hand
some salary from New York newspaper
writing
Does Not Offer Apology.
= do not offer apology for any ac-
| ton of my mother the letter says, but
l must feel that If anything she wrote
| gave offense to the people of the south,
particularly Mississippi 1t was misunder-
stood and far from being Intentionally
| hurtful. My mother decided that Rich
mond, as the seat of the government dur
| ing the Confederacy, was the proper place
| for my father and his descendants TO
| rest If Mississippi was slow In asking
| for my fathers remains [ am sure it was
not through lack of love.
Also II Governor Lowery wrote any
| thing which wounded my mother at the
| time, / feel sure he did not intend to do
so. for / know he was one of my father
| most devoted and loyal friends. | urged
the claims of Mississippi above all
other states. Let no one think other
than that my mother loved and honored
the south and the southern people above
everything. | hope that her few enemies
will be senced IL not won by this ex-
planation."
The letter closes with an appeal for
| reverence and respect for the memory OF
"The Mother of the Confederaey."