Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-05-31

1 Senldi QudlititS VI tncSc aV"ut tu'h'
We were joined at breakfast by his
estimable wife and daughter, Miss
Winnie, who was later known AS the
! Daughter of the Confed"raCy. having
been born in the presidential home at
Richmond.
! After breakfast we retired to The
! parlor. leaving the ladies alone, and
said TO him that ! desired very
=, much to confer with him on some
, matters relating to the war about
which I was net fully advised. lie
answered in the kindest manner that
as his guest he would be very happy
to converse with me Oh any subject
relating to the war. but that he could
, not converse with me on that sub
! ject as journalist. as | was then cdi'
tor of the Philadelphia Times. AS
sured him that appreciated the deli
: caCv of his position. and that he could
, rely upon ii that not line would be
published aS cCmng from him or
about him that did not have his ap
! prevail before its publication. He
then said he was perfectly free TO
' discuss any question that ] desired
to present to him. One point that !
wish to be advised about was why
he had fired upon Sumter when he
bad the positive assurance of the sur
render of Anderson two -davs later. |
inquired whether he regarded 1t as a
military necessity or whether II was
necessary to concentrate the South III
the support of the new government.
, He answered very frankly that Sum
ter was fired upon because. after nav
ing received the assurance from the
Washington government that Sumter
would not be rennforced they were
, notified that the Union fleet had sail
ed for Charleston with supplies and
rrcnfOrccmCnts for Sumter hut that
| no attempt would be mad" TO rcen-
force the fort if the Confederate gov
crnmcnt would permit supplies TO be
fnrni ;hrd 10 the starving garrison.
He regarded that as a violation of
the faith of the Union government.
and for that reason Sumter was fired
upon.
I startled him somewhat by saying
that the firing upon Sumter sounded
| the death kncll Ct the COnfcderaCy,
adding that if Sumter had not Teen
fired upon when the time had been
fixed for surrender the North would
have been vastly divided on the ques
ton of war: and. as then believed
and still believe. the Confederacv
would have been successfully estab-
lished because the North could not
have been successfully established
because the North could not have
been united in precipitating an az
gressiye war upon the South. Lin
coin was publicly pledged to avoid
the provocation of war: and had the
North not been practically united in
support of the war by the firing upon
the starving garrison when the date
had been fixed for its surrender. the
COnfederacy would have existed with
out interruptions and in very few
months at most must have command
ed the eccenitiOn Of the leading gov
Prnmcnts of Europe. and thus made
war for the subjuSation of the South
utterly impracticable
Another subject upon which ] desir
ed information was as to, the Gcttys-
bnrg campaign. II was against the
whole policy of the COnfcdcracy even
when its army was stronger than
then. It was the decisive battle of
the war. as AppOmattCx was simply
The echo of Gettysburg He answer.
ed that il was regarded as an i'm
portaBt military movement with every
prospect Of success after the defeat
h.,
vile. and II would doubtless have set
tied the recognition OF the COME ser.
acy abroad had victory been obtained.
I asked him whether General Lee had
advised il as military movement.
but he answered evasiv"ly that il
would not have been undertaken If
Lee had not approved IL.
] spent half the day with President
Davis. and was received and enter
taincd with the most generous hcspi
tally. Our conversation finally lrd
TO President Lincoln. and he was very
anxious 10 ascertain all the details
of Hncolns personal attributes and
public and private actions when Pres
ideut of the United States. He said
that the South had greatly misjIdgcd
Lincoln. as nc had no record as
statesman when he was called TO the
presidency. and in the ficrcss passions
Of civil conflict every disgracefnl at
tribute of character was readily and
violently imputed la him. Tic asked
minuiciy about the actions and rx
pressioHs Of Lincnin. As had been
in vrry intimate relations wita hun:
and he was greatly delighted when 7
told him that, while ] had heard Lin
coin discuss every phase and feature
Of the war. ! had meyer heard him
utter a single sentence of resentment
, against any in the South: that 7 had
, heard him many times discuss Davis.
Ice. and other leaders of thu Souih
AMI ALWAYS with the highest personal
respect for them. told him how !
had er2p Snfoln yri,y, .itu, -uS