Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-02-01
JEFFERSON DAVIS. DEFENSE.

NOV SHVt0 OeV
In Harper's there appear for the first
time a number OF jefferson Davis letters
which are presented by Dunbar Rowland.
IN who's. hands all the Davis papers have
t'een placed.
AS one turns the pages OF the letter
nook Of the president OF the confeGeracy.
Il letter to William NJ. Brooks, president
of the Alabama convention OF 1861, Is
found which gives "a clear insight into the
policies of the confederate government I'm
the beginning of 1S62. and sets forth some
OF the criticisms directed against them
in the state of Alabama.
Richmond. Va, March Is. 1s62-Hon. w.
under other circumstances l might be I'M
willing tn hear criticism OF acts, the con-
dition of thu country now too July en-
crosses all my thoughts and feelings to
permit such selfish impatience. and 1 have
read yours of the 18th inst. anxious to
gather from 1t information. and thankful
confidence your frankness cvinces. I ac-
knowledge the error OF my attempt TO de-
fend all of the frontier. seaboard. and in
land: but will say in justification that If
we had received the arms and munitions
which we had good reason to expect. that
the attempt would have been successful
the enemy's soil. You seem to have fallen
into the not mistake OF sup
posing that 1 have chosen to carry on the
war upon Il purely defensive" system.
The advantage OF selecting the time and
place OF attack was too apparent to have
been overlooked. but the means might
stores. without the workshops to create
them. without the power to import them.
necessity. not choice. has compelled us to
occupy strong positions and everywhere
to confront the enemy without reserves.
The country has supposed our armies
more numerous than they were and our
they nave been. I have borne reproach
In silence because to reply by an exact
statement of facts would have exposed
when the case is fully understood. viii
do justice to the men who have suffered
from hasty Judgment and unjust censure.
Military critics will not say to me as you
do. Your experiment is a failure. but
rather wonder at the disproportion be-
tween the means and the results. You
inform me that the highest and most re-
a cabinet council for more than four
months" ] read your letter to a member
were surprised at the extravaganza OF
the falsehood. and did not believe that SO
much as a week had at any time occurred
like to know who the authors of such
stories are. Your own estimate of me, I
hope, assured you that l would not. as
mere clerk; and II you know Mr.. BEN
jamin, you must realize the impossibflity
of his submitting to degradation at the
hands of ANY any one e;,n1 The re opposition here
Nv NAC'Ssy w Aiy
cabinet. not. as in your section. that they
are .disregarded: and the only contempt
OF the sentiments OF congress which is
here alleged against me ESQ far as I have
heard) is that their wish for the removal
of two or more members OF the cabinet
has not been yielded to. Perhaps there
might he added dissatisfaction on the part
of a few at the promotion or appointment
of military officers without consulting the
members of congress in relation to them.
the generals of the army In leading strings
may be set the frequent complaint that i
do not arraign them for what is regarded
their failures or misdeeds, and do not re-
spond to the popular clamor by displacing
commanders upon irresponsible state
ments.
and Beauregard: but you have the story
nomine mutato. and though General john
rank, he certainly never thought Of re-
signing: and General B~eauregard, in a por-
ton Of his repart. which | understand tho
ment for which l asked his authority, but
It Is surely a SANDER on him to say that
he ever considered himself insulted by me.
The grossest ignorance OF the law and tho
facts can alone excuse the statement, as
to the i~ll-treatment OF General Price by
me. His letters do not permit me to be-
plant. II. as you inform me-. 1t is cred
IDLY said that 1 have scarcely n friend
and not a defender in congress or in tho
army yet for the sake OF our country
and it's cause 1 must hope 1t is falsely SO
said. as otherwise our fate must be con-
fided to a multitude OF hypocrites. It
would be easy to Justify the appointments
which have been made of brigadier gem
erals by stating the reasons In each case,
but suffice y to say that I have endeav-
ored to avoid bad selections by relying
on military rather than political recon-
mendations: and upon the evidence of
service where the case was one of promo
ton. 1t Is easy to say that men are pro-
scribed because Of their political party.
Look for yourself and Judge by the men
filling offices whether l have applied party
the united power of the south alone can
save us, 1t Is sad to know that men ran
deal In such paltry complaints and tax
their ingenuity to Islander because they
i will not follow the example set me and
ascribe to them bad motives. but deem Il
; proper to say that the effect Of such as
saults, so far as they succeed In Destroy
ing the confidence of the people in the ad-
ministration of their government, must be
TO diminish our chances OF triumph over
the enemy. and practically do us more
harm than II twice the number of men I
can suppose to be engaged in such work
were to desert to the standard OF Lincoln.
You are. no doubt. correct In your view
of the propriety of keeping volunteers in
the field. but you will not fail to perceive
that when a small force is opposed to a
large one. the alternative is to retreat or
fortify some strong position. and. as did
General Jackson at New Orleans, thus
compensate for the want Of numbers. But
the strength of an army is not merely de-
pendent on numbers: another element is
discipline and instruction. The first duty
now is to increase our forces by raising
troops for the war, and bringing out all
the private arms of the country for the
public defense. If we can achieve our in
dependence, the officeseekers are welcome
to the one l hold, and for which possess
sion has brought no additional value to