Evening star., 1913-11-23
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR


ments that fell into the hands of Federal
authorities during the
Confederate civil war, bearing upon
the plans and purposes
sos' and difficulties of the Con-
federacy. were captured on blockade run
ners. About this time fifty years ago sew.
eral of these vessels were taken by Fed
eral cruisers. and among the papers con-
fiscated was a letter addressed to ,Jeffer-
son Davis by E. De Leon, q Confederate
agent In Paris. In The Star Of November
16. 1863. are the following extracts:
TT Is useless to disguise the fact that
the men around you do not inspire con-
fidence and chaos would come were your
hand withdrawn from the helm. Military
ability of the highest order our revolu-
tion has produced. but in diplomatic talent
1t has been singularly barren.
There has been and is today little in
tention of a speedy recognition by France,
as by that We may be made a pawn in
the Mexican game. I think this very
probable but for the increase In taxes.
AT the risk Of being tedious I have
expressed my fnmost thought to you.
What Is past is irrevocable. but 1 feel
our fortune is safe in your hands
know my inmost ideas. 1 am working
hard and necessarily. personally and by
proxy, and am enlarging the sphere of
my operations, for the exigencies of the
hour demand it. I abhor asking for
money, but as I do not appropriate a
penny for myself have given Mr.. B. a
reminder that small sum in treasury
drafts is not a Fortunatus purse ever
filling and ever full. at the expiration of
eighteen months. France wants money.
literally and not figuratively They are
a far more mercenary race than the Eng
lish, and We must buy golden opinions
from them If at all.'
X x
President Lincoln left Washington No
vember' 49, 1865, for Gettysburg. to at
tend the dedication Of
Gettysburg the national cemetery
on the battlefield. ac-
Do"1e"'ioA. companied by Secre-
taries Seward, Usher and Blair. and
other members of the cabinet, Messrs.
Nicolay and Hay, his private secretaries.
and several members Of the diplomatic
corps and officers of the army and navy.
The President travelled in a special train
of four cars in charge of Mr.. Showacre.
The Marine Band accompanied the Of
| fetal party. and the President had a
special escort from the 1st Regiment Of
the Invalid Corps under command of
Lieut.. Fred r. Jackson of Company A.
A note in The Star concerning the Presi-
dents departure stated that engine 236.
Rubin Zepp engineer, was to draw the
train as far as Baltimore, at which point
Northern Central engine would carry 1t
on to Gettysburg. The President left
Washington at noon. and it was expect
ed that he would reach Gettysburg by
sundown. Large numbers of citizens
left on other trains to attend the dedfca-
ton.
In The Star of November 10, 1863. Is q
news item describing a local enterprise
to promote volunteer
Volunteering ing in the District
under the President s
OiBeu. call for 100000 men:
con Monday next the books will be
opened and the collectors appointed at
the public meeting to promote enlist
ments in this District. under the last
call Of the President for 100000 men, to
call upon our citizens and solicit their
contributions in order that a sum suf-
ficient may be raised to grant adequate
bounties to parties desiring to enlist in
the service of the United States. BY this
means it is believed that a further draft
may be prevented in this District. If our
citizens contribute literally there is no
doubt whatever that before January the
quota of this District can be filled up
There are many here now who would
volunteer were it not for the fact that
the mere sum they receive for their
services as soldiers is totally inadequate
to support their families. Large boun-
ties will obviate all this. Men will feel
that all are interested in their welfare,
and the sums they will receive will be an
inducement for them to volunteer. Some
thing must be done. New York, Phila-
delpha, Boston and all the large cities
are offering large bounties. and there is
no reason why Washington and George
town should not do the same.
IF the volunteers are not obtained a
draft will be inevitable and 1t is certainly
much better for citizens to contribute
now than wait to be drafted and then
be Obliged to secure a substitute at a
large price, pay $500 or go to the war
themselves. The names of the collec-
tors at the head of which stands John
III. Semmes. esquire, is a surety that all
moneys collected will be properly ap-
propriated. There is not man upon the
roll of collectors who is not responsible,
and we would therefore urge upon all
either to contribute literally or to lend
their personal aid in furthering this mat
ter by inducing some one, white or black,
to volunteer.
The Star of November 20, 1863, contains
the news account of the dedication of
the Gettysburg cemetery.
Presidents which took place the day
.,, before. This account COW
0uuAcSo' ers a little more than a
column, the Presidents great Grafton.
which has since become historic and has
within the past few days been repro
duced throughout the United States In
commemoration of the dedication, takes
its modest place in the unbroken text
of a dispatch as would any commonplace
speech of a public official. There is
nothing whatever in the news treatment
of this masterpiece of oratory to indi-
cate its current recognition as the
greatest Inference of the war President,
perhaps the greatest bit of American
eloquence.
The Stars report describes President
Lincoln as wearing plain suit of black
and white kid gauntlets." Great eager
ness was manifested by the people every
where to catch a glimpse of the chief
MAGISTRATE After a procession which
formed on the public square of Gettys-
burg and marched to the cemetery the
solemn ceremonies We're begun by the per-
Torrance of a funeral d1rge by the Marine
Band stationed in front of the speakers
platform Prayer was then offered By
Rev. Thomas H. Stockton. chaplain of
tba HoISa REPRESENTATIVES, after