Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-09
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the B0OklOrer

A sympathetic but not altogether I'M
critical view of Jefferson Davis Is
given in Allen Tate's Jefferson Davis:
His Rise and Fall" Mr.. Tate finds the
chief elements of strength in the Pres
ident OF the COnfederacy TO have been
strict unrightness. broad knowledge OF
political theory. good general educa-
ton and special military education (he
was West Point GRADUATED, power i'll
debate. courage In devotion TO cause,
slowness In recognizing defeat. He says
of him: Davis. the ablest debater Tor
Southern rights since Calhoun, was Tor
reasons that we shall see emotlonauy
bound to the Union" (at the beginning
of the Civil War, and Davis became
well grounded in the classics, especially
Latin, and formed the habit OF omnlv-
orous reading so that he became the
best informed. possibly the best educat-
ed, man in the United States Senate.
His chief elements of weakness, as Mr..
Tate sees them, were his lack of prac-
tical political acumen, his poor juog-
ment OF men, his lack of social adabil-
1ty, his inability to see point of view
other than his own, his theoretical view
OF life, and the fact that he was always
a nervous dyspeptic. With regard to
his impractical view Of life, Mr.. Tate
says: Davis, to the end of his life, be-
lieyed that men would improve under
the joint influence of Christianity and
science, and he had no suspicion that
he was ever the leader of a profoundly
anti-scientlfic society. He was, like his
contemporaries, debating politician.
NOS philosopher The anomaly of his
position i'll history never struck him.
Routine political habits were conse-
quently to become the bugbear of his
life" 1t was noble mistake, this over
estimating of human nature, but it was
costly for Davis.
1t is easy to criticize policies and
tactics which have failed, and the cause
of Jefferson Davis was lost. Yet, in
spite OF ultimate failure, historians have
been able to find few things to criticize
in the character and career of Robert
E. Lee. He was not only the idol of the
Confederacy but he has been admired
by those of all political faiths as a great
soldier and a man of simple, great
character. Mr.. Tate says of him: 1.-The
South at the end of 1864 had a great
leader whom the people would have fol-
lowed to the death-Robert E. Lee. The
previous agitation to make him dictator
now rose to clamor and now it
reached Congress. There is q story,
perhaps no more than a legend, that
Rives Of Virginia, representing a junta
of the Congress. secretly approached
Lee with the offer TO make him dictator.
He was now the real head of the people,
acting as subordinate to a government
which the people did not recognize
But he was not the legal head, and. of
course. II the offer ever came to him
he turned it down." jefferson Davis
did not command this worship from the
people of the Confederacy, but he re-
tanned their loyalty. There were, of
course. deserters of the cause and plot
tiers against Davis, but they were q
small minority. Edmund Rhett, Voic-
ing the general dissatisfaction with the
passive policy of Davis lin 1860 and
with Davis contempt for public opinion,
said, JEFF Davis is conceited, wrong
headed, wranglesome, obstinate,
traitor He was none Of these things.
He would take advice-if it were sugar
coated with Difference; he was obstinate
only in the face of unjust criticism
and yet politician must expect in
justice; he was wranglesome, but only
because he expected men like Gov. Joe
Brown to be moved by facts and logic;
he expected them to accept his logic
while he dealt hard with their vanity
and Self-eSteem." He was too honest,
too little subtle, for practical politics.
The story of the refusal of Jefferson
Davis TO believe In the defeat of the
Confederacy. OF his final flight and
capture, is one OF the most pathetic in
American history. On April 2, 1866,
while Davis was attending church at st.
Pauls. Richmond, message was
brought to him from Lee, reporting that
Grant had broken the Confederate lines
a few miles away and that Richmond
must be evacuated. Sunday afternoon
was spent in packing government pa
perS and In notifying cabinet officers,
and toward night Davis departed for
DanVille, Va, which became for six
days the seat of the Confederate gov
eminent. Then, April 8, came news of
the surrender Of Lee. Every one else
realized that the end had come, but
Davis would not admit it. A day or so
before the surrender his hostess at
DanVille asked him, "Mr. Davis would
Lees surrender end the ware" He re-
out TO the Mississippi River" Green's
boro, N. c., was the next retreat of the
Confederate government. There Davis
met Gen. Johnston and Gen. Bdaure-
gard. The President surveyed the
gathering with 4 calm. unhurried eye,
and seemed unmoved by the strange
ness of his situation. He began with
some remarks having no relation to the
critical moment. He still seemed to see
himself as the head OF a powerful gov
eminent. backed by immense resources.
perfectly secure. impressed by time. At
last he looked at Gen. Johnston and
said: our late disasters have been ter
TiDle, but do not think We should re-
gard them as fatal. think We can
whip the enemy yet, II our people turn
out. Whatever can be done must
be done at once. We have not a day to
lose Johnston said nothing, and finally
the PRESIDENT said. We should like to
hear your views, Gen. Johnston The
general spoke quickly, intensely, as if he
were in anger: My views are, sir, that
our people are tired of the war. feel
themselves whipped. and will not fight.
We cannot place another large
army in the field. My men are
daily deserving in large numbers.
Since Lees defeat they regard the war
at an end. I shall expect to re-
tain no man beyond the by-road or cow
path that leads to his house. We
may perhaps obtain terms that we
ought to accept During this speech
Mr. Davis sat with his eyes fixed upon
scrap Of paper on the table before
him, which he was folding and refold-
ing with careful abstraction. even after
Johnston had ceased. He suddenly
looked at Beauregard, What do Won
say, Gen. Beauregard?" His voice WAS
low and measured. Beauregard replied
Il concur in all Gen. Johnston has
said" On April 16 Davis and his
dwindlng cabinet continued their
flight southwark, with q stop at Char
lotte, where In his last speech as Presi-
dent he said, II cannot feel like a
beaten man" Through South Carolina
into Georgia the hopeless retreat went
Near Irwinsville. Ga, he Joined Mrs
Davis and their children, and they