142. CXLII.
TRIUMPHAL PROGRESS OF J. DAVIS FROM
FORTRESS MONROE TO RICHMOND.
The “Spottswood,” Richmond, Va., }
May 13, 1867.
[1]
In castin a retrospective glance backerd over the pathway uv
the past, I kin see many mistakes wich I hev made. I hevn't
alluz made the most uv opportoonities — I hev doubted when
doubtin wuz a crime, and I hev stood shivrin on the brink and
feared to launch away, when on the tother side uv the Jordan
wuz pelf and profit. Our foresite isn't alluz ez good ez our
hind-site. The great error uv my life wuz not plungin headlong
into the war ez a Confedrit Major-General, distinguishin
myself for crooelty to Fedral prizners, and bein, at the close
uv the fratrisidle struggle, reseeved and embraced ez a long-lost
brother by the Northern people (lettin em kill fattid calves
for me), and uv coorse bein the objeck uv sympathy ez a
martyr by the Southern people. In this sitooashen a man
brings to his support the two extremes. He fetches together
Horris Greely from the one side, and General Boregard from
the t'other — they embrace, and standin onto both their sholders,
he hez wat may be called a soft thing uv it.
I wuz led into these train uv reflections by the experience I
hev hed with our sainted cheef, Jefferson Davis. I wuz sent
hither by the President to see that everythin wuz done for the
comfort uv the illustrious man that cood be done, on the occasion
uv his contemplatid trip to Richmond. Partikelerly I wuz
charged to see that everything calkelatid to jar onto his sensitive
feelins be removed — everythin wich cood wound his
sense uv hearin, seein, or smellin.
The grate man had consentid to go. He hed bin, he felt,
illegally deprived uv liberty — unconstooshnelly in fact — and
ef he shood consult his own feelins he wood remane; but to
forgive wuz divine. Viewin these perceedins in the lite uv an
apology, he wood go.
The day hed arrived. The steamer wuz at the Fortress
carefully prepared to receive its illustrious burden. It hed
been thoroughly cleaned and fumigated, the cabins hed bin
nooly furnisht, and speshel alterashens made for the President
and party. Ther wuz Yoonited States officers aboard; but out
of respeck for the feelins uv their illustrious “prizner,” ez he
is technically called, they kept theirselves out uv his site, that
their uniforms might not awaken onpleasant refleckshens. So
perfeck wuz the arrangements, that the railin uv the boat,
originelly bloo, wuz kivered with gray cloth, and the eagle
figger-head uv the craft wuz sawed off. This wuz sejested by
a eminent Conservative uv Noo York, who hez a large Southern
trade wich he didn't prejoodis by his course doorin the
war. The ladies' cabin wuz originelly assigned to the party;
but a female passenger hed no more regard for the comfort uv
the marter than to die on the passage, and they were deprived
uv it. The conservative merchant insisted that the corpse be
chucked overboard; but Mr. Davis, with a magnanimity characteristic
uv him, refoozed. “No,” sed he, “let her rest there.
I kin endoor the inconvenience, severe ez it is. It is but one
more attempt to break my sperit.”
All the way up the most techin deference wuz shown him.
At every landin the people assembled to greet him, wich he
acknowledged with a condesenshen I never saw before. He
conversed but little on the passage. Ez the boat wuz passin
pints made historicle by the events uv the great struggle, his
eye wood brighten, ef they wuz sich pints ez a Confedrit cood
take pride in, and dim with teers ef they wuz pints at wich
ther had bin reverses.
The most considrit preparashens hed bin made for his resepshen.
Ther wuz no irons onto him: the only guards in site
wuz them wich wuz detailed to keep the crowd from annoyin
him, and a carriage wuz in readiness, into wich we wuz driven
off at a dignified pace to that resort uv the aristocracy uv
Virginny — the Spottswood. Here, more considerashen wuz
shown. Mr. Davis bein averse to walkin up stairs, a suit uv
rooms hed bin prepared for him on the fust floor, and the
presence uv the officer in charge, bein obnoxshus, he wuz
assigned by the Ex-President a room at the further end uv the
corridor. His nerves bein sensitive, heavy mattin wuz laid
down in all the halls, and the servants uv the house wuz
directed to wear list slippers, and to walk on their tiptoes.
I wuz invited to his room, and wuz favored with a few
minutes' conversashen with the first of Amerikens. Glancin
out uv the winder, his fine, soft, gray eyes restid on the roof
uv Libby. “Lies! lies!” sed he, angrily.
“Wat speshel lies hev yoo reference to?” askt I.
“Them wich wuz publisht in the scurrillous reports uv the
Committees uv a unconstooshnel Congris regardin the treatment
uv prizners in Libby. They asserted that the officers died
becoz they hed but ten feet by two for sleepin, washin, cookin,
and eatin. They hed that space, and wat more wuz necessary?
Why give 'em room to cook when they hedn't anythin to cook?
Wherefore room to eat ef they hedn't anythin to eat? No, its
false. It wuzn't the crowdin that perdoost the mortality.”
Only wunst wuz his buzzum wrung, and that the Government
cood not prevent. He wuz a standin at the winder, gazin
out upon Richmond, his mind revertin to the time when it wuz
the Capital uv his Confedracy, when a procession passed with
moosic, and flags, and banners. With a shreek uv anguish he
buried his head in the curtains, and wept aloud. It wuz ez I
feared. Filin slowly by wuz a percession uv niggers. “Merciful
Heaven!” sed he, “hez it come to this?” and he wuz
reserved and deprest all day.
The next day the President wuz taken to the Court. Ez he
entered the room, and glanced proudly over the awjence, it
wood hev bin very difficult to hev decided whether he wuz a
goin to try the Court or the Court him. But repressin hisself
he took his seat. Tetchin solissitood wuz displayed in the
Court Room for his comfort. A crack in the winder-casin let
in a draft uv cold air; he shuddered, and a shudder run thro
the entire assemblage. The shudder uv the Conservative
merchant uv Noo York wuz trooly artistic. Cotton wuz called
for, when the Conservative merchant's wife tore off one uv her
buzzums and stufft the apertoor. Wuz ther ever more tetchin
sacrifis? The President wept ez he beheld it. On assertanin
the temperatoor wich best sootid his system, a thermometer
wuz brot, and the room wuz kept at that precise degree.
There wuz sum triflin legal formalities, and the President's
counsel made a motion that he be admitted to bail. There
wuz a stir in the Court. “Make it a million!” sed one, “so
that the craven North shel see how we kin take keer uv them
we love!” But Judge Underwood fixed it at $100,000, and,
brisk ez bees, a Noo York Dimocrat, several Richmond Dimocrats,
and Horris Greely, stept forrerd and signed it.
Never shel I forgit the shout that assendid ez Horris wuz a
signin his name.
“Three cheers for Jeff'son Greely and Horris Davis — one
and inseprable, now and forever!” shoutid one enthoosiastic
Confedrit.
“Immortality is yoors!” sed another. “Jeff'son Davis is
the big dog uv the age, and yoo, my deer sir, are now the tin
kittle tied to his tale! Wat joy! When posterity speeks uv
Him, they'll speek uv Yoo!”
I coodent restrane myself no more. Bustin into teers, I fell
onto Greeley's buzzum, and we embraced. Ez he hedn't his
specticles on, he sposed it wuz Davis hisself, and he bustid into
teers also, and there wuz wun uv the most strikin tabloos ever
exhibited. I got away afore he diskivered his mistake.
Here wuz the endin uv our troubles — the consummashen
uv our hopes. Davis wuz free! The pent-up emoshens uv the
people found vent. Ez he stept into the street the people
crowded to the carriage, and rent the air with cheers. We
reached the hotel, and after embracin his wife, a season of
religious exercises wuz held. The clergyman who hed excloosive
charge of Davis's piety doorin the war offered prayer. He
prayed fervently that the Lord wood forgive the people of the
North for the wrong they hed done our sainted head; that he
wood forgiv, ef possible, the late head uv the Fedral Government
who hed opposed him and the glorious coz; and ef
Divine mercy cood stretch so far, that he wood forgive the
Colonel uv Michigan cavalry which hed hunted down the Saint
who wuz now in our midst. He prayed for forgiveness for the
reckless men of the North who invaded Virginny; for the
noosepapers wich hed aboozed him who is now with us, and
[ILLUSTRATION]
THREE CHEERS FOR JEFFERSON GREELEY. Page 438.
[Description: 635EAF. Illustration page. Illustration of a man sitting at a
desk, writing on a large piece of paper. Many men are behind him,
cheering and throwing their hats in the air.]
particklerly Horris Greely, who hed in some measure atoned
for his previous wickidness. He prayed that blessins might
rest, first, upon the city uv Richmond, then upon the balance
uv Virginny, and afterward upon the other Southern States;
and he wound up with a fervent appeal that the Ethiopians,
wich coodent change their skins, might see the error of their
ways, and return to their normal condishen.
I am not permitted to give more uv the President's plans
than this: He will remain in secloosion, and will take no part
watever in politics until after his final acquittal in November.
He don't feel at liberty to take hold uv the Government, so
long ez ther is even a technikle charge agin him. Our friends
in the Northern States, who expected him to take the stump in
their behalf this fall, will be disappintid.
Petroleum V. Nasby, P. M.
(wich is Postmaster), and Professor.
