Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/504

 498 Southern Historical Society Papers.

tain the cause." Ar.d with an expression of sincerity glowing all over his countenance, and with a reverential pathos I can never forget, he said : "And God knows my heart, I ask all, all for the cause ; noth- ing, nothing for myself. " Truer words never fell from nobler lips, nor warmed from the heart of a more devoted patriot. These words express in language the soul, the mind, the purpose, aye, the ambi- tion of Jefferson Davis. It was his misfortune, and the misfortune of the Confederacy, that this was not true of all who were in au- thority. It was his fault, perhaps, that he did not use his authority to deprive such of their power to do evil.

I am speaking in Atlanta, and it is all the more proper, therefore, that I should speak for the first time in public of the removal of Gen- eral Johnston from the command of the army of Tennessee.

I have heard it said that I advised that removal. This is not true. I gave no advice on the subject, because I was not a military man. You have all heard it said that Mr. Davis was moved by personal hostility to General Johnston in making this removal. This is not only not true, but is exceedingly false. I do know much on the subject of this removal. I was the bearer of messages from General John- ston to the President, and was in Richmond, and sometimes present, during the discussions on the subject. I never saw as much agony in Mr. Davis's face as actually distorted it, when the possible necessity for his removal was at first suggested to him. I never heard a eulogy pronounced upon General Johnston by his best friends as a fighter, if he would fight, equal to that which I heard from Mr. Davis during these discussions. I know he consulted with General Lee fully, ear- nestly, and anxiously before this removal. I know that those who pressed the removal, first and most earnestly, in the Cabinet, were those who had been most earnest for General Johnston's original appointment to that command. All these things I do personally know. I was not present when the order for removal was determined upon, but I received it immediately after from a member of the Cabinet, and do not doubt its truth, that Mr. Davis was the very last man who gave his assent to that removal, and he only gave the order when fully satisfied it was necessary to prevent the surrender of Atlanta without a fight.

The full history of the Hampton Roads commission and confer- ence has never been written. I will not give that history now. Much has been said and published on the subject which is not true. I know why each member of that commission, on our part, was se- lected. I received from Mr. Davi.s's own lips a full account of the