To A. Dudley Mann
Waterloo 4th Nov 1868
My Dear Friend,
I have the pleasure to relieve the apprehensions expressed in your's
of the 24th Ulto. by announcing that my Counsel informs me that my
presence will not be required before the 5th of March "69; and that some
day /for the trial/ will be named at the Nov. term of the U.S. Dist.
Court for Va. of which I will be duly notified.
The election of yesterday has decided who is to be President for the
next four years. I have little hope of the election of Seymour, and so
far as I am individually concerned have nothing to fear from the
election of Grant; but as in the case of the impeachment of Presdt
Johnson, who has been next to his Secretary of state, I believe, my most
malignant persecutor I have earnestly desired a result which did not
promise to be beneficial to me personally.
I think the election of Grant will be immediately detrimental to the
South, and so I thought of the succession of Wade would be; and
therefore desired the election of Seymour though his timidity would have
prevented him from taking any responsibility in my case; as I wished
for the acquittal of Johnson of whose vindictive hostility and selfish
purpose to have me convicted I had no doubt.
Let us hope that the South will be able to bear four years more of
Radical rule and that a permanent good will be gained through a
temporary evil.
We have not yet been able to go to Leamington but expect soon to do
so, and when I can fix the day for my arrival at Paris you shall be
notified of my coming.
I have recently heard of the return of Mr. Slidell to Paris and
intend to write to him soon. I have not done so before from many
[little?] causes leading to procrastination, but certainly no
disposition to neglect him.
Your Son kindly looked me up, and gave me great pleasure in his full
account of you, and in his cordial consideration of myself and family.
Your letters are always a source of sincere gratification to Mrs
Davis as well as myself. One must feel reverses to know the full value
of true friendship. Mrs. Davis charges me to present to you her kindest
remembrances and I am as ever with highest esteem truly your friend
Jeffn,, Davis
From The Papers of Jefferson Davis, Volume 12, pp 325. Transcribed from Raab Autographs, September 2001.