The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-05-18
From the MoSle Iri6une.1
Warren R. Davis.

Poor Warren Ransom Davis! His
VAS an untoward fate, for there never
Lre;,thei kinder, brayer, or gentlcr
spirit. lie possessed variety Of talents,
; the exercise OF any one of which, night
have led him to eninence; for he was u
scholar, a statesman, n lawyer, humo-
rist, and poet. In point of humor, he
4s stood alone in Congress, and it was to
Z him that Crockett was indebted for many
OF those quaint sayings, and stirring
descriptions, which are to be foand in the
life of that cxccntric character-iu fact
the ii ife OF Col. Crockett" which has
recently re-appeared in our book stores,
and with illustrations was written for the
Colonel by Davis, when they were. both
pnembers of Congress, and waring against
"the GoHeremeut," as Crockett used to call
General jackson. Nor was Davis in
significant as apoet. The song addressed
to Senator Johnson's wife of Louisiana"
in imitation of "Roy's Wife of Alldavalla," :"
was written by Davis, but we fancy that
his stracing the ''Inca's blood" to "Johnson's
wife," was a poeticsl license, at least so
Colonel VIM. r. King once told US.
1t was Davis who settled the question
as to Jefferson being the author of the
famous Kentucky Resolutions. Before the
inv estigation of Davis, certain politicians
cians-who may be called the carriers of
patriotism just as the old negro Abraham
was the sense carrier of Micanopy-af.
fectcd to be quite shocked and offended,
that their opn Jefferson had ever COM
posed such tissue of treason. What |!
accuse the immortal Jefferson of such
mortal nonsense-and for who? Kentucky
corn crackers, and peddlers of pigs and
poultryl They were indignant. They
were as much outraged and inhamed, as
little Ransy Sniffle was when lie saw Bill
Stallings "put on" Mss Durham, who
was the wife of his friend Bob, as described
in the Georgia Scenes. They couldn't
stand it any more than could Ransy. who
was for administering" the Durham physic"
to cure Bills rudeness But jesting apart
Davis soon produced "the documents" and
the Richmond Enquirer then edited by
the elder Richie, acknowledg that Thomas
Jefferson was their author, and therefore
the author of the doctrine of notification
Davis was no less celebrated as a wit
than as a humorist, and those persons
who were present of Preston's, on the
occasion of his giving a dinner to Ben
jamin Watkins Leigh, Of Virginia, must
yet remember the Spartan brevity with
which he cut short ono of Preston's
most eloquent discourses touching the
sublime and beautiful in speaking."-
"Apropose," said Davis, interrupting Pres
ton, "what you say reminds me Of the
reply made by an old woman to travel
er, who asked her the price of ferriage
and how high the tide was, when she was
to'd'ng stream. up said the old
woman-but our readers must excuse
our repeating her reply-which con-
vulsed Leigh with laughter to such de-
gree that he fell from his chair.
Alas, poor Davis! He once amused
the members of Congress by comparing
the tariff system 10 Robinson Crusoe
and his goat SKINS" and, on another oc
casion, being indignant at the idea which
was suggested of placing the army and
navy at the disposal of General Jackson
he said thatif the old gentleman must be
amused, let us vote him "te-to-tum.'
The remark was told to Jackson, and made
him so extremely angry, that he swore
"By the Eternal! / will make a testo
tum Of Ms id traitorous head,"