The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-06-13

A friend to whom I read the forego-
ing short time since; gave me the fol-
lowing sketch of Davis relations to
an old Mississippian, renowned for des-
perate and reckless courage: Alexan'
der Met Chung often proved himself, on
the battlefield and on the dueling-
ground. a man of dauntless and unsur-
passed valor, showing an absolute con-
tempt for death on every occasion that
presented. He killed many men with
his own hand, and finally shot himself
in the head.
happened to be in constant COM
munication with Col. A. r. McClung
of Mississippi, in ls49 and 1850, and
had almost daily conversation with him
In relation to the prominent Mississippi.
ans. As q matter of course, Jet.
Davis was frequently named, and for
him McClung entertained the most SUI
preme contempt. He said JEFF. was
not q man of true courage-that he
wished to be regarded as a duelist;
but, in giving a challenge, would al
ways cast about for non combatant,
and would exercise enough prudence
to creep out of accepting one from an
antagonist over whom he had not a
great advantage. Mr.. MeClung said
on one occasion:
am very sorry / ever fought
duel. 1t is not pleasant business
and yet / would like to fight one more,
with one man, and that man is Jefer-
son Dauis, because / think the United
States will be better without him. He
viii not fight me, he is too great cow
ard. In fact, he is not now, never was,
and never will be, a brave man, in the
true sense of the word. He is dan
gerous and willy politician, loaded down
with vanity and self-conceit, wishing
only for his own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, and
he cares not at what expense or how
many desolate households. He thinks
Of himself, and himself only, and /
should not be surprised to find him,
one of these days, taking such a step
in the public as will place his neck in
halter; for he is bad man and
scoundrel, and have. frequently de-
nounced him as such before the people
of Mississippi; and the dirty paltroon
and artful villain never had the cour-
age to resent it."
The conversation occurred on board
the ship Levine B. Gardner, master,
on our passage from New York to Val
paraiso. McClung was on his way to
Bolivia, as Charge d. A fiaires from the
United States.
In introducing to the notice of the
Sunday Mercury's renders these facts
in the history of the arbitrator, am
not violating any rules of propriety
which protects the strictly private NOR
al delinquences of public men.
As l said in my article, printed in
the Independent, few months ago,
exposing the systematic thefts of q
Yale College student, committed thirty
three years since: "Had not that lit
tie thief (now Senator in Congress)
reproduced in public life the morality
OF his early private life, the secret of
the sins of his youth" would have
remained hidden in the bosoms of those
who then knew, and now remember
them.
The Tribune, Times, and other pa
pers say that my "little thief" was
Judah p. Benjamin, now Attorney
General of the Southern Confederaoy
Of traitors and pirates. / did not pub
hsh the name Of the person described,
but will promptly furnish it whenever
the right man calls upon me for it.
When Benedict Arnold ia man of
far higher character as to courage,
truth, and honesty than any of his pres
ent feeble hnstators at the South COM
mitted his bold treason, it was consid-
cred justiffable to search through his
whole previous life, to his very child
hood, for evidences of his innate total
deprayity; ). and such incidents consti-
tute an interesting and instructive por-
zion TO the history of our time and
country these characteristics of JEFF
ferson Davis and his coadiutors in trea-
son, theft, and assassination, and pira-
cy." Among them may be specially
mentioned David L. Yulee, ex-senator
from Florida, Of whose early life will
give some similar sketches at my earli-
est leisure and convenience.
1 afix my name to these statements,
not merely on the general principle that
anonymous charges are entitled to no
respect or belief, but because am par
ticularly desirons to furnish my proofs
and authorities to the immediate :" par.
ties in interest" whenever they dare to
apply for them. Of no other person
will take any notice in this connection.
To those whom accuse, / alone am
responsible.
d. francis BACON, M. ID.