The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-05-15
RccOIIectiOns Of Jeff. Davis.

Inc reporter of the PhEadeipnia Erentng
Bulletin, has had some personal experience
of The cx- Hon. jeff Davis, new President Of
the Southern Confederscy, and lie has very
visfdAnd>distinct recollection Of that 'distn-
. gui-hnd traitor He says, I'VE have trav.
ellcd with jeff Davis, and we have ridden in
the same process ions with Davis, and taken
part in th, same demonstrations. 1t came
about in this wise. that so unimportant a
/ parsonage MS newspaper reporter shouldbr
coupled with so illuStrious a character as
the President Of traitorous confederation.
In the Summernf 1853 the New York Crys-
tai Palace was to be opened, and to give ectat
to tn. opening, Mr.. Franklin Pierce, then
President of the United States, was invited
to peri rm the Inauguration cercmcnies.-
Mr.. Pierce wss then in the very tip top
height Of his short lived popularity. and he
was accompanied IN his cxprd d teu TO New
Y,lk by several members e his Cabinet
and by some members of Congress end other
notales. and. among thc rest was JEFF, Davis,
then Secretary OF War.
1t fell TO our ropo,toiial lot TO proceed to
Wilmington, to meet the Distinguished party.
and to accompany them on their special
trains, Steamboats,, &C.. TO New York. where
we were muca will, them, and where we
had abundant opportunities Of forming an
opinion Of the various off :ials in the Presi-
dental suit. We rccollcct Colonel Thomas
3. Fl,rence, fsr his good.na ured amiahility,
which was worthy or Ppm" Florence,
| (Which is hi n praSe.) We well remember
the aiflbilisy Of Mr. Pierce, who was very
| Ike Mr.. Florence, only more so. Then there
was Mr.. Guthrie, Secretary Of the Treasury,
who talked intense free trade, and Mr.. Caleb
Gushing. who was Attorney General. ard
whose bland manners and mid dignity, made
persons look over a certain iolowness which
would occasionally force itself upon those
who closely scanned the man.
| But Mr. jeff Davis stands ont with ster.
eoscopic relief worthy of o1c Of M,Anist,r's
vest pictures, in our recollection Of the illus
| trtOl> group. w z ntNPT cDUl invest piif-
selves. in thinking of Jefferson, of the idea
of gentleman VIII, hal swallowed about
three feet Of lightning rod. and who had
never been able to digest it. He was stun
maglv erect, AMI his manner had scorn
enough init TO set mp regiment Of first class
snobs He had pecu'i,r man1er Of toss
iny his imp,rious nosa, and there was con-
slant indication Of his olf,ctories having en-
countercd something that wns particularly
inodorous: Jefferson was not sociable and
ciattv ari accessible to all. "a Mr.. Pierce
was but on: he contrary, he was so i'm.
menSely disnified and reserve that he made
everybody who had uncomfortable inter-
course with him feel as though they had met
with a man who placed quite as high an es-
timat, upon himself as anybody else did
upon him The fart is. Mr. jefferson D,vis
did not impress us favorably ; AMI if, in tn,
course of human events AMI the fortunes of
war, it should come to pass that the naughty
traitor should fall into the hands Of the sold
ierS fthe Union. and that he shouli get the
hempen cravat which his treason deserves,
our recoectons Of our experience Of him
eight years aro will not greatly aygrivate
our Grief nor viii i. induce Us TO wear mourn
inr for him. =.