The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1861-07-13
JEFFERSON DAVIS.

despicable person, which have not vet been
made known to the American public at large.
| and which seem to me 10 be worth commit
nicating to the world through the uewsna.
per press They are interesting and in
strucuve. especially at the present time. as
Illustrating and demonstrating his charac-
ter and, consequently, to some extent. the
characters OF those who, well knowing him.
selected him as the Nena Sahib of the S,ntb.s
ern Sepoy mutiny.
1t has been repeatedly announced that
Jefferson Davis viii command the Southern,
Sepoys in person, in the campaipn now
| commencing. l hope he will lead Ibe wav
on their first battle field, for mean 10 ba
there myself. But 1 very much doubt
| whether Mr.. Davis has the COURAGE 10 ex.
pose himself to the peculiar risks-not of
limHediate death. butsof eapture--yhieh he
would incur in that position. Some of aeus,
boys" are bound TO "have his carca9se.
dtiVe, If it costs thousand of their lives.
By the way. if Jefferson Davis should
lead the Secession army in person, it is to be
hoped that his memory-or courage--won't
fail him, as it did at the battle of Buena
Vista, when he omitted TO give the third
and most essential command to throw b;s
regiment into solid square 'By the RIGHT
and left Of flank bataions to the coIoT--
march J. The consequence of this hiatus
vate deDtendas was that his regiment was
lett spread In the form of V, to receive
the charge of 1000 Mexican cavalry, com.
ing down on them in full career. on The
slopes of Buena Vista. The survivors of
that regiment know that nothing saved them
from snnihilation, but then long practiced.
deadly craftsmanship with rifles.
| Perhaps it was we'll for Jefferson Davis
that Zachary Taylor was his father. law,
! though unwillingly 60. A sterner and more
Brutus-like commander might have ordered
a court martial on the spot, that would
have condemned him to have been shot for
cowardice or moral incompeteney.
/ In my opinion, Jefferson Davis should
have been court martialed for his disgrace
full misconduct in that battle, as soon as il
was decided. Perhaps be would have been,
but for his peculiar relations to Zachary
Taylor, whose daughter lie had married by
stealth, in opposition to the expressed
wishes and positive commands of her father.
General (then Colonel) Taylor said TO his
daughter: S'If you marry Lieut.. Davis, l
will never see your face again, dead or
alive" The infatuated girl nevertheless
eloped with Davis, who had taken advan-
tage of the patronage of his commanding
officer, and violated the laws of hospitality
by secretly gaining the affections of his
daughter. In such adherence did Zach
airy Taylor hold Davis, that he kept his
word with frmDess that may be deemed
| piuless cruelty. When, in the course of
time, his disobedient daughter lay on her
death bed, she sent TO him penitent mes
sage, entreating him TO visit her that she
might die in peace, with her fathers bless
ing, or his forgiveness. The stern reply Of
the memorable old man was &" / warned
you that if ever you married that man. !
would never see you again, living or dead.
and never will" And SO the unfortu-
nate lady died, unblest and unforgiven by
him.
When Davis came under the immediate
command of his father-in-la in the Next
can war, Gen. Taylor refused TO recognize
Linn in any way, except officially, as in Civ
ing orders, and in other matters of purely
military form and duty.
There was a two fold obstacle to Taylor's
performance of his duty in the Buena Vista
matter. Davis was his son-in- law, and was
at the same time known to be the object of
his hatred and adherence. He could not
well have escaped suspicion of bad motives
or personal feeling, in either view.
A friend TO whom l read the foregoing a
short time since, gave me the following
sketch of Davis's relations to an old Mis-
. sissippian, renowned for desperate and
: reckless courage:
Alexander NJ Chung often proved him.
self, on the battle field and on the dueling
, ground, man of dauntless and unsurpassed
/ valor, showing an absolute contempt for
death on every occasion that presented. He
killed many men with his own hand, and
E finally shot himself in the head.
! happened to be in constant communica-
, ton with Col A. r. McClung, OF Missis-
> sippi, in 1949 and 1850, and had almost
E daily conversation with him in relation to
| prominent Mississippians. AS a matter Of
e course, jeff. Davis was frequently named
: and for him Mr.. Chung entertained tie
: most supreme contempt. He said that jeff
was not a man of true courage-that be
q wished to be regarded as duelist, but Il
g giving challenge would always cast about
f for a non combatant, and would exercise
prudence enough to creep out of accepting
b one from an antagonist over whom ne had
e not great advantage. M'CluDg SAID OF
70 one occasion:
81 am very sorry I ever fought duel
1t is not a pleasant business; and yet
:. would ike to hght one more WIN one man
j. and that man is Jefferson Davis, because
d think the United States will be better with
d out him. He will not fight me ne Is too
i great a coward In fact, he Is not no"
: never was, and never will be. brave man
it in the true sense of the word. lie is dan
e gerous and willy politician, loaded dow
Y with vanity and self conceit, wishing onl!
S for his own aggrandizement. and he care
:. not at what expense. or how many desolat
households. He thinks of himself, AM
Ie hi mseIf only; and 1 should not be SUI
d prised to find him, one of these days, tax
e ing such step il public as will place b
= neck in a halter, for he is bad man and
It scoundrel-and have frequently denoun .,
y ed him as such before the people OF A,ssis
s sippi, and the dirty poltroon and arsiuf,f
It lain never had the courage to res~7s IT..
e These conversations occurred on ooart
5 the ship B. Gardner, on our passage iron
b New York to Valparaiso. Mr.. M'CiunG
s was on his way to Bolivia, as Charge d'Af
: faires from the United States.-Dr. Dim
stead.
I ~ Efrs