Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-12-17

Gifted with cultivated mind, a fervid style o
speaking, an earnest lsve for the Constitutieni II
the spirit in which it was adopted he was en-
gagged to the last in urging arguments and uslni
his influence against what he considered the en-
icroachments which the North had, from time :,
time, made upon its provisions. His last speech
in the senate was delivered five or six weeks be
fore his death. A mortal illness wks then upor
him; and fearing that he wepid be unequal Z
the task Of speaking for any length of time, be
| sought the indulgence of the house, and request
ed his friend Mr.. Mason 10 read his address
The subie It under discussion related to the eele-
brated Compromise measure OF 1850
A bill for the organization of the territories oi
New Mckee sud Utah, bill to amend the law
relating 70 fugitive slaves, bill to establish the
| boundary line of Texas, bill to abolish slavery
in the District Of Colambia-wsFe before the
| senate.
Mr.. Clay proposed to appoint committee OF
thirteen, to which shoald be referred ell bills af-
| fecting the question Of slavery. Subsequently
| Mr. Clay, as chairman of this committee, pre-
/ sented these various bills, with notifications, in
one measure, to the house, hoping thereby to- in
! duce that body to accept it az 8 whole. This
Was called the Omnibus bill. subsequently it
was again divided by the senats into different
bills. A vote was taken on each, and each was
passed independently.
Daring Mr.. Cslhoun's illness, distinguished
senstaT, who possessed his entrs confdence,
one day went to visit him. In speaking of the
above measures Mr. Calhoun said -" / shall
| probably never again be in the senate my day
! is gone by; but if the gentlemen who have
charge Of these questions think that they will be
! able, as loyal mon, to sdjust them by compTo-
misses, fear they are mistaken. The seeds, sir
of dissolution have bee Eown, and must bear
their fruit. The two sections can no longer live
nm lar I I n
see clearly within what time the separation will
take place, and FIX it at twelve yesrs-three pres
idental terms. Ny judgment is clear on that
subject but | an net so clear as to hOls it will
take place; but thiEk that the greatest pIobsbil
| ity is that the government will explode during
presidential election"
Il was never for q moment in doubt upon
whom the mantle Of Mr.. Calhoun should fall.
Senator Davis, opposed by Clay, Webster, and
Cass, denounced the Omnibus bill from the first
as utterly at war with the spirit of the Consttu-
ton, and altogether EubVerSive of the interests
of the South; declaring that he preferred the
total separation of the State he represented to
her acceptance of such makeshift He saw in
it nothing but hollow truce in which the North
would gain the whole advantage. But his argu-
ments were unavsiling, and the different bills
were passed by large majOrities
The vote of Mr.. Davis, and the active part he
er to ihe Union party in the Stale of Mississippi.
The election of governor was to be held in No
vember, 1851. The States Rights party at first
put up the late General Quitman, who retired
from the contest shortly before the election. An
appeal was then made to Senator Davis to resign
his seat in the senate and take the field. He did
so, and was defeated by meagre majority by
Mr. FOOte, his former colleague. But it would
seem indeed, from what took place in the fol-
lowing year, that he would have been elected
governor if he had been earlier in the field, or
that his felloW-citzens soon discovered that they
had made q mistake in not placing him at the
head OF the Executive; for st the presidential
election in 1852 he had SO easy triumph that
his opponents never after recovered their posi-
ten as party in she State. Il was mainly
through his eIeTtiOns that his State cast her vote
for General Pierce by many thousands, securing
an easy victory for democratic and States Rights
principles against the Wing party, represented
by General Scott. A short time before the in
auguration of the new President, Col. Davis
was invited to take charge of the War Depart
ment He accepted the post, and Immediately
rspsired to Washington to assume the duties at
tandant upon it.
The second-lieutenant of 1929 was now the
Secretary Of War of 1858, having been in the
meantime representative and senator in Con-
gress. He brought, therefore, to his Office high
qualifications, both of civil and military char
acter His early education, his experience in
the field, both in subordinate positions and in
command, made him thoroughly acquainted
with sll those matters of detail which affect the
well being of the soldier; while the active pArt
which be had taken, both in the house sfrepre-
ssntstves and in the senate, en- military affairs,
familisrizsd him with the proper requirements
and administration of the War Office. At the
time Of Mr. Davis appointment the department
over which he was called upon to preside re-
quired firm, vigorous, and clear understanding.
Acting, as he invariably did, from honest con-
victions, he may have incurred the anathsmss
Of ths grumblers and drones Of the army, in
whom he endeaTored TO arouse a spirit of AetiYi-
ty and zeal, but no voice was ever heard 10 as.
sail him on the ground Of sslf-interest or OF pTi-
Vste advantage.
The coinmissariste of the department. during
his administration was entirely remodelsd and
steps were taken to supply the smallest posts
with regularity, which were often situated in
isolated spots scattered over this vast continent,
sometimes q thousand miles away from rail
road or nsVigAbls stream. Daring the second
year Of his administration be increased
the regular army by four regiments He
improved the light infantry and rifle
system Of tactics, and favored the man
dfscture Of rifed musketH and pistols and
the western part of the continent for scientific,
military, and railroad purposes. 1t was also by
his advice that commissions were given to Col.
Delsheld, Major Mordecai, and Captain Nc
Clellan, to proceed to the Crimea for the pur-
pose Of reporting upon the operations before
Sebastopol. The determination with which Mr..
Davis carried out his measures may be Judged
Of from the mode in which he dealt with
difficulty" upon an occasion when it was pro-
Al,
tain acts Of government The men who led
what was called this faetious movement were
representatives Of those districts where large
government works were carried on. Mr.. Davis
gave directions that operations should be sus-
pended in these places, thus throwing out Of
employment hundreds of woTkmen, who soon
brought their influence 10 bear upon their repre-
sentatives. The sums were forthwith provided,
to the chagrin of those who were disposed to
withhold them. We cite this incident to show
the strong will which chsFacterises Mr. Davis,
but are far from wishing to justify such mode
of carrying on government. The fact that is
took place is only one more example of the
power to oppTess which democratic institutions
give to ministers.
President Pierce was q wellintentioned patri-
otto man. he possessed many qualities of heart
which endeared him to his subordinates in
Office and if he had one great fault it was that
he hesitated to do right because he feared to do
wrong In this regard Secretary Davis was his
very opposite. For the most part their distin-
gushing characteristics were directly antago-
nistic. Their relations, Notwithstanding, were
always cordial. The Secretary admired the
President for his benevolence of disposition.
The President admired the Secretary for his un-
bending devotion to honest purpose Often did
a touching statement of q mother and daughter
or sister, backed by that of a member of Con
| gress, influence the President TO hasten to the
War Department on behalf of the representations
of these fair applicants, and often did they re-
turn unsuccessful. In cases presented for his
| consideration Secretary Davis never acted with