St. Mary's gazette., 1865-01-26

: DAVIS AND GENERAL
EAsHINGTON. :
pn ich,aoad lDispatek Jan. 12,
n ihe ffarne Of General Washing
tou. ls eoednefDe. the seven years
var ia Esyola.io g be the object Of
espee md yedEeanee to the British
erova y same time to be exposed
. g ". detrse,i0na. and oblo-
qs3 hands u his own couutrymer d.
Few Of as. not familiar witbl the details of
the trying ordeal through which
he passed. can form an ade-
quate idea Of the fiery furnace in
which that grea. soul was tested, and frem
which il came forth. known aud recoeulz-
ed of oil n,eu. as pure gold. There were
many hours Of his history in which it
seemed far more probable thae he would
die the death of felon. and be only re-
membered as the unskillfnl and uusuccess-
full leader Of an insane revolt, than be-
come the admin,ion Of all nations and of all
ages. and be described by the pen of one
of Englaud's most gifted mobiles in words
like these: Surely Washington was the
greatest man that ever lived iu this world
uniuspired BY Divine wisdom and unsus-
tained by supernatural virtue"
IL is difficult to realize that the man Of
whom this is n,w said, e'en 10 England,
Was oucc dist. usted. harassed and perseeu-
ted by his own countrymen. No human
eye penetrated the secret chambers of that
great soul to see the poignant wounds Of
the spirit, aud how it was compelled to
wrestlc with and overcome its private grie.
at :he same moment that it bore the weigh,
o. anation's burthens and marshalled it the
way to victory and independence. The
sorrows of the great have few who appre.
ciate. few who sympathize with them.-
They are supposed to be exalted above the
lot Of common suffering; they are toe
proud to reveal the vultures that are tag.
giug away at their heartstrings and ask
the compassion and support of the world
Aud yet the forti,ude and virtue of man
in high position, struggling with adversi.
,y. and, what is more painful to bear,
misunderstanding and obloquy, when be
reason to expec, confidence and regard. hes
a spectacle which appeals more to the ad.
n,iration Of good and heroic minds than
those sorrows which lie upon the surface,
and which attract at once the sympa thy
aud consultations of the world.
We have never been of those who at
tempted, 10 make d demi-god or Wash
ing ton Of the Prcsid, n, of the Confederate
States. We know that like other men he
is fallible; that be can err-has
erred. But We will not, in this dark hour
Of national distress. felt by him as keerly
We doubt not, as BY the most sensitive Of
his countrymen. help to add to his afiic-
tions by the voice of reproach aud denun-
citation. We will not make him the scape-
goat of the nations nlisfortnncs. We
must hare the evidence all before us tha,
he ordered this and that unfortunate move
nent before we bring in verdict of guilty
against jefferson Davis. They say" is a
notorious liar, and the "reliable gentle
man. is generally an ass or kuave. But
supposing the President not to be the man
for the times. Who put him where he is
Who made him President by acclamation !
Who fabricated this idol 2 The very peo-
pie who are nov called upon tochcp it into
firewood. How do We know that any
other idol which the same hands construct
will be any more Of a god !? % s,,-,s
Jefferson Davis is the creation, not the
creator Of the revol ution, aud if the revo.
luton fails II is as fair to attribute it to its
own inhsren. weakness as the inconp Pc
tency Of its chief agent. neither of which
=. 81 sf'rs+z .l. ~
would be true. 1t viii be time enough to
discuss the cause when the effect lis pro-
duced, and if We are faithful, united and
determined, that We can never be. In
any event this dark hour is the last in
which We will saddle the President with
the responsibility OF all our misfortuues.
- 3 r. -
In the 6rst place We do not believe he is
responsible; in the. next. whilst Abraham
lincoln fancies he has his clutches upon
bis throat. We will not say-we cannot say
with truth-"Yes. Father Abraham, shat
b the chief sinner accept him as victim,
and restore Us to thy favor" On the
contrary. We can tell the President of the
United States that we are all as grea. Of
tenders as the President Of the Cenfed era
cy. who is but our servant and our agent;
aud that If this va Of defence has been
t%~ So. s@s1 As. sss.Hx = 50