Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-01-19
Henry Winter Davis.

a1eUTV w lAllSI DdVlS.
OF no public or political gentleman of
the present prolific age have we been so
mich Interested in as in this gentleman
Il was oar good fortune tlrriag the exciting
debate in Congressin 1861 ON tile expulsion
o. Il. G.. Harris of Maryland, and Mex
ander IL. Long of Ohio, to listen to all the
speeches made on that celebrated occasion.
and their name was legion. and Of all
those uttered. we then ware most foreibly
impressed with that of Mr.. Davis. Ii was
in the evening of April 1lth. and the hall
and galleries were crowded to siUilication.
His speech was an hour in length, and it
was the most chaste, compact, aud logical
speech that we ever listened to anywhere
members OF both houses, and their con-
~ratulations wef'c warm and earnest. We
recollect that Senator Harris of New York
was particularly interested in manifesting
his approval. We could not refrain from
saying to Il friend at our elbow at the
time. that we did not suppose it possible
that the human mind was capable of such
an effort. But we took our pen only TO
introduce She following notice from the
pen of Agate the Washington cores
pondent OF the Cincinatti Gazette, of the
accomplished Davis, Who died 50 suddenly
and SO young:
The great characteristics of Mr.. Davis
oratory were its lucidity. its condensed
logic. its elegant cpigramatic style and it,
apparently perfect spontaneity. Every
sentence rang clear. like coin on the eoun-
ter; every proposition was Illuminated till
il shone rs by starlight. 1t is sometimes
given 10 men so to express themselves after
careful reYisionS III the cloSct-it was the
GROWING glory of Mr.. Davis Us Il speaker
that his IDEAS never reached his lips in any
other shape. Many man by placing him
scff on a platform, i'll Il position To salt
himself. with all the accessories to his
liking, and ample time for preparation. can
make a stirring specific Mr.. Davis all
places were alike. You never caught him
unpreparcd. Like Il iiuely-cut diamond,
YOU could not turn him in Il position or
place him in L light i'll which he would not
sparkle.
Yet he was the closest of students. His
private library oyerilowcd his study and
parlors. and filled all the house. Hes.wa>
Ut once fine classical scholar. aud
thoroughly conversant with the whole
range of the best modern literature.
lie has beeu spoken of as unsocial.-
Nothing could be more false. Sensitively
refined, it was natural that he should avoid
many of the eoarscr figures that move
through politics; but in his own house no
man was more genial or more hosptable.
lie never drank wine, yet his guests would
rarely discover it, as he pressed on them
the rarest viu;ages. He never smoked a
cigar, but the most delicately-chosen and
fragrant Havanas were always found upon
his dinner-table after the cloth WAS re-
moved. And brilliant as he was in debate
they never knew the full extent and va-liety
of his resources. who had not listened for
hours TO his fascinating conversation, in
private circles and on miscellaneous top
les.
His book. s'The Wars of Ahriinan and
Ormozd." CHE oriental names for the
divinities of good and evil has been
spoken of since his death rs something he
had sought in his mature Years to conceal.
SOME even called it a suppressed book.
but this is an error. Shortly after its pub
LEGATION in Baltimore in 1854, !; fire broke
out in the printing Office where il was
stored. and most of the edition was destroy
ed. The remaining volumes Mr.. Davis pre-
served to give to his friends. The book,
which is eloqHently written. and if brought
out by 4 noted publisher would have made
what should be the foreign policy of the
United States. There are two typical
nations. he says: the one honestly repre-
senting pure despotism, and tending steadi-
y always in that direction; the other in
the same way representing pure. untrani-
melled liberty. Between these two, he
argues, must ultimately come conflict
likely to absorb at once Europe and Ameri-
"a. The one is Russia-the other the
United States. And on this basis he pro-
ceeds to discuss the later phases OF Euro
pcan politics.
| think it highly probable that after
emancipation in. Russia. and especially
when himself elevated To the responsible
post of chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Relations. H. modified many of
iiis ideas on this subject. | remember one
evening Il year or two ago. late at uight.
The House was in Committee of the Whole,
and Mr., Fernando Wood was making a
speech TO empty benches-in whlt.h. think
ing to revenge himself on Davis for some
recent cutting allusion. he made several
extracts from this book. y few moments
after Mr.. Davis came in from his committee
room. and as he passed. ! mentioned to
him what Wood had been doing. lie seem
I'd troubled for an instant; then said he
fancied Wood could make very little out OF
it. Next day as | was passing his desk he
took out copy of the volume, with some
very kindly phrases on the fy-leai, and
said Il want to give you this; but it must
be on one eonditon-that you never call up
anything ii contains against me.
The newspapers all speak OF Mr.. Davis
As being u graduate of Hantpdcn Sidney
College, in Virginia. He may have pur2u-
cd his preparatory studies there: bat he
graduated. as | have heard him say, al
Kenyon College, Ohio.
MUSTER OUT OF GENERAL OFFICERS.
By order of the War Department recently
issned H.. general officers were mustered
cut of the Volunteer service. Those from
Maine were Major Generals A +, Howe,
Cyrus Hamlin and j. c. Caldwell; Brig.