The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-06-26
HENRY WINTER DAVIS.

GUS Affection the names ana lives anu meW.
ory Of their illustrious men. The intelligence,
the patriotism, the noble traits. the national
character OF people are embodied, chrys-
taIlized in the character Of its representative
citizens: these become indexes TO the history
of the past the guides and teachers of the
generations to come The aggregate o'
American virtue and patriotism is concreted
in our WASHINGTON and our LINCOLN; for
the whole people there is no higher stand
ard Of worth than the idealizatitns. made
enduring for us, in the Father and Saviour OF
their country. The Republic will not be
safe when it ceases to love aud study its
heroes.
Before us is eulogy upon great Amerl-
can friend of Freedom, and the Union and
his Country and Eternal Right; man whom
the lovers Of liberty should delight to honor;
whose noble deeds should be remembered,
and his eloquent words our inspired teacher
both moulding American action and ideas,
and incting all our people to answering
devotion, to Truth and Justice. II is the
IL.
Maryland, on the Life and Character Of
HENRY WINTER DAVIS. Mr.. DAVIS was
peculiarly gifted man, a citizen of a slave
State, but hating slavery with all the intens-
Young, before he had half accomplished his
life, living long enough 10 see Maryland
emaneipated, and his country disenthralled.
There was no bnncombe. no sham in the
Abolitonism Of Mr.. DAVIS. The son of
STAKEHOLDER, his inherited property in slaves,
he suffered poverty and worked at the sheer
est drudgery, subsisung on pittance, and
toiiing like slave to educate himself, rather
than sell human being, or derive one cent
from the bondman's unreauitted toll. He
was life long abolinonist, and was able
always to give reason for the faith that was
in him. lmpetuous at times, mayhap over
much to consumate his purpose it was the
result Of earnest convictions, and therefore
easily to be forgiven him. Among the great
men friends Of Liberty and nconditional
Union, that the late strife made prominent,
II
tinsuished place for his wondrous eloquenee,
and surprising genius.
We would like to follow Mr.. CREswELL in
his eloquent narration OF the marked events
in the life of Mr. DAVIS. We cannot do this.
and content ourse!f with two extracts from
his estimate of the character of the dead
statesman;
..He was not a great captain, nor q mighty
ruler; he was only one uf the people, bat,
nevertheless. a hero. Born nnder the flag of
a nation which claimed for its cardinal prin-
ciple of government, that all men are created
| free, yet held in ai,ject slavery four millions
of human beings; which erected altars to
the living God. yet denied TO creatures.
| formed in the image Of God. aud charged
| with the custody OF immortal souls the com
| mon rights of humanity he declared ha, the
hateful Inconsistency should ceut TO dehle
the prayers Of Christians and Ystultity the
| advocates Of freedom No dreamer WAS he.
| no me.e theorist, bu, q worker, and strong
one, who did we'll the work committed 10
him. He entered upon his sef-lmposed task
when surrounded by slaves and slave owners.
! lie stood face to face with the iniqniious
superstition. and to their teeth dehed us
worshipers. To make proselyses he had TO
conquer preludices correct traditions, elevate
duty above interest. and induce men who had
been the propagandists of slavery to become
its desroyers Think you his work was
easy? Count the long years OF his unequal
strife gather from the winds, which scattered
them, the curses Of his foes; suffer under all
| the annoyances and insults which malice and
falsehcod can invent, and you will then
understand how much Of heart and hope. Of
courage and self relying zeal. were required
to make him what he WAS, and 10 qualify him
to do what he did. And what did he ? when
the rough hand Of war had stripped off the
pretexts which enveloped The rebellion. end
it became evident that slavery had struck at
the life of the Republic. uninindiul of conse
quences to himself, he, among the first,
arraigned the real traitor and demanded the
penal,y OF death. The denunciatons that
| felfVpon him like cloud wrapped him in a
mar&e OF honor, and more truthfully than
the great Roman orator he could have ex-
claimed, Ego hoe amino sessperJmi ut
inridiam rirtude partam, gloridm non inrid-
inn putarem.
'.He lived to hear the salvos that announc.
ed. after more than two centuries of bondage.
the redemption Of his native State. lie
lived to vote for that grand act of enfran-
chisement that wiped from the escutcheon OF
to know that the Constitution Of the United
States no longer recognized and protected
property in man. He lived TO witness the
triumph of his couptry in desperate struggle
with treason, and to behold all it's enemies,
either wanderers, like Cain, over the earth
or suppliants for mercy at her feet. He lived
to catch the FIRST glimpse of the coming glor,
OF that new era OF progress that matchless
valor had won through the blood and carnage
of thousand battle fields. Ii lived through
oil the storm of war. to see. at last, Americs
rejnvenated, rescued from the grasp Of des-
potism. and rise victorious. with her garment.
purified and her brow radiant with the unsu
lied light of liberty. He lived te greet she
return of meek eyed peace, and then ge tly
laid his head upon her bosom. and breathet
out there his noble spirit"
PERIls OF SLEEPING CAR A correspon
dent thus describes the tribulaiions Of a,
elderly lady in u sleeping car:
She occupied a berth just opposite to mine
and her ludicrous attempts to turn in
turned out to be very amusing. She 6rs
undertook 10 get IN head foremost, but ATE
deal of turning. backed out. saying sh,
didn't see how on arth folks could ever ge
used to sleeping on them ere shelves" He
next attempt was feet foremost, but with n,
better result. After several unsuccessful
attempts she finally succeeded in attaining
horizontal position, declaring she s.woul,
rather sit up all night than 90 through viii
another such sweat" In the morning n lad
asked her il she bad rested well. s.Rested.
said she. with heavy sigh, ~ never pasee,
auch night in all my born days, and In
|nigh pom eighty years old ! never close.
my eyes all night long. and had to hold o,