The Shasta courier., 1866-02-24
COURIER.
Henry Winter Davis.

The boldest and most brilliant politician,
LAWYER orator, statesman, of Maryland died
on Saturday at Baltimore, very suddenly, of
pneumonia. 1t is long since any man Of his
State filled SO large place in the public eye
as Henry Winter Davis. His distinction,
however, is due to himself rather than to his
career. He held no high office, entered
Congress only ten years ago, was twice re-
elected, defeated for denomination, and
was 4S years old at his death. At the bar
he was distinguished longer than in politics.
His intellect was admirably suited to his
profession-keen, inventive, salient, and with
that power of continuous thought which is
essential to every man that has to do with
affairs of the forum or of the street. Above
all, he had courage; courage to think and
courage to speak. He had convictions, and
was bold in pursuing them to their conse-
quences. His fidelity to ideas was one of
his most admirable traits, and when it came
to be applied in politics and to make itself
known on the floor of Congress, his pnfinch-
ing integrity often assumes the appearance
of audacity. Such a man could not fail to
make his mark and to command respect
Accordingly, when he spoke, the House,
which listens to few, listened to him. By ma
ture self reliant, he seldom permitted the
opinions of others, even of his friends, to in.
fuence his own resolutions hence he grew to
be thought as a politician self willed, and,
by those who made expediency their cardi
nal doctrine, to be denounced as impractical
ble Little cared he In 1859 he avowed
his entire independence of pro.Savery
despotlsm by voting for Mr.. Pennington,
the Republican candidate for Speaker. The
act drew down on him a storm of reproach
and abuse. The Legislature OF his own State
passed a resolution that he had misrepresent-
ed Maryland and forfeited the confidence of
her people In speech made in Committee
of the Whole in the House Immediately after,
be told the messenger of the Maryland Leg.
islature to take their message back to their
masters, the people, would he reply In a
still higher key, he declared that he should re-
joce if his duty to his country could always
be made to square with the interests of his
immediate constituents, but there might be
occasions when it would be necessary to con-
slider the welfare of the nation, and disregard
the wishes of those who elected him.
Naturally, a man who talked in that strain
found enemies to misrepresent and assail
him at home. Nor was he one to court popu.
larity by the common arts of the politician.
Like Burke, he had no arts but manly arts.
When it was doubtful whether his renomina.
ton could be secured, he told delegation
of friends who waited on him that if the
people in his district wanted him as repre-.
sentative, he was willing to serve them in
his own way if they did not want him,
thew ight choose somebody who would serve
them in their way. When his State stood
ready to plunge into Secession. he resisted
that madness with his utmost zeal and ability
lie was not merely true to the Union, he was
true to Freedom. Representing a Slave
State and a Border State, he was, neverthe-
less. conspicuous in Congress for his uncom-
promising Radicalism, his early advocacy of
arming the negroes, and of every measure
that looked to the establishment Of perma-
nently Free Union. His great speech at
Chicago last Summer-we believe his last
speech was for Negro Suffrage. His
Southern birth and education, his political
hopes, which were always high, and his pro
tached, weighed as nothing against his faith
manity, of Freedom, and of Equal Rights. -
This is not an hour when the country can
afford to lose him.
He was born in 1917 at Annapolis. Mary
land, graduated at Hampton Sidney College.
was preu lawyer ana wing, entered
Congress in 1885, was reelected, was chosen
again to the AAAVlllth. Congress, 1868 to
1865, and served during those years as Chair
man of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
He was as aristocratic in his feelings and
tastes as he was democratic by conviction
and IN public life; of elegant person, with
refined face and intellectual head, of wide
and generous culture, ready, swift, and
.ol
in debate and in opposition. and OF the most
winning and graceful personal characters
tics.-N. Y. Tribune.