The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-08-09

proud and chivalrous people OF tho South. But
| these accomplishments concealed from tho hasty
and superficial view defects of character, which
were most serious, indeed, almost VIII in thcir
| consequences, and which wero rapidly to be de-
Yelop.d in the course of his administr alton of the
new government His dignity ,oas the n,ask Of a
peculiar odstihacy, 1chich, stimulated 6y an in
teNectudl conceN, spurned the counses of equal
minds, and rejected tho advice Of tho intelligent,
while it was curiously not inconsistent with a
complete subserviency to the smallest and most
unwor ny Of favorites. His scholarship smclt OF
the closet He had practical judgment; his
intercourse with mon WAS too distant and con-
strained for studies Of human nature and his es-
innate of the value OF particular men WAS
grotesque and absurd. The especial auali6ca-
tions OF great leader, in the circumstances in
which MIR. DAVIS was placed, would have been
stronG and active common sense, quick appre-
hension, knowledge OF war, and disposition to
consult the aggregate wisdom OF the people, and
to gathor the store OF judgment from every possi-
bic source Of practical advice within it's reach.
Mr.. DAVIS had none OF these plsin qualities. He
had instead OF these, cert lin elegant and brilliant
accomplishments, which dazzled the multitude
confused the world in it's judgments of his merits
and gave him q singular reputation, in which ad-
mirers and censors were strangely mingled: One
party, looking at dist ance, extravagant in it's
praise; tho other, having n view, unlimited
in its condemnation"
1t would seem, from the following para
graph, and indeed from many others in this
book, that Mr.. P. stood on q loftier height
than his ootemporaries, and thus had a
clearer view Of things, both present and
future Others were laboring under ire
,oarl +, hlen balluo;notion Tb, ;,fo,o.,, :,
that he was not. Speaking of the "exaggera-
ted and foolish confdencen which possessed
our people "upon the event of Manassas" he
says "General BBAUREaARp was alread yde-
signaied, in sume quarters, rs the next Con-
federate President; and the popular nominee
of an honor six years hence, wrote weak
and theatrical letter to the newspapers, dated
within hearing of the enemy's guns and de-
claring 4 am not either q candidate, nor do
desire to be candidate, for any civil Office
in the gift of the people or Executive
Mr. P. doubtless merits much praise for
the industry, energy and indefatiga lie zeal
he has displayed in collecting theS materials
for this history. Some of this, however, we
fear has been misplaced. We cannot see, for
instance, why letter like this, even if it
ever was written, should have been unearthed.
We do not know that it is particularly
'foolish." But if it is, all the more reason
for letting it rest in the obscurity to which it
has long since heen consigned. General
BEAuREGARD fought we'll, and offered his life
in a hundred battles in q cause that Mr.. P.
processes to hold dear. His character has
always stood, and to this day stands, unblem-
ished,-why, then, this gratuitous fling at
him? The book abounds in such sharp
corners, and, we doubt not, will provoke
vast amount of controversy and ill-feeling all
over the country.
For the present we must conclude our OK
animation; hut would recommend our readers
to procure the work and read it for them
selves, that they may be prepared to follow
us intelligently in any further remarks we
may have occasion make on it.