Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-06-07
Jefferson DaviS-A Reply.

10 We Editors Ofute National IateLligenCeT
What is history ? This inquiry is prompt
ed by finding in the National Intelligencer
of April 29th an article headed can His
torical "Reminiscences of Jefferson Davis,
the great State Prisoner. From the Siege
of Washington. By Captain F. G. Adams"
[ happened to know Mr.. Davis in the
summer of 1850, when he was the moving
spirit of a convention of fire-eaters that as
sembled together in Nashville, Tennessee,
and I have slight recollection of speech
he made on the occasion, in which separa-
ton by arms was urged, and no love for
the Union advanced. [ remember, also,
that that speech was rewarded with Kisses,
notwithstanding the strong disunion ele-
ments of the convention.
A few words will suffice to answer this
statement. Jefferson Davis made nospeech
at that convention he was not in Nash
vile when the convention was held, was in
Washington city, daily occupying his seat
in the Senate, the published journals and
debates of which body might have served
to prevent the historian from making such
a statement, as it enables all the world to
correct it.
The next sentence in the extract pub
lished is as follows
His dislike of the Union and plan for
been the besettng sin Of his brain for
twenty years.
Now, running back twenty years from
1850 we reach the year 1880, when Jeffer-
son Davis was second lieutenant, serving
in the Indian country of the Northern from
tier. His services there and elsewhere, for
five years succeeding, were such as to gain
for him consideration from his Govern
ment, as shown by selections for staff duty,
and for promotion into the first new regi-
ment which was organized.
His first appearance in national politics
was his entry into the House of Represen-
tatives in the United States Congress in
1845-.fre, not ttcenty, years before the date
selected by the author for period when
his "dislike of the Union" was well
known"
But this is not mere question of time
The Congressional Globe, to which it is sup-
posed historian writing of the political
course of one who had served in the two
Houses of Congress would naturally refer,
will show that Mr.. Davis, after his entry
into the House of Representatives, served
there until he vacated his seat to join a
regiment which had been raised for the
war with Mexico, and had chosen him to
be Colonel. The same record shows that
Immediately after his return from Mexico
he entered the Senate and served con-
tinuously up to the date selected by the au-
thor.
An examination of his votes and speeches
is challenged to verify and cited to disprove
the statement of the historian from whose
work the extract is made. 1t is sufficient
to say that such accusation was not made
against him by those with whom he served.
When 1t was insinuated that the position
occupied by himself and many other South
ern men against the so-called "compro-
mise" measures of 1850 was due to the SEN
timents of disunion, he proudly repelled it
as inconsistent with his sense of honor in
the relation he held as Representative of
State in the Congress of the United
States. He used the emphaticI and often
quoted expression, eff any man calls me
disunionist will answer him in monosyl-
lables."
Equally to the record of many years of
civil service, and to that of many of mill
tary service, the next historian who shall
write of Jefferson Davis is referred for evil
dence, as we'll as of his acts as of his faith
full adherence to the constitutional Union
established by our fathers. Whether it was
a departure from the faith he had SO uni
formly maintained to retire from the Sen
ate when notified of the secession of the
State which he represented is outside OF
the allegation which it was the purpose in
these remarks to notice, and would involve
the discussion of questions which have en-
gagged the minds of the ablest statesmen of
America from period long anterior to the
birth of Jefferson Davis. VINDEX.