Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-09-24
m mRmnnrAm.

Ter pfotfagteu onu painful Illness
JOsEPH EMERSON DAVIS, the elder
brother Ofthe Hon. Jefferson Davis
ID the S7th year Of his age, and for
fifty years q citizen Of this county.
The death of Mr.. Davis, sewers
the last link between the Missis.
sippi Of the present, and Missis-
sippi In It's territorial condition. A
native Of the once proud State OF
South Carolina, born in the last
quarter OF the last century, be
migrated to the then infant Terri.
tory Of Mississippi, more than sixty
five years ago, and from that hour 10
the present, the State Of his adOp.
ton and affection has been hls
home. Carefully educated by his
father, a highly esteemed clergy
man Of the Baptist Church, Mr..
Davis adopted the law as his pro
fessiOn, and established himself al
the city OF Natchez, then,
and for many years afterwards
the most important point in the
State, and Boosting a Bar unsur-
passed for ability. After a resi-
dence of u few years in Natctez, he
removed to GreenYille, Jefferson
county, then a lourishing and
prosperous town, but long siuce
fallen into decay and forgetfulness.
where he continued the practice Of
his profession until he removed to
Warren county and opened that
magnificent plantation the "Hurri.
cane" upon which he amasscd a
princely fortune, and where he
continued 10 reside until 1862,
when the occupation Of the Missis.
sippi river by the naval forces Of
the United States, compelled him
to abandon his home. Since the
close Of the war be has resided IN
this city.
In whatever light he may be re-
gaFded, Joseph L. Davis, was a 70.
markable man. Endowed with a
splendid and highly cultivated in
f%ellect, his mind was q vast store
house Of information, which he
could always make available In the
forum, and which rendered him a
most charming and fascinating CON.
panion in society. His energy was
equal TO his intellect aud his cul.
ture, and whether at the bar,
before the people, or in the pur.
suits Of business, his ability,
Judgment and energy, made
him q man of marked success IL
everything he attempted. AS 8
lawyer he achieved success, while
encOuntering the acuteSt and ablest
members OF q profession in which
was numbered the most brilliant
minds Of his day. AS q citizen he
won the respect and confidence OF
all who knew him, and as a planter
he amassed one of the finest estates
In the country. Simple in his hab-
its, modest and retiring In his man.
ners, devoted to study aud re1ec.
tion,h had no taste for the cares aud
turmOilS Of public life, no desire for
office, and II profound contempt for
the petty arts by which small men
crawl into positions above their
merit. When the people Of the
Territory Of Mississippi were au-
thorized to frame a constitution
Tor a State government, In 1917,
Mr.. Davis was chosen one Of tile
delegates from Jefferson county,
aud this, we believe was his only
public service-but the instrument
then framed bears abundant evi.
dence Of the superior ability aud
guiding spirit Of Jos. L. Davis. or
mis- colleagues In that Convention,
he was the last survivor. He saw
them all descend TO the grave. lie
saw a feeble territory expand into
great, prosperous, and powerful
commonwealth, and he lived to see
the State he loved so well, pros
trate beneath the heel of power.
and her people reduced to poverty
and slavery.
In politics Mr.. Davis was a dis.
ciple of Jefferson, and consequent.
~ he was q consistent and steadfast
Democrat, and few men have lived.
who were more successful in i'm
pressing their views and opinions
upon those with whom they.
were brought In contact, than was
the subject of this brief sketch.
Though he had not q long life vi
public service to point to as a
memorial of himself tho people
Of Mississippi, and Of the whole
South, owe him q debt of gratitude
for discovering and cultivaling tn,
greatest intellect of the age, al ia
lelleCt that added new lustre 10
senatorial elOquence, and shed lm-
pui ioAnuio hOuOi upOh 6AthCl iSuu
4rms. We refer OF course ~ jet
ferson Davis-,he Bayard OF Amer
ica-the younger and idOIized broth
r. Of the deceased. To him he wac
lot only an elder brother, he was
tather, friend, professor and advi-
scr. IL was our venerable and de
Jarted friend " no early discovered
he wondrOus intellect Of JttTer.
on Davis, and over It's culture and
development, he watched witt,
more than parental pride, and
though we cannot know, we may
readily imagine, how proudly the
old mans heart throbbed and swell
ed, when he saw his young brother
leap into thu Senatorial arena, the
Icknowlt dyed peer, In genius and
~,lOquence, of the proudest In that
body, at q time when giants filled
The seats now occupied by pigmies.
When the united voice of the South.
ern people called Jefferson Davis
10 preside over our infant Govern.
ment, no one looked to him with