Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-06-08
Nh DAVIS
A WndioatOry Gard from Ex-Governor
FOOte.

His crsakiug cOupl6us in tsvern-hall 2
Ald not write, lest haply scotch Reviews
Should dub me scribbl5r, and deuOunce
my Muse9
Prspsre for rhymes, IN publish right or
Fools are my theme, let satire be my
song.
Those who are at all familiar with
my course of life are aware that, for a
long time past, I have endeavOred
cautiously to avoid controversial
strife. I have never entered into the
political gTeua at all, except upon
some very urgent occasion, and when
the public veal seemed to demand
that important truths should be plain
Iy asserted, concerning which Others,
far better qualifisel than myself for
such exposition as was needed, seemed
Inclined not to intermeddle. When
Mr.. Jefferson Davis, who has attained
reputation upon a smaller capital than
any other man that can be mentioned,
poured forth his several funny and Sc
ditiOus harangues a few days ago
upon Georgia soil, much as l de-
uI0rpd and condemned his conduct, 1
determined, for certain delicate per-
s0ual reasons, to leave the tas
of cOUuteracting the tendency OF
his mischieyOus Utterances to
be executed by others: though / could
not perceive that much evil was to be
appTehended from allowing his in
fianmatgry and vehement declara-
tions TO pass uurebUked. My mode
ration and flrbearauce will be appre-
ciated by those who shall understand
that 1 was then altogether satisfied
that Ar. Davis and his unscrupulOus
a associates meditated, deeply and
darkIy. the ultimate renewal Of the
same criminal designs which they set
on foot so deliberately IN 1860, and
that they were confidently expecting
that. in connection with the Presiden-
tiaL contest Of 1872, they would be able,
bv the exercise OF superior adrOitness,
with even greater than their former
success, 70 SOW the seeds Of disCOrd in
the bosom Of the National Democratic
party, disrupt its strength, bring
about the election Of General Grant,
as they had done that of Mr..
Lincoln I'm 1850, and finally rekindle
civil war as the natural result Of
their gUilefUl Vaccinations. A war,
IN which, OF course, as was cOnjec-
fured By JEFF Davis and his trusted
partisans, the ext Confederate Presi.
dent would be the chosen leader of
the revolt. and the project Of q sepaT-
ate republic be at last realized. 1t so
happened that whilst Mr.. Davis and
his special friends were reveling in
this beatific vision Of coming glory,
and whilst he was vending his way
to the confines Of Georgia, in order to
rekindle among a generous and mer-
curial people he flames of domestic
conflict, by getting the Democrats Of
that region committed against the
Nsllandigham platform, the general
adoption of which could not but prove
fatal to their hopes, it so happened
thai Major J c. thompson, ,l9f this Vi
cinagg. a gentleman Of much learning,
of marked ability and sterling
patriotism, but vino, unlike my
self believes yet in the ab- /
strsct dogma FOf secession, drew /
up and gave TO the world those ad- |
mirable res0IutiUus Of accaiescence in /
the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and 1
Fifteenth Constitutional amendments, |
which have drawn upon me the con- 4
ceulrated wrath Of the Memphis AP- |
PEAL. that known mOuth-plece Of Sc /
di-i0n and JEFF. Davisism, by which
paper 7 stand charged, evidently under
the direction Of Mr. Davis himself, !
with being the author Of the resOlu- /
tiOns iu question, and have been made /
the subject Of an indecent and ViTu- |
lent assault on the part OF these in |
dividuals, an assault 8s weak as II IS I
wicked, as coarse snd ungenteel as ii |
IS uHmauiy and viliainOUs; Of which, |
and ita absurd and c8lumniOus allega- /
lions I shall only C0Bdescend to say I
that they are false in every particular, I
as false a. the hearts of their authors, /
ss wicked aud mean as their idOlZed I
leader is vain. selfish and hypOcritical. 1
I not only did not write the resOlu- /
tions ia question, but did not even |
Writea word thereof. The only thing 4
Tor which am responsible Is for hay |
Eng signed them, which l glory in /
having done.
When Mr.. Jefferson Davis saw my |
name appended TO these judiclOus and /
patriotic resolutions, he could not but 4
see that they were in the teeth of his !
new secession project, and he at once /
suspected that the man who had de- /
feated him on the same secession issue |
in 1851, and who had stood In the way /
OF many Of his favOrite ambitious 4
projects besides, during the last twenty /
years, was the author Of them, and /
he Immediately iastigated the only |
editors in the state base enough to be |
used for SO ueiariOus a purpose, to |
open the l0Od-gates Of their black /
guard denunciatiOn upon me.
Let me tell Mr.. Jefferson Davis and /
his satellites that ] know them only 1
TO despise them. My character is not /
in reacn Of such arrows Of defamation /
as sbey have at their command, and /
that IL is not even in their power to /
disturb my serenity for a moment.
I have but little more to say Of Mr. /
Davis himself for the present, except 4
TO adm0Lish him to the exercise Of a 4
little more prudence in the future than
he has lately put in practice. The
DeoDie of the South know that he was
gtraggling for more than twenty years
n engulf them in civil war before he
Ind effect his object; that when the /
- "a Sls finally brought on, he shame
Ill ebvsed al the vast powers IN /
.,--,stad IN him; that he evinced the 4
,-,,,5f ,5.-oracefu incOmpetency in his
--5,oIa r8anag ement Of Confederate
,oncerns. that he heartlessly per5e-
s1ted MANY of their best Generals;
svinca1 an all occasions the lowest
and noeanegt self hness; cruelty pro-
tracted the war beyond al reasonable
limits; setting his face against all
ferms Of peace to the last moment,
which did not include his own reten-
lion Of power, thus making himself
responsible for most of the devasta-
ton and suffering that the unfortunate
South has had to endure. Let me fur
ther say to Mr.. Davis, that he is the
very last man in the South 10 whom
the people of this region would now
look for safe and salUtary counsel
fhat they would never follow him
into another insane and UnprOvOked
war: and that when he denounces
them bv wholesale for GcgUiescinQ
in the inevitable results OF q conflict,
of which he was the chief cOntriver,
Ia Hfools or towards" he places him
-alf in a Dredicament in which every
patriotic and high-spirited man viii
be inclined to aid in fixing upon him
re ineffaceable brand Of a deserved IN
fanny. .u....
notice this contempdble affair at all
but having done 30, could not Weli
b. s. FOoTE.
The Democrats Of the Second Con-
gressiOnal district Of Texas viii hold
their convention on July 4th. Every