Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-06-15
HON. JEFFERSON DAVIS.
His Recent Speeohes-yOioe Of the Press

HON. JEFFERSON DAVIS
His Recent Spseohss-vOioe Of the Press.
From the FsImvlle va Commonwealth.
VhOueh the dream OF Southern indie
uendsnce is now as a bursted bubble
though slavery and secession are aban-
dOued fOreveF-yet around Jefferson
Davis. the great central figure OF our
loved, lost cause, still cling and cluster
The Durest admiration and affections
Of almost every man, woman and
child OF the late COniederacy. What
ever may have been the differences
Of opinion entertained in respect to
suv particular policy pursued by him,
AN accord him untarnished purity OF
character and purpose, the most eX
aIted patriOtism, heroic bravery, and
vrest ability. The use Of such terms
as "selhsh vanity, - "grOss incOmpe-
tencv,u ''uupsrdOnable ignorance, y
etc in connection with the name Of
Jefferson Davis-While Objectionable
as being historically false-hardly
rompOrts with the dignity OF an edi-
tor OF a leading Virginia paper, as well
as the respect ne should bear for the
feelings and sentiments Of his people.
Mr.. Davis Is more faultless than the
hest Of US. When we make sacrifices
for a cause. il leads Us to love the
cause and its leaders, and when our
cause is lost. we naturally look with
uendarer feelings TO our leaders, as
well on account Of cur mutual sacri-
ices, rs also on account Of their great
humiliation. Hence il is that we
rarely find a man who carried mus
ket or sword, and faithfully followed
the stars and bars, who viii speak, or
can bear to hear Others speak harshiy
gf Jefferson Davis. Twenty niger"
neu. tax in kind men, bomb proofs
of one kind or another, and men who
remained at home (sOme OF them
blatant secessiOnists) and lodged gov
ernmeut levies and grumbled at fur
nIshing a negro for the bre3st-WOr6s
or a barrel of corn for the army, are
generally the men who found most
comiOrtin abusing Mr.. Davis, and crit
iciZing and denOuncCing his policy.
This is the class OF men who cOn5tl-
tinted the cauker that killed the Con-
federacy. Mn Davis Is by no means
accountable for the shortcomings OF
the Southern people, or their conse-
gueut subjugatiOn. DE can say with
ruth,
"Shske not your CORY locks st ms-
Thou csn'sJ not say did it!'
The attempt TO make Mr.. Davis a
sort of VicariOus sacrifice for the sins
and shortcomings OF the people, is
neither Just nor chivalrOUs. II he
committed errors. who Of US are fault
Iess9 III our c use was lost, who SUI
fgred more than he9 We placed him
at the head OF the cabinet, though he
preferred the field. We put in his
mouth the words Southern indie
pendence, or the last ditch and last
mauW He has never proved recre-
ant. In prosperity and in adversely
IN the enjoyment of freedom beneath
heavens canopy, and in manacles in
4 Federal dungeon, he sustained the
dignity of 0ur great cause In man
ner no living man could have
edualed. Let Us ever love and honor
MIN for IL.
From the Greensboro u tGs0rgia) Herald
Mr.. Davis was one Of the least
violent and offensive Southern seced-
srs before the war, as he has been the
p
over the ordinary routes of travel IN
the transaction Of legitimate and hon
orable business to make a subsistence,
he cannot prevent those spontaneous
manifestations Of patriotic feeling and
personal alta Chment OF the people
toward their fallen leader. which are
instructive 70 the Southern heart. All
this the Radical press knows. But
they also know that in 1872, there IS
10 be another grand Presidential
struggle for the succession, and that
Radical rule can only be perpetuated
by keeping alive sectional hate. III
Mr, Davis were immured In the
Mammoth Cave, and his lips heTmeti-
cslly sealed the balance Of his days,
the sectional hyenas would track him
I'D aud drlg him out, % feast once
more the Radical masses and rekindle
the "Union fires Z" Let the disease
take its course. 1.-THE North can stand
it, so can we.
But we ask the Post if Mr.. Davis
haF been guilty OF any crime what
ever. much more Of one that no re
.uentauce can atone fOT~ Why has
he not been punished for it, Why is
he to day at large? Did not the au-
thorities at Washington have him in
prison for two years, manacled with
irons part Of the time, charged with
the crime Of treasOn2 Did be ever
shrink from a trial on this charge?
Did he not demand Il again and again?
Was he moi finally turned loose with
out ever being required to meet the
allegations against him! Nay more,
were not witnesses suboned and paid
To establish another charge of a crime
even more inf8mOU9 against him.
which utterly failed? After two years
ransaclying Of all his life, were not his
oersecutOrs wholly unable TO establish
= single crime against himT We're
rhev not compelled to dismiss him
With the reluctant confession that they
ssfound no fault in this man"' We
ara no defenders Of the indiscTeuOns
0f Mr. Davis, nor OF his detects 10
Craftsmanship; but we say TO the edi,
tlF Of the Post and 70 the world, lhaI
this eK-Chief Magistrate Of the Con
fedeTate States does not live nor
will n0t de-" under "the brand Ol
4 traitor y for anything he did IN con-
nectiOn with the Lost Cause. Tbs
brand, under the Constitution OF the
United States, can only be fixed by q
judicial condemnation. From at
tempting thus 70 fix it, the authorities
at Washington themselves shrink, and
II can never be fixed upon the brow
of Mr.. Davis, on any other freeman in
this land, by any such shameless
Trades as those of the New York
EUening Post.
From the Baltimore (Md.) Gszsttel
There is one thing which We can
not understand, and that Is why the
World. ia accepting the situation, and
prOclaiming, as new, its articles OF
isith. should 20 out Of its way 70 ia
duIve in a vulgar diatribe against Mir
Jefferson Davis. The epithets which
4 applies TO Mr.. Davis, and the abuse
which it heaps upon him, for saying
- that truth is great, and in the END
principle must prevail" are realiy 80
low that We fOrbear to reproduce
even one small extract. We eann0i
stSe what the World has to gain by
yilfifying q gentleman. who, since his
release from persecution. has been
siuguiaTly reticent, and who, when he
foee sneak, speaks as a philosopher
aor can we see what in the world the
1ffaranee Of 3 great truth has to do
,vtth the WoriHs Z" new departure. -
II the World thinks that Mr.. Davis
and Il are not alroady wide enough
enert. il can set itself at rest. What
.etTar nav be the sins OF the failings o.
tbe eT- President, want Of principle il
not among them, and whenever the5
world. uncertain as 20 what ls mos'
safe and profitable, seas ilssii up 10