New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-26
Ew oRI EANs, TUESDAY, AUGUST 2e, 1879
z. Histssical Cosvestiea-3e Places His
Hopes IL the Ladies of he South.

Mr. Je1erssn Davis ana the esufhsra
r. Hissssical Cesvsssisa-ae Places His
Hopes IL the Ladies Of be South.
From the New York HersldAugust21I
If the admirers of Mr.. kfereon Davis
wish to know the kind OF flel with which
that wonderful little instrument, the human
tongue, is kindled, we be. leave to refer
them to the sixth verse Of tb third chapter
OF the general epistle OF Jams. The sacred
writer is speaking Of huma1nature in gen.
eral, and limits his remarls neither to Q
nation ncr IN individual. No stretch Of
imagination, therefore, justties US in be-
lieving that while writing he passage re-
ferred to he had MIR. Davis his prophetic
eye, although the speech wbch that gentle
man has been delivering beOre the South
ern Historical Convention would seem to
favor such an assumption Never had .
public man better opportunity Of proving
himself great one IN spie OF advereity.
Never had oae who fa1ed in taking
city . more brilliant chAce for showing
the world that in ruling hhtemper ne had
accomplished what solomondeclares bet
ter thing. Mr.. Davis has mt taken many
cities. and ne, therefore, an not be SO
readily excused for not keeOing the citadel
of his own counsel. The speech which he
has just uttered before tht Southern His
torical Convention is not hs first foolish
one, and will, probably, MT be his last.
For the sake Of the senabilitiee of his
friends, among whom i: ispleasant to be-
ieve there are some admirable men and
women, this is to be regntted. 70 the
generous mind it ID always grateful to dis
cover that the man who he failed to be .
hero in action can becomeone in repOse.
There 10 o sense in which in1tivity becomes
in truth mastery. If silene is golden, no
silence is such good imitaioa Of the arti-
ele as that of the fallen leader whose gen.
eralship was pinchbeck. --.,
Mr.. Davis GRAFTON was nt very long, but
the reports we have of ltinclude several
points worthy Of comment. 4aving returned
Of its reception and expressed the bome-like
feeling which be always hal when in Vir-
ginia, he complimented tha State upon her
grand mountains, her vef1ant wales and
material wealth, and added "above all, her
men excel her soil and hC women excel
her men." We dc not how whether it
was Mr.. Davis intention II imply that the
women Of Virginia are as superior to the men
as the men are superior to the soil. Such
an inference is natural, md seems to be
sustained BY what he ssys further on
concerning the ladies. It il to this point to
which We would refer nGe particularly.
Toward the close of his speech Mr.. Davis
emphatically declares that in the ladies of
the South rests his greatet hope for the
future of the country. Wat does this re-
mark mean? Taken alone looks innocent
and even admirable, as though one should
say that he relied for future patriots and
heroes upon the moral, Intellectual and
physical stamina OF their mothers; but
taken in connection with the whole tone
and tenor Of the speech, tie unmistakable
meaning is that Mr.. Davis believes that
the Southern woman II incapable of recon-
struction, and that she vii not fail to nur-
ture in her sons those belhfs and animOei-
ties which plunged this nation into civil
war. 1t is in view of this lelcctabie result
that Mr.. Davis casts so hopeful an eye upon
the ladies of Virginia andof the South in
general. They will bring orth fruit meet
tor rebellion. They will tan into fiercer
fame than ever that sentiment which, with
rhetoric that looks like an affectation of
simplicity, he gloriies as the cause" Mr..
Davis ought to know bs own country.
women best. He does not, iadeed, expressly
cay that no Southern woman has ever been
reconstructed" but he says next to the
same thing in declaring tlat he has never
seen one. Is il possible that Mr.. Davis
ramblings have never brolght to his knqFl-
edge Southern lady whose views have
been reconstructed by Nrthern marriage.
and whose sons, 90 far fom perpetuating
1.-The cause" would do thir best to destroy
it,
With respect TO fecontrueted Southern
men Mr.. Davis ia more reticent, and the
fact, cOntrasted with the excessive admlra-
tion he lavishes upon the lldies, leads 10 to
the conclusion that contenpt, more closely
manner in which he regards the recon.
structed portion Of the wlite male popula-
ton Of the South. But he facts are far
from justifying such sentiment, though,
perhaps, its existence is {, be looked for in
q pseudo President who titled in iaspiriDg
tho objects of his present cOntumely with
lasting respect and devotion. The truth is
that the reconstructed mel of the South are
the most sterling men there, beside whom
the fOrlOrn clingere to an obsolete and worse
than impracticable sentiment make sorry
show. Give US the reconstructed men Of the
South, and We are NOT afraid that Mr. Davis
hope in tho uDreconstruchd and unrecon.
structible women will be s, largely justified
as easily TO renew the struggle that he
wishes to foresee. We are not 90 generous
as to sympathize with the orator when he
claims to have been cheated" rather than
conquered. This announcement, coming
from the lips OF one who owes to the mag
nanimity Of our government the opp0r-
tunity 20 utter it, possesses righteousness
which, despite ghastly s.reak Or two, will
raise smile The ludirousness deepens
when coupled with the clsm that could the
South have seen the reults Of the sur.
render it would be free to-day. 1t would
be interesting 90 know upon what prin-
ciples in military ethics the surrender of
Lee could be classed as Northern "cheat."
In despair of palmer calculation we are
driven back on St James again, and are re-
minded BY him that 1.-THE tongue is little
member and boasteth great things.
- AS corrollary to his speech Mr.. Davis on
Tuesday evening gave toast during the
progress OF banquet rendered to various
members OF the Southern Historical Society.
Luckily the toast is Its own comment, and
therefore the less calls for any from US. 1t
runs thus:-"TO our Admiral Semmes, who
went af1oat on one ship. wore her out: and
took another and swept the seas" Mr..
in his reply, said the country
might wake up some morning and find
Caesar and throne, but that Mr. DAVIS
would always hold much higher place in
the hearts Of 'his people" than Caesar
could ever do. because Mr. Davis empire
would be one of love, not tyranny. Upon the
C&sarian aspect OF the gu3s ton we do not At
present feel inclined to enter; but, perhaps,
we may be permitted to express our sur
prise at learning that Mr.. Davis still has "a
people" He evi emily does not believe so
himself, for in bis speech he contends that
the men OF this day-meaning the Southern
men-yleld the principles for which they
and he evidently derives sub
stantlal consolation FROM the reflection that
The Southern women are with him. and that
rom the mouths OF the future babes and