The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-21
Mr.. Jefferson Davis md the Southern
Historical ConventiOn-Hc Places His
UIc-ao <v,> Ladies

Hopes in the Ladies' or the South.
If the admirers of Mr.. Jefferson Davis wish
to know the kind of fuel with which that won
derful little instrument, the human tongue, is
kindled, we beg leave to refer them to the
sixth verse of the third chapter of the general
epistle of James. The sacred writer is speak
ing of human nature in general, and limits
his remarks neither to O nation nor an individ-
ual No stretch of imagination, therefore,
justifes us in believing that while writing the
passage referred to he had Mr.. Davis in his
prophetic eye, although the speech which
that gentleman has been delivering before
the Southern Historical Convention would
seem to favor such an assumption. Never
had public man better opportunity of
proving himself great one in spite of ad-
versity. Never had one who failed in taking
city more brilliant chance for showing the
world that in ruling his temper ho had &C
complished what Solomon declares better
thing. Mr.. Davis has not taken many cities,
and he, therefore, cannot be SO readily ex-
cused for not keeping the citadel of his own
counsel. The speech which he has just
uttered before the Southern Historical Con-
vention is not his first foolish one, and will,
probably, not be his last For the sake of the
sensibilities of his friends, among whom it is
pleasant to believe there are some admirable
the generous mind it is always grateful to dis
cover that the man who has failed to be o hero
in action can become one in repose There is
sense in which inactivity becomes in truth
mastery. If silence is golden, no silence is
such q good imitation of the article as that of
the fallen leader whose generalship was pinch
beck.
Mr.. Davis grafton was not very long, but
the reports we have of it include several points
worthy of comment Having returned his
thanks to the Convention for the warmth of
its reception and expressed the home-like
feeling which he always has when in Virginia.
he complimented that State upon her grand
mountains, her verdant wales and her material
wealth, and added, "above all, her men excel
her soil and her women excel her men," We
do not know whether it was Mr.. Davis in
tention to imply that the women of Virginia
superior to the soil. Such ON inference is
natural, and seems to be sustained by what he
says further on concerning the ladies. 1t is
to this point to which we would refer more
particularly. Toward the close of his speech
Mr.. Davis emphatically declares that in the
ladies of the South rests his greatest hope for
tho future of the country. What does this
remark mean? Taken alone it looks inno-
cent and even admirable, as though one
should say that he relied for future patriots
and heroes upon the moral, intellectual
dnd physical stamina of their mothers; but
tenor Of the speech, the unmistakable mean
ing is that Mr.. Davis believes that the South
ern woman is incapable of reconstruction,
and that she will not fail to nurture in her
sons those beliefs and animosites which
plunged this nation into civil war; 1t is in
view of this deectabe result that Mr.. Davis
casts SO hopeful an eye upon the ladies of vir-
ginin and of the South in general. They will
bring forth fruit meet for rebellion They
will fan into a fercer fame than ever that
sentiment which, with rhetoric that looks
like an affectation Of simplicity, he glorifes as
''the cause" Mr.. Davis ought to know his
own countrywomcp best. He does not, in
deed, expressly say that no Southern woman
has ever been RECONSTRUCTED" but he says
next to the same thing in declaring that he
has never seen one. Is it possible that Mr..
Davis ramblings have never brought to his
knowledge a Southern lady whose views have
been reconstructed by Northern marriage, and
whose sons, so far from perpetuating "the
cause" would do their best to destroy it2
With respect TO reconstructed Southern men
Mr.. Davis is more reticent, and the fact, con-
trasted with the excessive admiration he
lavishes upon the ladies, leads us to the con-
clusion that contemnt. more closely than nnv