Smyrna times., 1875-08-25
An Orator who is not Needed.


generation; and the officers Of the Winnie
Oa8o County Agricultural Society, in Illinois,
who recently invited Mr. Jefferson Davis
10 speak at their Annual Fair, showed worry
illtle Judgment or knowledge of human
nature 10 insist upon a fair trial for him.
or that falling to insist upon his release
lrom prison, is a very different matter from
bringing him forward to address respcc-
table association as an honored guest.
there could be only two ayowable motives
lor such an invitation: the first being to
make Mr. Dayia's visit an incident of the
general progress of reconciliation and estab-
llShmcnt OF kindly feelings among the two
sections OF the country, and the other to
BRING large crowd together and mako =
good deal OF ga,e-money through the attrac-
ton OF a first rate novuly.
from both these points Of view. tba
choice OF such an orator was iniudicjous
II Is not III Mr.. Dayi,'s power to do anytbino
winch will hasten the reign OF good feeling
so ardentiy desired by Us all. unless il he
iof iIhi to keep quiet and as much out of
sight as possible. There is an old loo
Miller about man who was cur.in,. aroi}or
iof his uE!ine>~. "Can heip nv looks -
meeAiy asked the u-y one. =. ,,lo.. said
the severe critic, but you can STAY at
home. The gibc is applicable in sober
sadness to Mr.. Davis. For reasons ovc,.
winch he has no control. lie cannot an, .ca,.
III public: much less make speech. with.
out giving rlsr 70 bitter and angry fcojino
lie has donc more halm than almost anv
other n"l vino ever figured in our history |
ne took prominent part in fomcnting the
wicket and causelesS conspiracy which
ehdea III war. He was the head and front |
OF the rebellion a. long as it lasted. lie !
TOOK no means to mitigate its horrors or
alleviate its acrimony. Whenever no al. |
''resNe1 an audience, lie appealed to the
pltterest and ba'cst passions to rouse them |
against the people Of the North. Til. wa.
not necessity Of his position. Abraham
Lincoln set him Il far different cxample
NO !han ever heard from III, lips ANYTHING
ike the savage malice which formed tho
staple OF Davis 5 speeches. And now that
we can take somewhat cal,ncr view of tho
war than was possible ten wears aco. we
must still insist that Mr. Davis did not do
al III ms power to make il as decent and
meicltul as possible. The Union prisoners
were not treated as well as they might have
been, II generous and humane man had
been NJ Of
part at least Of the horrors Of AndeYsonyjIle
and Belle Isle can I've charged to his
account. Such being his conduct lrr;nr
the war, has he done anything since the
war closed to cntitlc him 10 the considera.
ton OF we'll meaning and patriotic peoplc?
II SO II" has kept it profound secret. We
are not disposed TO blame him too harsLly
for this. 1t was, in the nature of the case.
possible for him to exert anv
7alutaiy influence in the work of rcconcilia.
llon. Ills position had been too prominent.
his attitude too consistently hostile to nor.
mt INN to take any part in the work of
repairing the moral and material ravacas
of the war. If he had talked in favor Of
peace and union the contrast with his
lormcr record would have been 60 sLo,,,
ana sudden as TO have excited mistrust and
terlslon. There was, strictly SPEAKING. no
place in public life for NJ. Davis after no
took OIL his shawl and waterproof, and sur.
to the troopers of Gen. Wilson
J" must do him the justice to say that he
mas never pretended to be anything diff
erent from what he always was-a bitter
obstinate, unrepentant emmy of the United
States.
For these reasons, it is evident that Mr.
Davis was the wrong person to invite If
he officers OF tho Wimebago County Fair
wanted to hear a useful and ,rocti,.ol c
peech on the relations of the North and .
south, and to make a demonstration in I
ayor of good will and national unity. If I
hey merely wanted to make money ont
II sensational Grafton, they are already a
convinced OF their mistake. The farmers re- Il
used to send their cattle and their mann. Il
moth pumpkins; the Grand Army Veterans t
lave denounced the proceeding and de. |
line to take any part in the fair; and the II
whole community takes such strong and St
indignant interest in the matter. that tbc
invitation, having been given and accented 6
5 to be withdrawn. If this had not beon !,
one, 1t is needless to say that this article .
'ould not have been written. If Mr.. Davis h
zero going to Illinois to make speech at .
ne courteous summons of an agricultural Il
oclety, we should not have said a word to y
1ake has reception unkind. 1t would have :.
cen disgraceful, if he had been treated
nth rudeness or insult, when coming as 6
he guest of the county. But since the "
natter has thus fallen through, we have no
esltation in saying that it was thought.
'ss and reprehonsible blundcr, and one W
Inch we hope will never be repeated "
We wish no ill to Mr.. Davis; but it is clear Il
e can do no good for himself or the it
ouhtry by making public speeches, in the b
orth or the SOuth.-N. J. Tribune. bl