The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-14
JEFFERSON DAVIS,
Proper Structures Upon the Action of the
New Orleans Picayune.
MISSISSIPPI CRY, July 10, IS

FEOpeF STRUCTURES bpDu ING AcblBu bB Inc
New Orleans Picayune.
MISSISSIPPI CRY, July 10, 1878.
EdjtOr Dem0crnt-My attention has been
called to q double-leaded paragraph at the
head of the editorial page of the New Orleans
Picayelne of yesterday eleventh INSTANT, In re-
lation to the report given by that paper of the
address delivered by ex-President Davis on
the tenth. The writer says:
ave desire to state that this Is the only
correct report of the speech as it was deliver
ed. The report furnished by the Associated
Press Is not correct or complete and mas
much as this Is the report adopted by our
contemporaries. we consider 1t due to the pub
lie to call attention to the fact that we have
rejected that report inasmuch as 1t does not
faithfully and fully present the address as
delivered"
The right of the PiCGyewe to puff its own
work is undisputed nor would its exercise
have required or received word Of comment
lat least from myself if it had not been ac-
companied by offensive land unprovoked) as
persiOn Of the work of others. The structures
just above quoted are neither courteous in
tone nor correct in statement.
Among well-bred people when favor is
politely and gratuitOusly rendered 1t may be
accepted or may be declined, but in neither
case is it customary to flOut or disparage the
gift. From the language employed by the
| PieGg7nle, q reader would naturally suppose
| that the report Of the Associated Press,
| (which Is, or ought to be the same as that pub
| lished by the DEMOCRAT) was rendered to 1t
as matter ofbargain and sale, and "rejeCted''
as SUCH The truth is, 1t was rendered through
| courtesy alone, gratuitOuSly, and accom-
panied only by the condition that, If accepted,
| it should be used. That condition being de-
| clined, it was otherwise appropriated.
| ] have spoken OF principle of courtesy ap-
plicable to every department Of life, and en-
| bodied In the weli-knOwn preCept concerning
| the "gift horse" But there is another principle
or usage equally well recognized among gen
| tlemen of the press, and peculiarly belonging
| to them. This is the usage Of Offering any
public speaker, If he desires it, the opDortli-
nifty Of revising and correcting the reporters
notes of his speech and of accepting his YER
sion as the most authentic statement of what
he says or intends to say. The report Of
President Davis speech rendered the Plea
ultpe, as it's representative was distinctly In
formed, was that authorized and approved by
the fllustriOus speaker himself. This would
be enough, it might be supposed to secure
conformity to it. But this is not all.
do not desire to criticise the work of the
PiCdptne's reporter, and should not say one
word about 1t but for the issue which has been
made by the unnecessary and offensive arti-
Gle in that paper. The issue is not of my
seeking, but since it has been made, deny
that it is "the only correct report" or @ cor
rect report at all, Of the address. It may be
somewhat more full: 1t gives an anecdote
and a few incidental expresSions-no at al
necessary to "completeness' or accuracy
omitted In yours. 1t may also be complete
and faithful reproduction Of all the little
pleOnasms, repetitiOnS and lapses of tongue
incident to oral discourse and aggravated in
the case of speaker addressing large aC-
dience with the sunlight streaming into his
eyes and O. strong sea breeze blowing his
words back into his mouth. But it does more
than this; it makes him guilty OF solecisms
nti anI
which Jefferson Davis could not have COM
mitted.
Will any one, for example, believe that he
himself warrior tried"-wOuld have said
to an assemblage Of soldiers, by way of COM
pJime1et, that your coming never inspired
terror in Gnyb0dyP Your version of the re-
mark is, Nor mad the nOn-COmbdtdqats cause
to tremble at your coming, either in their
body or estate" Which report bears In itself
the better evidence Of fidelity and correct
ness?
Again: The PiCnyune attributes to MT
Davis the following fearful and wonderfully
constructed sentence: You are not called
upon to do that because man is called
and drive yootr people to faLset0od and perjury,
and yet go unquestioned." The italics are
mine, but the hearers Of the speech may safe
ly be left to decide whether Mr.. Davis or the
PiCayL1,e is responsible for the idea and it's
grammatical expression. The DEMOCRATS
version land 1 venture to assert that it is In
every respect more correct and more "faith-
fulJ Is as follows: at [your oathl does not
require you because q man calls
himself statesman to admit his right to
legitimate bribery and corruption"
Mr.. Davis did not say, in describing the
visit Of Albert Sidney Johnston to him when
Ill in Richmond, that when heard his steps
In the hall and recognized him IjmneCiateLp
gOtup. But he jdsHy in substance, and very
nearly, II not precisely, in language what the
DEMOCRAT represents him saying: "When
he entered the hall, recognized his step,
and sent TO have him shO1gn up."
These are merely specimens taken at ran
dom. Lej eH ne OGudrd1 pas Ia ChGndetle to
compare the two reports carefully, nor have
even read them both with that view; but
what has been quoted may suffice It Is far
from my desire to find fault with the reporter
of the PiCdyur1e, but the arrogant and dis
courteous language Of it's editorial article has
forced me to the comparison. Fortunately,
no serious harm could be done by either YER
sion. In that of the DEMOCRAT the opening
sentences Of the address have been omitted
by mere inadvertence, but even a0jth this
omission, I claim, and think / have shown,
that it is, both in substance and In expression,
more correct" and faithful for its defects
are paratively insignificant and inmate
riaD than that which your contemporary as,
serts to be "the only correct report"
THE REPORTER.
Mississippi City. July H. 1878.
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