The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-02-12
Hon. jefferson Davis Letter on
Ihe Right of Hn~rrucGiaA.
wAsH1xo1ox. D C.J,n. %. 1s7a.
no rnE EpIroR OF LEE 81 Y.HERALD:


To THE EDIToR OF THE y. Y. HERALD:
In your Issue OF yesterday you published
the calm able AID stateSm anlike letter of
Hon. Jeff-Ts0n Davis on The Right Of It.
struction," and in doiHg this you doubtless
grati fled thousands of your readers. In
your editorial criticism accompany ing thai
document YOU fiippantlv speak OF II a.
"stilted defamation" aud then gratuitous
" assume that 10 was 'lnteuded as al at
tack on senator Lamar" because of a vote
given By that gentleman in the Senate near
" year ago!
You had no right to make any such as
/ sum ption. First, because there was no
reference In che letter 20 Colonel Lamar
ard. second because the attempt to array
these distinguished gentlemen ia ant4g-
oLiSm is grossir unjust T. both. Jefferson
Davis never makes covert attacks Hpau any
/ one. One OF hIs most striking Characters
tics has ever been bis bold aud manly
directness OF purpose. II ne had desired 10
make al attack on Senator Lamar your
sagacity would not have been necessary to
discover his design His purpose would
have been evident u all the world, and our
announcement Of what he ''iutended' would
have been quite superfuous In the DAYS
OF his power Jefferson Davisgave 10 Colonel
Lamar the highest evidence OF his friendship
and conf lence. and up - this hour neither
has been Withdrawals; aud nov when,
cOTdiug 70 your editorial, Mr.. Davis i in
m is ucholy isolation" II is honorable to
our distin guisued Senator thar he speaks OF
the mot hOnoTed of all MissiSsppianS, liv-
ing or dead, in terms of grateful affection
and undiSguiScd admiration. 1t may be
your opinion that the letter of Mr.. Davis is
only "sJiited defamation" but the reading
public will not concur with you any
more than sensible men will agree with
you that shafts" from the inte ilectual
CULVER OF Jefferson Davis can be harm
less to the object at which they may
be aimed Ia like manner your dictum
that the creature Is greater than the creator.
and that a senator knows more than his
''mis guide constituency" vii be whistled
down the wind Your attempt 10 antago
niZe and e>trange MeS-r>. Davis and Lamar
will prove signal failure, and | am quite
sure that no true friends OF the latter gentle
man will attempt to place him upoI a lOt-
tier pedestal than that which the civilized
world has assigned 10 Jetf-rson Davis.
As | know whereof | have written, do
ask too much when l request the pu5iica
ton of this letter in the Herald? | have
the honor to be, sir, respectfully, e., &C.,
WILLIAM Ii. MCCARDLE.
Nothing need be added to what has
been 50 well and opportunely stated by
Col. McCardle, further than the simple
statement that Mr.. Davis letter was
written in reply to the inquiry of a
friend who naturally desired to have
buS y kliAIOI VI LllC ; CatGob lIHihS -AiAOll-
can statesman and long time an honored
Senator from Mississippi, upon the Right
of Instruction. His reply was that it is
necessarily an essential principle of
democratic representa- tive government.
His correspondent knowing that it would
be equally interesting to the public as to
himself, and that Mr.. Davis had no
opinions upon any public question that
he would conceal from his countrymen,
published it without consulting him or
without reference to its bearing upon any
man living or dead; and there it will
stand an immovable landmark and an
imperi5hable record for all time The
vile scribbler ia the New York Herald
who is not worthy to unloose the latchet
of Mr. Davis shoe, attributes to him a
motive as far beneath him as he is re
moved above the hound that bays him.
The knaves who thus assaiI him on every
occasion may indulge their proclivity to
their hearts content, and they may load
him with political disabilities which they
are two cowardly and vindictive to
remove, but they shall not suppress his
right OF speech, and to be heard, SO long
as there IS free and unbought press in
the country.