The New York herald., 1879-08-10
JEFFERSON DAVIS LEGACY.

Mr. Edgar Howard Farrar, who was tlD solicitor OF
Mrs. Dorsey previous to her death. has written o
letter to the St. Louis Republican of the 7th inst. in
regard to the bequest to Jefferson Davis. He says:
"The disposition of Mrs. Dorsey's will the
motives which induced her to make it COM
municated to me by her own lips early in the year
1878, and very shortly after the will was written
These are the circumstances under which this COM
munication made:--Mrs. Dorsey came to New
Orleans with the intention of undergoing . severe
surgical operation for cancer. under which she
pected to die. and from the effects Oh which she
finally did die. She sent for me- told me of the will,
its contents her motives for making it, her anticpa-
tions of death and gave me directions to what
should do in that event. The operation. by the ad-
vice of her physician, was postponed year. She
subsequently brought the will to my Office and left
it there to be deposited in the Canal Bank which de-
posit made by my associate, Mr.. 4. D. King.
''The motives which Mrs. Dorsey gave for making
Mr.. Davis her egatee in substance those sci
forth in the body of the will itself-given however
more detail and expressed with that fine earnest.
ness of that peculiar to herself. She
said that she childess that she had done all
her relatives that they deserved and that she felt
bound to do; that the small fortune she pos,
sessed came to her from the bounty of her husband,
VINO had also made provision for his own relations;
that she a daughter of the South (her q.
plume Fila aud loved tits history. its deeds
and its cause-with all the enthusiasm of her ma.
ture; that she regarded Mr.. Davis as the embodi.
ment OF that cause; that maligned and
abused even by his own people, sisted and
stratened circumstances, he devoting the
remaining years OF his life to the vindicaon through
history of the South; that she in intense sym
pathy with this work. the progress of which She had
watched day after day with her eyes aud toward
which she had been graciously permitted to contrib
ute what personal aid she could gives that she had
known. honored and loved Mr.. Davis from her girl.
hood with the affection of daugh and that she
did not know where her property could be more
worthily bestowed than upon tue exPresdent OF the
Contederacy.
hrap hes .tal H.srfk
they waiting for dead mems shoes in vain
Aside from the personal relations that existed be-
tween them, speak authoritatively when say that
her leave IL to literary scientific
purpose. Previous to the formation of this design
of leaving it to Mr.. Davis, her intention to
tablish and endow in some American college chair
of Sanscrit Language. literature and religon-hcr
own profound studies having been turned in that
direction tor many years. to such an extent that
her friends would ughingly accuse her of being
q worshpper OF Brahina
cat the time of the conversation above alluded to
jokingly asked Mrs. Dorsey what would become of
her professorshp of sanscrit and she answered that
she was doing the greatest service possible to her
country and her people in placing MIR. Davis in u
position where. unpinched by the augusta DON'T
he could finish his work and his life in peace and
comfort.
THE CONTEST OVER THE WILL
'In the second place wish to advert TO the grounds
upon which 1t is proposed to attack Mrs. Dorsey's
will The testament being perfect in form. the testa
trx being capable of giving and the legaee capable
OF receiving. IL is said that 1t will be attacked
having been made through undue influence or ON the
ground that the testatrix insane.
NOW, Mrs. Dorsey was n citizen OF Louisiana. she
died here her will was probatod here and the bulk
of her property II here Under our benehcent sys-
tenn of law, which suppresses and discountenances
scandalous litigation of all sorts such contests
over Wills take place disgrace the surrogate
courts of New York Article l.i92 of the Civil Code
provides that proof is not admitted of the dispos-
tons tincr and tsortis cunsI having been made
through hatred, anger, suggestion captation.'
SO much tor the first ground As your article states
that the heirs looking for contingent fee law
yer. do not think any shark in the proession-for
contingent fee lawyers generally marine mon
sters or that speciescan be found who will be fool
enough to hurl himself against tine prohibition
tanned in article I sg2.
''But IL the law otherwise do not hesi
tate to declare boldly from my personal knowledge
of the facts and the parties that all statements and
suggestions that Mr. Davis exercised particle OF
him her legatee born greed aud hate-the filthy
progeny of the duri tdmeS-and unquali-
hedly false. malicious and contemplate.
'ro those who knew Mrs. Dorsey this senile
and Juvenile bubble about undue influence
is equallcd in absurdty only by the state
nnent that she rendered incapable of MAX
ing will by mental arrangement. She was q
woman of no ordinary type and OF more than
dinary attainments. An omnivorous reader and
intense student. her memory retained aud her strong
clear mind digested what she read As conversa-
tionalist she appeared better advantage than a
writer-a tact due TO her cultivation OF the OF
conversation. Although she was strong advocate
of female suffrage and of women's rights. the last
thing that came from her pen petition the
Constitutional Convention, written upon her death.
bed asking that the of Louisiana be given the
right to vote more refined. more gentle, moro
womanly woman never lived"