Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-03-27
THE VALIANT HOAR.
from tho I,aItlmore Gazs,ia.


Whenever a Republican Of the
visiting statesman type feels the need
Of venting his noble rage upon some
body who cannot strike back and Of
giving his patriotism an airing, he
rises majestically and makes an as
sault upon Jefferson Davis. When
the bill was up in the senate on the
morning Of March Sd TO pension the
veterans of the Mexican war, Mr..
Hoar, formerly of the Electoral com
mission, arose and moved that Jeffcr-
son Davis be excluded from the bene-
fits Of the bill because he had made
himself odious." This, Mr.. Hoar
doubtless thought, fine and heroic
stand to take. To make Mr.. Davis
the "arch-traitor" has Il certain adj
yantage-it gives the "Stalwart Re
publicans" something tangible to throw
their spite at. Why he should be
hated more than General Lee or Stone.
wall jackson or General Joseph T..
Johnston has never appeard. He was
iDh hhf auAhbi VI t9tIfHEtOu. Ile WIS
only the fly on the wheel of great
movement 1t carried him rs il did
others. The causes which led TO the
war Of Secession were rooted in the
events Of fifty years before. Nay,
when the New England ships first be-
gan to bring slaves from Africa to the
Colony of Virginia the seeds of the
war were planted. To make jefferson
Davis the cause Of the war il about a.
rational as to make Washington the
cause of the revolution. Single men
count for little in great eras like these.
Jefferson Davis acted his part accord
ing to his ideas of duty Just a. Robert
T.. Lee and Stonewall jackson did.
Mistakes he may have made in policy,
~ they did in the field OF war, but he
never stained his hands with useless
blood and never dirtied them with any
participation in frauds. He did what
he could 10 ameliorate the horrors Of
the war and since its close has accept
cd imprisonment, de,raction, calumnv,
with unshaken fortitude. Sometime.
stung by unmcriied rcproach and
slander, he has broken silence and
every word that he has uttered has
been distorted and misinterpreied by
him enemies for political effect. For
this reason We have ourselves severely
criticised his utterances, knowing that
they would thus he used by an un-
scrupulous adversary. A magnani-
nous foe would be content 10 let him
live out the remnant of his days in
peace The hand Of God has been
heavy enough upon him. Death has
invaded his family and taken it, most
cherished members; his fortune has
been impaired; his health is infrm.
l. not this enough; Yet when the
United States is considering the pay
ment Of pensions TO the veterans of
the Mexican war-in which Jefferson
Davis render knightly service-Elec-
toral Commission Hoar, stained
through and through with the infa-
mics and periuries Of the great fraud,
arises to say that Jefferson Davis has
made himself odious and should be
excluded from the benefit OF the act
The fraudulent administration that he
helped 10 count in has given offices to
General Longstrcci and Mosby. 1t has
given cabinet office to Key. There
was no principle at stake with Hoar.
lie merely wished TO make a cheap
sensation by striking a broken old
man whose chief ofcnse is the pa
tent dignity with which he has borne
the hootings and ISLANDERS of his enc
mics and who. despite all that may be
said of him, is as much entitled to
gratitude for his services on the fields
Of Mexico as though he had never
represented the people Of the South in
their war for independence.