The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-12-08
the rough and ready praise of Zachary Tsy.


III WIS DIFFICULT TO REALIZE
as he sat there near me, smoking tranquility.
with unpretentious manner, and his very
simple attire. that the name of jefferson
Davis was part of history. and would go
down to posterity as that of the chief figure
OF the mightiest rebellion that ever shook
the world, throughout all the ages. He
'that quiet. graceful, smooth-toned, cordial.
almost fascinating elderly conference.-the
once dreaded chief of the Southern slave
confederacyl 1t was difficult, indeed. 10 re-
alize that fact. My memory went back over
fifteen years, 10 the time when our stalwart
legions, with bronzed faces and dusty uni
forms and shining in muskets, trudged
cheerily to battle, singing with the playful
ness of soldier spirit:
Well hang JEFF Davis to sour apple treel
Nell hang JEFF Davis to sour apple treel
Well hang yen Davis 10 a sour apple tree,
While we go marching on!
1t was stupid refrain, especially as the
sour apple tree referred TO did not grow in
time for the execution, and the neck of Mr.
Davis is now encircled by shirt collar in
stead of collar of hemp
There could have been no contrast, phys-
ical as well as mental, greater than that pre-
sented by
THE RESPECTIVE CHIEFS
Of the great American war. Lincoln-tall
times little bit coarse; also, honest, fervid,
roughly elOquent-the man of the people
the type and the champion of the toiling,
yet intelligent masses. Davis-graceful.
subtle, polished, biue-blooded, persistent,
harsh and naughty, too, on OCCASIONS
fitting representative of the high-strung
planter aristocracy and the CHASTITY schism
of secession.
l said to myself: 'If the old gentleman
doesn' talk, he is, at least, worth pen-pic-
ture."
Said Mr.. Davis, after somewhat long
pause, 81 was much amused when some of
the New York press sent their Junior menu
bers to interview me. 1t was altogether too
rich, he continued, bat lay back in my
chair and laughed at Them"
THE MEMORY OF THIS
manner of discomfiting the New York in
quisitors evidently tickled Mr. Davis. for he
renewed his merriment, Laughing consum-
edly"
You must understand, Mr. Davis" re-
marked, that i am not interviewing you at
all. You may call my visit one of cere-
mony, or anything you please"
Indeed, he said merriiy, my remarks
do not apply in your case all. You must
not think because l don't choose 10 talk pol
itics that not very glad to see you, very
glad indeed
at is very kind of you to say so, but, let
ting politics slide, don'tyou thing the coun-
try has improved very much materially of
late years?''
Mr.. Davis assumed a very demure and
provokingly innocent look as he rejoined,
"As never, under any circumstances travel
much, you have much better opportunity
of Judging that point than | have"
"The devil | have" thought !. well
this sharp old diplomat will not commit
himself even to an expression of opinion
relative TO the progress of the South, for
fear, | suppose, ii might upset his pet theory
that secession was the only salvation for
Dixie. Very well. i think I'll say adieu to
this polite but slippery scion of the land of
cotton"
Animated by this refiectionI stood up and
said: "Since you are not willing to talk
either politics or agriculture, Mr.. Davis, TT
take my leave"
II hope" said he, lyon don't think me
unwilling TO speak 10 you on other matters.
Keep your seat"
THEN HE SPOKE 4 LITTLE
about Louisiana and particularly about the
salt deposit on Averys island. That is in
applicable" said he, ION any theory that
have read. 1t is strange there is no salt on
the other islands of similar formation. Now
there is something that biologists might
study with interest, and, perhaps, they
might be able to arrive at some conclusion
about it. II is, ! consider, one of the great
est natural curiosities on the continent
Were you ever in Poland? No. Well, there
they have mines of solid rock salt, just the
same. But the isolation of this other one
makes it SO remarkable"
Mr.. Davis became SO enthusiastic on the
saline subject that he lit another cigar, and
INDUCED in a very longand artistic Whit at
the cheroOt.
A gentle knock came at the door, and was
followed by a lady in a hiding habit She
was a visitor, and, as / feared Mr. Davis
might enlarge on salt until he came down to
salt hog, corned beef, and, perhaps, salt her
ring l concluded it was the part of prudence
to effect mastery retreat.
He still politely protested against my de-
parture but had preseRtiment that his
courtesy was somewhat of the Latin order
which expresses much and means little,
and as my interviews with President Diaz
and Sitting Bull, neither of whom could
speak a word of English, had been eminent
ly brief and satisfactory, | thought I'd
make no exception in the case of jefferson
Davis, who knows the art of using language
to express his thoughts better than most
men, and so shook hands, and took what,
l suppose, will De my last farewellof "Massa
jeff"
He came out on the portico to wave me
goodby, and the last sight had of him he
was standing with his hands behind his back
like Napoleon at St Helena, looking out
upon the dull stretch OF sea lying between
the islands far out on the other side of the
Mississippi sound, his white hair futtering
like a flag of truce In a November wind. aud
an expression on his keen face which seemed
to say: 81 wonder, now, if that id
Yankee correspondent thought he could in
terview meT'
The time has been when diseases of the
Kidneys were considered serious affections,
but fortunately all fear of any fatal results