The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-06-23
Davis Rise aud Fall.
(Phiiadelphia Press.)


Of secession and, If we understand the
author Alright, it pretends to be moth
ing more. Mr.. Davis must be judged
therefore, not as historian aiming
at faithful and impartial presenta-
ton of the truth, but as an intensely
interested advocate, who deals with
the facts of history as Il lawyer deals
with evidence, coloring even where
he does not misstate and citing only
what will sustain the cause he has
espoused. He acknowledges that the
case was close in '65 and a verdict re-
turned against him. This post-mor-
tenn examination, he gives us to un-
derstand, is not for the purpose or
with the hope of bringing secession to
life, but to show that it ought never to
have perished.
The authors argument we need not
go into. 1t is set forth at tedious
length, but contains nothing new.
1t was triumphantly and overwhelm-
ingly refuted by Daniel Webster in
his replies to Hayne and Calhoun fifty
years ago. 1t was still more
thoroughly demolished when appeal
was afterwards made to the sword.
Mr.. Davis acknowledges the force of
the latter argument, though he still
insists on speaking of the States as
sovereignties and the National Govern
ment as "their limited and special
agent" The authors prepossessions
are reflected in the English ef the
work throughout. 1t is always the
"so-called Republican party" Our
great War Secretary is the "malevo.
lent Stanton" The Northern armies
were composed for the most part of
foreign mercenaries," and women
and children were habitually sub
jected by them to "wanton insults and
outrages.' The story that he was ar
rested in feminine apparel, when he
had only two of his wife's garments
on he brands with unnecessary harsh
ness as "the spawn of malignity
that shames the civilization of the
age.' He tells that he accepted the
Presidency of the Confederacy with
reluctance, as he modestly estimated
himself "better fitted to command in
the field" and the position he prefer
red to all others was "the highest
rank in the army" The associates of
Jefferson Davis in the civil admins
tration of the Confederacy must look
elsewhere than in his book for immor-
tality. Robert Toombs, his first Secre-
tar of State, is barely and briefly men,
toned twice in the two volumes: R..
NJ. L. Hunter, another Secretary of
State, has his name in but once; Alex
ander III. Stephens name appears five
times, and Judah p. Benjamin three
times. Mr.. Davis publishers insert a
picture of his Cabinet under the per-
manent Government. That he ever
had such a Cabinet is fact of which
the author himself makes no men.
ton.
We look in vain through these vol
umes for any record of Uuion victor
les. 1t is impossible to account from
anything therein contained for the
gradual shrnkage and final collapse
of the Confederacy. Even of Gettys.
burg the author writes: at is not ad-
mitted that our army was defeated "
lao pi tod ,Nct
tor and Merrimac terminated, accord
ing to this authority, in decided
victory for the Confederate iron clad
which he prefers to designate as the
Virginia" The battle of Shiloh, or
Pittsburg Landing, resulted, we are
told, in glorious triumph for the
Confederate army. If lone more"en-
campment had been captured the
author thinks "that it was not too
much to expect that Grants army
would have surrendered. AS it was
however, "Our victorious army re-
tired from the 'front.'" whereby "the
enemy had room and opportunity to
keeps up this pretense to the end, and
when, as the result of these many left
handed victories, he is forced to aban-
don Richmond he gives the ladies
who wait upon him to understand
that "the success of the cause required
it," Some weeks later we learn that
it was only his wife's inopportune en-
brace which prevented him from an
initiating squad of Michigan caval
rymen, who on this account, succeeded
in making him prisoner.
The obtuseness of the Confederate
President in the face of overwhelming
defeat compels certain degree of ad
miration. Lees surrender and the
evacution of Richmond only opened
up to him "a new phase of the strug.
gle" in which they were fortunately
"relieved from the necessity of guard
ing particular points" He still con.
tinues his quarrel with johnson fol-
refusing to promote his purpose oj
prolonging the war into desultory v
bushwacking contest. If faith, hope
and stubbornness could have won 8
cause he would have pulled the Con,
frederacY through. Excepting in this
sanguine tenacity of purpose we fai
to see in Mr.. Davis, as portrayed in
his book and in his life, a single ele
ment of greatness. He appears as
man of an unusually narrow under
standing, bitterly partisan, violently
prejudlced, but with unlimited self