The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-11-06
The Confederate Congress.

In coming on here ito Washington
after we had talked of almost everything,
DR.. Curry was asked some leading ques-
tions about the Confederate Congress,
and about why Jefferson Davis was made
President of the Confederacy. He re-
piled substantially: "There was moth
ing to develop great men in the Confed-
crate Congress. Nearly all the legisla.
tion had reference io the war, and the
debates were all in secret session, except
such as were of no consequence. AS to
why we elected Mr. Davis President,
there were several reasons. He had dis
tinguished himself in the Mexican war,
had been trained soldier at West Point,
and had been Secretary of War. We
all felt that it was necessary 10 elect a
man of military capacity and experience,
acquainted with the officers who WOULD
come to us. Then, Mr.. Davis had dis
tinguished himself in the United States
Senate as a debater. He and Hunter
and Benjamin and Toombs we're the
foremost men from the South in the
Senate at that time. Mr.. Davis was not
an extreme man. He was a man Of fine
culture, and in all debates where scien-
ti6c principles were involved he could
take part with credit to himself. He
was man of stainless character, and
his private life, as we'll as his public life,
was blameless. The people who say that
the choice of Mr.. Davis for the Presi-
dency was q bad one should remember
that the field of selection was very re-
stricted one. Virginia, North Carolina
and Tennessee had nsssthen Joined the
Confederacy. Mr.. Stephens had been
strong Union man and had recently
made very strong Union speeches.
Georgia presented him, and he was
elected Vice President with the hope of
conciliating the South and uniting the
whole people upon the great undertaking.
l don't think there was much antagonism
between Mr.. Davis and Mr.. Stephens.
Mr.. Davis took very few persons into his
confidence. In Washington you will
always find the Vice. ce.President has very
little to do in aiding the President in the
discharge of his duties. Mr.. Benjamin
was probably the greatest man we had,
as thinker and speaker, while his ca
pacity for:work was simply wonderful.
Howell Cobb was another great man.
As President of the Provisional Congress
lin Montgomery he held himself admi-
,rably. He had been Speaker of the old
Congress, and, added to his large legisla-
tive experience, he was noted for his
great ability and thorough integrity. In
1850, when there was great excitement
in the South, looking to secession,
Cobb was Union man, and as such was
elected Governor of Georgia. He was
Jackson Democrat in contradistinction
from q calhoun Democrat. He was Sec.
,retary of the Treasury under Buchanan,
and resigned and went home to plead for
secession. He was one of the wisest of
statesmen, and many thought he would
have made better President than Davis.
Howell Cobb was in many things very
much like Senator Jos. E. Brown, whom
l regard as a very able man. In the
Provisional Congress Georgia had the
strongest representation. 1t had Ste
phens, Toombs, the two Cobbs, Ben Hill,
Frank Barlow KILLED at Manassas and
Nesbit. Ben Hill was the ablest debater
in the United States Senate, aud his loss
was irreparable. [ repeat, there was
nothing to develop craftsmanship during
the war and since the war. This race
question has absorbed all questions and
overshadows everything else. No man,
North or South, seems to grasp it in all
its bearings. The negro problem more
than any other in this country, or even
in Europe, requires the highest order of
craftsmanship. Thus only can it be set
tied justly for both races. Our people
do not see as they should that the prin-
ciples of Christianity must enter into
craftsmanship. In our protest against
the union of Church and State we have
fallen into the error of separating Chris
tianity from these great principles.