Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-11-07
THEC0NFEDERATE CONGRESS.
"Reminiscences OF the Present Agent
ef the Peabody Education Fund.

ksenhtulSceaees oil the PreSent Agent
ef the Peabody Education Fund.
Incoming on here (to Washington,
after we had talked of almost every
thing. DR.. Curry was asked some
leading questions about the confeder-
ale congress, and why Jefferson Davis
was made president of the confeder-
acy. He replied Substantially
There was nothing to develop great
men in tie confederate congress.
Nearly all the legislation had refer
ence TO 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 are
several reasons He had distinguished
himself IN the Mexican war. had been
trained soldier at West Point. and
had been secretary of war. We all
felt that 1t was necessary to elect
man of military capacity and expert
ence, acquainted With the officers who
would come To us. Then. Mc. Davis
had distinguished himself III the Unit
ed States senate as debater He and
Hunter and Benjamin and Toombs
were the foremost men from the
south IN the senate at that time.
Mr.. Davis was not an extreme
man. He was man of fine culture,
and in all debates where scientific
principles were involved lie 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 Nr. Davis for the
presidency was bad one, should re
member that the field of selection WAS
very restricted ore. Virginia, North
Carolina, and Tennessee had not then
Joined the confeaeracy, Mr. Stephens
had been a strong union man and had
recently made very strsng union
speeches. Georgia presented him,
and he was elected vice president with
the hope of coucihaung the south and
uniting the whole people upon the
great undertaking. don think think
was much antagoniSm between Mr.
Davis and Mr. Stephens Mr. Davis
took very few persons into his conf
dence. In Washington you will al
ways find the vice president has very
little to do in aiding the president in
the discharge of his duties. Mr.. Ben
jamrn was probably the greatest man
we had, as thinker and speaker,
while his capacity for work was sim
ply wonderful. Howell Cobb was
another great man. As president of
the provisional congress tin
Montgomery he held himself ad
mirably. He had been speaker Of the
old congress, and, added to his large
legislative experience, he was noted
for his great ability and thorough in
tegrity. In 1850, when there was
great excitement in the south, looking
to secession, Cobb was Union man,
and as such was 9lected governor of
Georgia. He was q jackson democrat
in contradistincton from Calhoun
democrat. He was secretary of the
treasury under Buchanan, and resign
ed and went home to plead for seces-
sion. He was one Of the wiSest OF
statesmen, and many thought he
would have made better president
than DAVIS. Howell Cobb was III
many things very much like Senator
Joseph Brown, whom l regard as
very able man. In the provisional
congress Georgia had the strongest
representation. 1t had Stephen
ToombS, the two Cobbs, Ben Hill,
Frank Barlow (hilled at Manasses),
and Nlsbed. Ben Hill was the ablest
debater in the United States senate.
and his loss was irreparahe | repeat
there was nothing 10 develop states
manship during the war and since
the war This race question has
absorbed all questions and over
shadows everything else. No man,
north or south, seems 10 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 sta,esmanahip. Thus only
can it be settled justly for both races
Our people 40 not see as they should
that the principles of christianity must
enter into craftsmanship. In our pro
test against the union of church and
state we have fallen into the error Of
separating christianity from these
great principles. The most remark
able exhibit of the appliances Of chris
tian principles is, of course, in Glad
stone. He has the courage to stand
up in the house of commons and say
that a certain course of action is
wrong, because it is in opposition to
christianity.