Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-08-08
JEFFERSON DAVIS,
AND HIS CONNECTION WITH TIL E SOUTH
ERN CONFEpERACY -
From a Southern Stsndpoint-Ths HonorS Pad to
Him-An Exhaustive Paper On Great QueS-
tons Interesting to North and SJuh-
GDied for Their State"

munication printed below is from the pen
of Mr.. Benjamin J. Williams, of this city,
and treats of a subject of deepest interest
to the people of this country, North and
South. 1t treats of Mr. jefferson Davis
and his connection with the Southern con-
federacv from n Southern standpoint. The
writer handles his subject unfamiliar to
our readers, who if they do not agree with
the sentiments expressed, will at least find
il very interesting and instructive COM
munication, particularly at this time"
DEAR SIR: The demonstrations in the
South in honor of Mr.. Jefferson DAVIS, the
ey-President of the Confederate states, are
certainly of "A remarkable character, and
furnish matter for profound consideration:
Mr.. Davis. twenty-one years after the iail
of the Confederacy, suddenly cmerges from
his long retirement, Journeys among MS
people to different prominent parts there
to take part in public obserAanceS more OF
less directly commemorative respectively
of the cause of the Confederacy, ana oil
those who strove and died for it, and every
where he received from the people the most
overwhelming manifestations OF heartfelt
affection, devotion and reverence, exceed
ING even any of which hewaS the recipient
in the time of his power; such manileSta-
tions rs no existing ruler i'll the world can
obtain from his people, and such rs pron3-
blv were never given to n puhlic man. o'u'
ont of Office, with no favOrs TO dispense
and dislranchiScd. >.
Such homage is significant, startling. III
is given. rs Mr.. Davis himself has rcco%'
nized, not to him alone, but to the cause
whose chief representative he IL. Ana IL
is useless TO attempt to deny, disguise Oh
ryadc the conclusion that there must nc
something great and noble and true III nm
and the cause to evoke this homage. As
for MIR. Davis himself, the student oi
American history has not yet forgotten
that it was his courage, scli-poSScsSloh ana
leadership that in the very Crisis I'll .'l'
hattie NJ Bucna Vista won his country heT
nroud victory. upon foreign fields ol war
that rs Secretary OF War i'll MIR. Pierce
administration he was the master-Spult anu
and that he was the recognized. leader %
the United States Senate III the time oil til'
secession of the Southern States. For his
character there let il be stated by his en-
envy but admirCr, Massachusetts, OWN
Henry Wilson, The clcar-hcLdcd, prt''i
cal. dominating Davis, said Mr. wilson
i'm a speech made during the war, WINE
paSsing i'm review the great Southern sen
ators who had withdrawn with their States
| When the seeding States formed thclr new
Confrdcracv. in recognition 0i Mr.. DAVIS
varied and predominant abilities, ne was
unanimously chosen aS its chlcl magistrate
And from the hour Of his arrival III MONT
,eomrrv TO assume that office, when he spok,
| tbc memorable words, I'VE are determined
to make I'LL who oppose us smell So"t'lcr,
powderand feel SOuthcrnSteei, AL tiiIo"S'
the Conicderacy's four years unequa
struggle for independence down To his laS'
! appcll rs its chief in his defiant procIamA
| from Dlnvillr, after the fall at Richmond
! Let us not despair my conntrymcn, bu'
meet the foe with fresh defiance and with uh
conquered and uncOnqncrablc hearts, III
exhibited everywhere and always the same
proud and unfolding spirit, 81 expressly,
Of his slnu,inr and rcSnlutc temper, which
| him. even it could nOlongcr sustain Others,
and which, had il been possible, would 4"
| itself have assured the independence oi tho
| Conttdcracv. And when ut last the Con
frdcracy had fallen, literally overpnwcrcd
! nv immcasurably superior numbers ana
means. and Mr.. Davis WAS prisoner sub
icctcd to the greatest indiGnltlcS, his proud
shirt remained unhroken, and never slncI
| the subiugatiou nf his people has he ahated
| i'm the least his assertion of the cause Ion
which they struggled. The ScductIonS al
power or interest may move lesser men
! that matters not to him; the cause OF the
Conirdcracy. rs fixed moral and c0nStl'
tutiOnal principle, unaffected by the trl'
umph of physical force, he asserts to-day
Us cuuivocalIy Us when hc was seated III
the executive chair 1T Richmond, IN ap'
parent irrcvcrsihlc power, with ITS rIct0rl'
Gus lcgiuns at his command. Now when
we consider all this, what Mr.. Davis has
been md most of all, what he is to-day,
in the moral greatness of his position, can
we wonder that his people turn aSldc from
time servers and sci-seckers, and from all
the common place chaii OF life, and render
age which is his due.
And we cannot indeed wonder when VI
consider the cause for which MIR, Davis l.
80 much To his people. Let Mr. DAVIS
himself State it, for 10 one else can do 1t 81
well. In his recent address II the laying
of the cornerstone of the Confederate mon
umcnt ut Montgomery, hc said: II have
come to Join you in thc performance oil
sacred task, TO lay the foundation OF
monument ut the cradle of the Confederate
government which shall commemorate the
Gallant sons Of Alabama who died for theii
country. who gave their lives a free will
offering fin defence Of the rights Of then
Sirrs, Won in the war of the revolution, the
! State sovereignty, freedom and indep"n
dcncc. which were left to us rs an inhcri'
tcncc to their pustcrity forever These
mastcrful words, ''the rights of their Sire
won in the war uf The revolution, the State
sovcrcisnty, freedom and independence
which were left to us ~ an inheritance tc
their pOstcrity forever are the whole case
and they are not only statement. but q
complete justification OF the Confederate
cause to all who arc acquainted with Tn,
origin and character OF the American Union
When the original thirteen colonies
threw of their allegienCe to Great Britain,
they became independent States, ''inde
pendent of her aud each other" rs tht
great iLuthcr Martin, Of Maryland, cx-
pressed il in the Federal convention. This
Independence was at first revolutionary
one. but afterwards by itS recognition by
| Great Britain, it became legal This re-
cogntiOn was of the States separately
! each by names. inthe treaty of peace which
| terminated the war of the revolution. Ant
that this separate recognition was dcliber
ate and intentional, with the distinct
objection Of recognizing the States rs sepa
rate sOyegcignties, and not rs one nation
will sufficiently appear by reference To thu
! last chapter Of the 9th volume of Bancroft
History ofthc United States. The Article,
of Confederation between the States dc
claretl, that Each States retains its SOY
ereignty, freedlm and independence =
And the Constitution of the United States
which Immediately followed, was frs
adopted by the States in convention, each
State casting one vote, as a proposed plan
of government; and then ratified by thu
States separately, each State acting for il
! self i'm its SOVEREIGN and indeDfndcnt cam.