The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-05-11

regards his influence direct or indirect
upon the couase of public affairs or pub
lie sentiment. Mr.. Davis is looked upon
in the South very much as he is else
where-that is to cay. as person of no
consequence whatever. That he should
be received, probably for the last time
in public, in the South with demonstra-
tons of affcctionate admiration is nat
ural and inevitable. He is the most
conspicuous remaining melnento of
events which stirred the Southern
heart to it's depths. But neither for the
Southern people nor for their fellow
countrymcn is there in the feeling they
have for him tinge of actual hostility
toward our common Government and
our common country.
CONFEDERATE PROTEST.
[Ed. Louisville Post
The writer was one Of the mere boys
referred to whose musket seemed heav-
ier than himself, but he has grown some
what since, both in mind and body
sufficiently Mt least to realize the folly
of spending his days brooding over the
ashes Of a dead controversy and trying
to revive its extinguished embers.
There is nothing to he gained by it, and
much to be lost; and unless Mr.. Davis
proposes to buckle on his sword and go
forth Staying the United States Govern
ment, he should bride bis tongue.
TIE SIZE OF IT.
lSpringfield Mass. Republican.
Gen. Gordon is right in suggesting
that the valor Of the South must be held
as possession Of the nation. Ten years
ago the Republicans looked for
ward to the time. when the dead
of both sides in that great war
would be honored together, as illustrat-
ing American manhood when brought
to the supreme test of cour-
age, endurance and devotion. The time
is at hand. Ours is one country all
that has been done in 1t to tho credit of
the American heritage Of the whole
country. not solely Of one section. The
hated Yankee and the hated Southron
are phrases tina. belong to the past
whose last voice will be that Of JEFF
ferson Davis at Montgomery and Allan
ia.
AS for Mr.. Davis, he stands pathet-
ically lonely figure in the midst of alien
days. ''The vicarious sufferer for o
vnnquished people," as Gordon calls
him, he has no life save in the past.
The burden Of the great sin Of rebellion
mas rested on his shoulders for score
of years. To him alone Of all the Con-
federates there was no future left when
the experiment he fathered failed. Be-
fore him in the thriving communities Of
Georgia and Alabama he sees the pros
perity of new order Of civilization. a
progress far beyond that of the old order
and rich with the promise that the
vanished system of society could never
have attained. With all this he has
nothing to do. He arises now, for q
moment, to pronounce farewell. He can
say nothing that will harm the country
to which he does not belong, and would
refuse to belong if the choice were
his.
The Southern people regard him with
different eyes, and in their exuberant
fashion they console the solitary man
with praise that would be excessive If
applied to any save the greatest men.
History will weigh him far more lightly.
If the failure of the Southern Confeder.
acy could have been due to any one
man, that man was Jefferson Davis. His
jealousies, his petty spites, his obstinate
will, his narrow nature, made him q
a most incompetent head for so tremen-
dous venture. The extravaganza Of
the laudation he now receives will conn-
teraot itself. 1t is given to him. at the
bottom, not for himseli, but as the rep
resentative and embodiment Of the
separate national life Of the South
now and forever, fortunately for South
and North. sthe baseless fabric Of a
vision,