The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-30
Che GMtdII2sncen
wHnGLlNO, ". va, ArSlL "o' 1855


The sppesranCe OF JetI Davis as u s1aF
perlormer ut Montgomery Was altogether
memorable occasion. Montgomery had
left nothing undone to give her vislt0r u
biz reception, The landlord OF the hotel
in which he was to lodge, catching the IN
spiEation Of the occasion, newly furnished
the room which Mr., Davis was to occupy
A bedstead in which La Fsyette had slept
WAS sent all the way from Richmond for
the Use Of the man without q country.
The newspapers published twenty'page
editions in honor Of the hero OF the hOur'
One Of the local prints, stirred to the
highest pitch Of enthusiasm, apostro'
phlscd Mr.. Davis rs "the gallant soldier,
the profound statesman, the illustrious
MARTYR" When Mr.. Davis read this he
knew it was absurd, but 1t %as n hitting
overture 10 the part he was to play, lie
did serve well in Mexico. AS a pro
found statesman" no accomplished moth
Ing for the people whom he misled. Ills
contemporaries in the Confederate move
ment have digseCled his statemanship
and left nothing OF it, To call him
martyr is 10 misuse n word and abuse an
idea. II no ID i martyr at oil 1t is to his
own inordinatO conceit. In any other
land he would have felt tho halter draw
but he WAS allowed liio, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness in his own way
mir. Davis had been willing to "recog'
nize" the G~oyeronent which he could not
overthrow, as better men than himself
Aayo done, hia citizenship would have
been restored. II he had shown anything
of the spirit which animated come oil the
most brilliant civil and military leaders oil
the ~ConiCderaCy, it Is not at oil improba'
hle that he might have been seen again
in Congressi II his people had 80 desired
The Vice. President Of the Coniederacy
returned to Congress. It's eminent sol
diers and civilians Blt there, Mr.. Davis
plays the martyr because he likes the role
which preserves for him a certain kid oil
distinction. 49,.
When Mr.. Davis camO to make HE
speech he stood where twenty-five Year,
before he had taken the oath OF Office al
President Of the ContCderacy, t@o alavet
appropriately acting as ca%ndlebearers
Slavery was the dark light that was TO IL
lumino the Government which he hoped
to found, Coming to reviOit these aceneI
MI. Davis said that the demonstration II
his behalf shows that the spirit Of South
ern liberty is not dead"
In these days. 1t Is difficult to under
stand just what Is meant by Southern
liberty az distinguished from the liberty
that all mon are supposed to enjoy in this
country. In the days when Mr.. Davis
was organizing rebellion, Southern liberty
meant the right Of certain men to own
other men, denying to them any liberty
whatsoever. Mr.. Stephens said at Rich
mond that slavery was the cornerstone OF
the O~onfcderacy, and Mr.. Stephens knew
what lie was talking about. In that sec.
ton in those days liberty had a very re-
stricted meaning.
Referring TO the time when they had
assembled to destroy the Union, Mr..
Davis said, "then you were full Of joyous
hopes, now you are wrapped in the man
tie VI regret" Mr.. Davis is one Of the
very few men in the South who veal SC
ridiculous and u%nbeComing a garment,
Since the collapse Of the misadventute o.
which Mr.. Davis was the leader, the mer
Of the South have found 1t more profitable
to grow cotton, rice, sugar and corn, t
mine coal and iron, TO set up blast fur
naces, establish factories and build rail
roads than to 20 about like ghosts o
departed hope, wrapped in the mantle o
regret.
The People who listened TO Mr.. Davit
must have thought il strange that lie hat
come from the retirement OF Beauvoir only
to weep over a blunder, bringing no wort
Of encouragement, lacking the courage OF
the wisdom to utter a single helpful
thought. He might as we'll have bottled
his tears and sent them by express. Il
every Southern man had followed the ex.
ample Of Mr.. Davis since the war, contri
buting TO the prosperity Of that section
nothing more than he has, the South
would indeed 10 q land Of desolation
The ravages Of such a peace would be
ten.fold worse than the havoc VI war.
Mr.. Davis does not represent the New
South. He died at Appomattox, but has
had will power enough to resist burial
While he plays ghost the live men Of the
South are at work, enjoying the priyi.
leges Of American citizens and not regret.
ting that they do not live under the Con.
iedetaCy Of Jefferson Davis.
Dir. BKATTY's ESTATE.