The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-12-19
Heroic to the eud, President Davis up
held the waning fortunes af the Southern
Confederacy even as Hector upheld the
fortunes of Troy

/ Heroic to the eud, President Davis up
held the waning fortunes af the Southern
Confederacy even as Hector upheld the
fortunes of Troy.
After the war there were few Southern
ours who for selfish reasons criticised the
administration of President Davis. These
ISLANDERS were refuted by the best and
bravest men Of the South, and by many
OF the good and noblest men of the North.
Even General Grant who certainly had
no love for Mr.. Davis said:
He did all any man could do for the
Confederacy. AID what he did do, no
one knows better than those who were in
the field against him."
The lamentation OF the whole South
over his bier to-day, shows that the
shafts of cowardly malice fell against the
armour of his pure life and magnificent
career, as harmlessIy as the pointless ar
rows OF Saladin against the mailed
| bosom of Occur de Lion.
- He who surpasses or subdues mankind,
| Must look down on the hate of some be-
low
Do you doubt his tact, skill, strategy
and craftsmanship as President of the
Southern COnfederacy?
Go ask the men who were best ac-
quainted with those times and know to
what ends he was forced and what III cans
he devised and adopted.
Go ask the rivers and bays of the Old
Dominion that whisper his greatness to
the wailing sea.
10 ask her mountalns-gigantic spec
tators of that tragedy-who was the
star-actOr in those scenes.
| 10 sit at the foot of her signing pines
and listen to natures sweetest orchestra
as it hymns his requiem and tells of his
glory.
The Federal Government played the
| part OF tyrant-a malicious, cowardly
| tyrant-when it insulted a brave and
fallen enemy by the incarceration of JET
ferson Davis in Fortress Monroe.
| The greatest men of the North have de-
clared that his imprisonment was
"huge blunder." We say that it was a
''huge crime"
Those who have read history correctly
know that England furnished the Stan
| dard of Saint George when she banished
Napoleon to the rock of st. Helena.
The spot put upon our flag by the out
rage perpetrated upon Mr. Davis and the
Southern people, was deeper and more
lasting.
When Andrew Johnson wrote Infamy
across his brow, by attempting to arrest
and imprison General Lee and others for
treason, General Grant GALL honor to him
for it) violently opposed and prevented
it. Among other things, he said "They
relied upon my parole. If they had not
done SO, it would have cost my army
great sacrifice of life to have destroyed
taken them,' shattered and decimated
though they were.
Yes, and if the Army OF Northern Vir-
ginia could have foreseen it's vener-
able and vonerated leader Jefferson
Davis, shackeled and incarcerated in
Fortress Monroe it would have cut its
way through the Federal lines-or it
would have died trying-but before dying
it would have heaped it's enemies on the
field OF Appomattox as high as that his
toric apple tree, and their blood would |
have dyed it's highest blossom
When he was imprisoned the Southern /
people "prayed that God would give him |
strength, for greatness he could not |
want"
The name of Andrew Johnson and |
those OF his colleagues will be forgotten,
the granite cell that once confined the
mighty soul of Jefferson Davis will crum
Die to dust, the heavy shackles that were
rlveted upon him, and which were as COM
pietely concealed from all good men by
his many virtues, as if hidden in garden
OF roses-will yield to the conqueror-
rust. but
GLORY will scatter the clouds away
ana on his great name, forever attend"
We have heard much of the cry of
treason and Traitors
Light, shallow, malicious men and DO
ltlcal demagogues and poltroons of the |
Worth have shouted "Treason and Trail |
ors" at the South ever since the war.
Every honest, intelligent man, North I
ind South, aye, the world over, knows i
hat this is false
The doctrine of Secession was adyo- {
ated by the Northern statesman in 1906,
500, 1914 and 1899; it was not known l
n the South until introduced by Mr.. Cal t
oun in 1888. i
The most eminent jurists of Europe L
ave declared time and again that the
outh was not guilty of rebellion, but g
nat thew was simply fight between 8
ifferent portions of American society t
ecause OF different interpretations of the c
law d
The Federal Government headed bv T
UGH malicious South-haters as Johnson 6
nd Stanton, entertained not one senti-
lent OF generosity, sympathy or human A
y for the South and Mr. Davis. Why
as 1T that the Government failed to n
rosecute Jefferson Davis for Treason.
lough he clamored for trial? II
Because the ablest and most successful
,Wyers and statesmen of the North adj n
sed the Federal Government that it ~
'uld not sustain the prosecution-that
+: Davis was not guilty of Treason.
he was released. By releasing him the s.,
overnment pronounced his innocence
I'd that OF the entire South. r.
Which is correct-the cry of Ingalls,, =
herman, Foraker and their dastardly
ew, or the declaration of the Govern
ent which they dishonor?
The South was not guilty of Treason. II
here are no Traitors within her borders.
We thank God that there are thousands -
brave, noble men up North, who ap-
eciate the men of the South at their
ue worth and give them credit for hon
ty, chlvalry and sincerity of purpose.
e nope that ere long the crystal wave
their influence will flush and cleanse
e sewers that have SO long emptied
cir pollution upon us. E
We thank God for this great Republic !.
e are proud OF its vast resources. We
oice in its magnificent future. We
INT to see all its people friendly, united, i
ppy, from where the Sun mirrors him /
L In the Northern Lakes to where our !
untry flag is reflected by the waters 7
the Gull OF Mexico from where the !:
aceful Pacific kisses the shores of Cali
MA to where the Atlantic curls his
ane upon our Eastern shore. We offer |
hand OF friendship to our Northern
nthren. Mr.. Davis has inculcated this
nciple among his people ever since the o.,
tiers were stricken from his limbs. e. e.
out II We are to be insulted by the :
nth, II we are to be denounced as Trail |
rs and looked upon and treated as f.,
altors. while we will rejoice in the pros be
rlty OF the Republic and fight for it if sal
;essary because it is as much our Re- -
bic theirs &c.