The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-12

zistered it with great credit. Among
aother changes he proposed the use OF
scamels in the service on the Western
S plains, introduced an improved system
sof infantry tactics, iron gun carriages,
srifed muskets and pistols, and the use
sof the minnie ball. Four regiments
#were added to the army, the defences
Con the sea coast and frontier were
5 Strengthened, and as result of expert
Sments, heavy guns were cast hollow
gand a large gram Of powder was
Aadopted. While in the Senate Mr..
sDavis had advocated the construction
Sof Pacific railroad as military ne
9cessity, and as means Of preserving
1.-THE Pacific coast to the Union, and he
sswas now put in charge of the organiza-
Stion and equipment of the surveying
4 parties sent out to examine the various
4 8routes proposed. He also had charge
aof the appropriations for the extension
5 sof the Capitol. Mr.. Davis left the
s 3cabinet at the close of President Pierce's
Aterm in 1857, and in the same year
Sentered the senate again. He opposed
Sthe French spoliation bill, advocated
Sthe Southern route for the Pacific rail-
4 road, and opposed the doctrine of "pop-
ular sovereignty" often encountering
8Stephen A. Douglas in the debate on
sSthis question. After the settlement of
sthe Kansas contest by the passage of
1.-THE Kansas conference bill, in which
he had taken a chief part, he wrote to
8the people of this State thatit was 1.-THE
Striumph of fall for which We contended." }"
AMr. Davis was the recognized Demo
sScratic leader of the Thirty-sixth Con-
sagress. He had made tour of the
& Eastern States in 1858, making speeches
Dat Boston, Portland, Maine, New York,
sand other places, and in 1859 in reply
sto an invitation to attend the Webster
abirthday festival in Boston, wrote a
Nletter denouncing partisans who avow
sthe purpose of obliterating the land
4 mark of our fathers and containing
s strong union sentiments. He had
abeen frequently mentioned as a Demo
;scratic candidate for the Presidency,
Esand received many votes in the con-
svention Of 1850, though his friends an.
anounce that he did not desire the nomi-
9nation. Before Congress met, in the
Iautumn of 1860, Mr.. Davis was sum-
amoned to Washington by members of
SPresident Buchanan's cabinet to sug-
8gest some notifications of the forth
5coming message to Congress. The sug-
Sagestions were made and were adopted.
GIN the ensuing session Mr.. Davis made,
8on December 10, 1850, a speech in
Swhich he carefully distinguished be-
Stween the independence, which the
Estates had achieved at great cost, and
5the Union, which had cost ''little time,
little money, and no BLOOD" taking his
gold state-rights position. He was ap-
3 apointed on the Senate committee Of
gthirteen to examine and report on the
scondition of the country, and although
Sat first excused at bis own request.
FINALLY consented to serve, accepting
athe appointment in a speech in which
She avowed his willingness to make any
ssacrifice to avert the impending trouble.
%The committee, after remaining in
asession several days, reported on the
q athirty-frst of December, their inability
ITO come to any satisfactory conclusion.
9On the tenth of January, 1861, Mr..
#Davis made another speech on the
Estate Of the country, asserting the right
aof secession, denying that of coercion,
Sand urging the withdrawal of the
#garrison from Fort Sumter. Missis-
.Ssippi had seeded on the ninth of jan
suary, and on the twenty-fourth of jan
8uary, having been officially Informed
8 of the fact, Mr.. Davis withdrew from
athe Senate and went to his home, hav,
Sing taken leave of his associates in a
sspeech, in which he defended the cause
;sof the South, and, in closing, begged
Ipardon of all whom he had ever of.
Afended.
q Before he reached home he had been
gappointed by the convention comman-
3 sder-in-chief of the Army of Mississippi,
with the rank Of major-general; but on
q the eighteenth of February, 1861, he
Exchanged this office for the President
gof the Confederate States, to which the
provisional Congress at Montgomery
%had elected him on the ninth of Feb.
gruary. He selected for his cabinet,
@Robert Toombs, of Georgia, as secre,
gtary of state, Leroy P. Walker, of Ala
sbama, secretary of war; Charles G.
q Memminger, of South Carolina, secre.
atary of the treasury; Stephen R. Nal
@lory, of Florida, secretary Of the navy
Judah P. Benjamin, of Louisiana, attor-
8ney general, and John H. Reagan, OF
#Texas, postmaster general. The last
8three continued in the cabinet as long
Vas the Confederacy maintained its exis.
8tance. lToombs, Walker and Mem,
aminger were succeeded by others. In
q his inaugural address Mr.. Davis assert:
sSed that necessity not choice" had led
Ito the secession of the Southern states
$that the true policy of the South, al
agricultural country, was peace, and
that "the constituent parts but not the
gsystenl," of the government had been
sschanged. The attack on Fort Sumter
6 on the twelfth of April precipitated the
WAR, and Mr.. Davis, in his first mess
Gage to the Observation-Disclosures Con
ggress on the ninth of April, after a re
sSview of events, from the formation OF