The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-07
MR. DAVIS AS a SENATOR.
He Was s Leader Among His Col
leagues. and Always Popular.


not a demagogue, and would always take
the unpopular side Of any question when
he believed he was right In his speeches
In the Senate he was not nearly so out
spoken a secessionist as his colleague,
Mr.. Brown Of Mississippi. Mr. Brown
appeared TO fear that Mr.. Davis
would stand better with the people of
Mississippi than himself, and for that
reason took very radical tone in his
southern speeches. But when the time for
secession cane, he could not make a fare
well address. Mr.. Brown burst into tears
in the Office of the secretary of the Senate,
| and said he could not do it.
The galleries were crowded with young
southern men and boys when Mr. Davis
made his farewell address. Mr.. Davis was
the leader of the south aud Judah P Ben
Jamin was its orator. Those were exciting
times; but there was never such a scene
| as when Mr.. Benjamin made his farewell
speech. The galleries were packed, and
when MIR. Benjamin ended by saying
| The south Will never surrender never,
never, neverr handkerchiefs were waved
and thrown into the senate chamber, and
there was an outbreak such as l have never
seen since in the senate.
HIS PERSONAL QUALITIES.
Speaking of Mr.. Davis personal quail
tiles, Mr.. Murphy said that he was
4
| strangers" said Mr. Murphy, ''the i'm
preston that he was reserved and unap-
| proachable; but this was not So His
| quick, nervous temperament made him
| easily nettled, and when he was disturbed
| he would sometimes make a sharp retort
| but he would apologize for it the next
moment. He stood very high in the esti-
nation Of the senator's on both sides
Of the chamber His long and varied
service, and his practice of entertaining
gave him wide acquaintance In those
4 days most Of the senators and members
| lived in hotels and boarding houses Money
was not so abundant and many of them
| lived In quarters which a government clerk
| would not now occupy. Messrs. Davis,
Slidell and a few others were the only
southern men who kept house. and they
entertained in luxurious manner for those
| days, although it would not be thought so
now. recollect particularly how kind
Mr.. Davis was to all the employees
about the Senate. He knew them all
personally, and would ask after them, and
| after their families where they had any
He comphmented the stenographic reports
of the Senate. He was favorite with all
the employees, for another reason, and that
| was because he would always endeavor to
| secure extra compensation for them"
Several years ago Mr.. Murphy wrote to
| Mr. Davis in regard to two pictures which
| a friend had secured at the sale of the col
lection of picture dealer named Lamb.
The history Of the pictures made it
probable that they had belonged to
was received by Mr. Murphy in
which he said that the pictures had been
stol en- from him, and that ne had had too
much experience with pillage during the
war to buy back his property twice.
sPINoLA's REMEMBRANCE.
Representative Spinola of New York is
one of the few persons now in congress who
was acquainted with Mr.. Davis when he
was a senator of the United States and
| member of the cabinet. He SAYS that at
| that time Mr.. Davis was looked upon as one
of the leading men of the country. He was of
bright intellect, Of great determination and
firmness, and leader always. But like MANY
| other bright mon he went off on a tangent,
tried to break up the government, and died
virtually an exile. For his conduct pre-
ceding and during the war he is generally
condemned in the north. but condemnation
could not efface his previous record.
SENATOR REAGAN's HIGH PRAISE.
Senator Reagan was seen at the telegraph
office this afternoon, just as he was sending
telegram of coincidence to the family of
Mr.. Davis. In answer to a question by an
Associated Press reporter, he said: ~
served with Mr.. Davis in the cabinet of the
confederacy from the beginning to the
end as his postmaster general"
"What were his characteristicss'
HE was man of great labor, of great
learning, of great integrity, of great
purity"
"What, from your knowledge and &C.
quaintance with the man, was the principle
motive which actuated him in going into
the war;"
"To secure a government that should be
friendly to the people. He was an intense
believer in the doctrine that the states
should control absolutely their domestic
had no power or authority to act, outside of
matters specially delegated to it,"
There was, then, no vindictiveness, no
hostility to the northern people?"
"NoU at all; not at all. So far from that
being the case, Mr.. Davis had served in the
army and in the war department, had been
a member of both branches of congress.
| during all of which experience he associ-
ated with northern people in such relations
that for year OF two before the war the
radical southern leaders did not confer
with him at all. l know this, for | was
here, and familiar with what was going on. "
WHY he WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT
"Why was he elected to the presidency
of the confederacy if the leaders felt SO dis
posed toward hing
Because they recognized his ability and
integrity of character, and knew that he
could be depended on"
"Did his trouble, during the war, with
| Gen. Johnston grow out of lack of conf
| dence expressed before the war began2"
81 do not care to go into that trouble, for
| it is one about which know buj little.
| This much, however, can say-that before
| the difference arose between them, and they
| related to questions of rank and precedence
merely in appointments. they were the best
| of friends. Both were conservative by
nature, both were ardent states rights men
and their divergence was not occasioned by
any variance of views as to policy"
| What will be the effect of his death upon
| the southm
There will be general sorrow, for the
people of the south greatly loved him.
WON'T WORK ANY CHANGE.
"Will it affect in any way the sentiment
in favor of accepting the results Of the war
as final?'
mot at ALL Why, Mr.. Davis himself
always urged the fullest acceptance of the
present condition OF affairs"
Why, then, did he not ask to have his
| disabilities removed?n
| because he did not feel that he had done
anything which required him to ask any
mans pardon. He had done his duty, as he
| had p0pCctanfiOt1slxy saa0 - a.1 ~ ia -