Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-10
TUESDAY. DECEMBER 10, 1880


As in our last issue We spoke in rather
harsh terms of an article which had ap-
reared in the New York Tribnv, Of the 1ih
sn regard to Mr. DAVIS. we deem IT proper
20 let our readers read for themselves tho
language which we characterized as unbe-
coming any person living in this age. HE
Tribune said
"Mr. jefferson Davis has BEEN for tweniy-four
years the most conspicuous monument 81 = re-
public's generosity. Educated Al pgbHc expense
A. West Point he headed rebellion against ihc
nation md yet Was mRgnaDin0usly permitted
o. retain Tho NE he had forfeited II cannot be
rad OF him. as Of many olhers, mat 10 mercy
obeyei his Siate. On leaving no senate ilH
avowei that his own will was In fun accord win
the action Of HE state, AMI history must say 81
him, a. that most philosophical historian OF inc
civil war Comic dc Paris, sad IN his nrsl vol
ume, be was the soul OF The febeliloh hhu
had been tho soul Of secession lndltpuably
he had consplrei and labored O. bring about Sc
csssion, AMI when me rebellion had gone down.
whom be bad been captured IN ignomlnl"us
flight and after brief detention WAS released
without punishment, 10 was felt throughout toe
world that no other nation would nave beeh
equally mEcnsnimous. iiut hts nature was not
capable % approaching such generosity, and no
persisted oven 20 the end 10 representing limsoH
a. the suffering martyr OF lost but righteous
cause"
A free government cannot be appreciated
Nv the man who writes such screed as
eliot How was the republics conerosi-
t,p mauifestcdg sIr. DAyIs's disabilities
were never removed. lie died, as he had
lived for twenty-four years, under the ban
81 tho Government. lie had no rights
1,bicb tho Federal Government felt itself
hound 70 respcct. and there can be 10
5oubt whatever that had itnot been for the
fact Tint the Federal Constitution provides
,lat "no attainlor of treason shall work
,.,rrrutior of blood or forfeiture except
dnrino the life of the person attaiutcd,"
Mir D,,1.'s children would have been de-
- ,I.or,.l.t =, boir his estate. How. we
60, .,.t, ,ro. ..+,o r.ui,lli,'s renero4.tvn
,,,,,,;s..tolg r., fine shame OF the oditorof
tho yrl..,,o he {. stated brt II is unoues.
,;....l.l,. .,,,. tt,t b. ,.,.,ut that the re
,.rll;,,. c.,,o,o.i,,., consisted inuot hang
S,-pr- ,,,sf,r tro~.oul
NJ D,vrs vr,s n traitor. then. because he
adhered In tine teachings of the fathers Of
tla roprl,iic # .D the convention which
g,.,,.l ,r. Fe1.r.1 Constitution ANYBODY
1.s..r.,......l g., i,,.,rt 81 clause in TINT
r..I.,.,,4,,., l,,,.;,,., OIL. tl.e. several States
a., ..s...,lo from, ,,e Union when
H.. ,..,,.l.. ..,..,,l,. - nro,or T., do
=. ,i.at ,,'.t.o, would have bcon voted
a. i,-,o. ~ ,,.....r of conjecture
g. l,or. c,,l1 have l.an mo- United States
c'.,.e,.,,,n.,,t v.;tbo,,4 fine consent of Viz
oir;a and we have i'm our records proof
nositiye that virginia would never have
voted for erlch clause or ratified a consu-
tution which had .ueh o clause in it. The
VIRGINIA Convention of 1877 in ratfvluo
,bo Cor..itu4io, "d,clore1 and made
1.,ov-, that fine mowers GRANTED under
81 C,,,.,;t,,,;,-. tain., derived from tine
,,,,,,lo' Of t,o limited states mirht be re-
s,,,,,,l l,,. ,ia,o whenever tl,o same should
j. ,,,r,er,od to their injury or oppression"
ms. lor1,,or. haas no ,9oanino If the Tyi-
49, ,,eory ho the trlo one. It's prepos-
,erors "a saw that the fathers intended
o,ytb;ng los than the assertion Of the
,i,bt of secession. In the face of this af-
6rmotio, If the fathers. fine Tribune sets up
e.5-.,.~..;.,, it, +t. folrrc "a Ianc Mr.
~. - ,,,.,,,;f. s,,t,,p If "tbo ronub-
- ',,o,,or.,s;t,p u was notbino Of the
60 Il ,r,e beconso tle ewes of the civil
sd world were upon the men in power at
Xyasb;,rton and many of those men knew
well and believed as firmly as Mr.. DAVIS
.bat ne several states d.f ORIGINALLY have
.be r;obt ~ Withdraw from the Union
"FIncotc5 ot public cvnepse at West
pointp What of tbat2 Mr.. DAy1s's state
mid for bis education. and if our memory
/ NOT a, fouIt poncrs Of the Tribune stripe
,borcod moro tb,n thirty wears AGO that
.he cadets NJ West Point were there in
structed that their States possessed seve-
I'll, tho ,;,ht 70 socode from the Union.
"Uosded a rebellion.p "Rebcllionn is
, uord tb.t doos not belong TO tbeyocabu-
Sarv of freomep. and ought never to bc
mel 10 describe the war between the
states There was no rebellion" There
were no "rebels." The southern States