The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-07
TIE FEDERAL CAPITAL.
MR.. DAVIS DEATH The IOp'C VI
CONVERSATION.
Opinions of Various Leading Republicans
as TO rvs Character-->3 Such Man ss
Jefferson Davis tnown to the War De-
partment-P ersonai "Reminiscences.
Drnrtr oY rHF TgMtS,

BUREAU of THF TIMss,
WASHINGTON. December =, 1889.
when Congress adjourned over TO Monday
,borc occurred an cntrc-actc In the drama
and everybody went oIt Of the great politi-
cai,bea,rc 10 smoke and drink. To-day the
main tonic Of conversation was the death Of
Mr.. Davis.
As one Of Inc greatest actors in modern
history made hs final exit, villihcation ana
hate mus. sheath their sting and let cold
and inst criticism take the place OF pre-
,,dice. and II /. notable even to-day that
Northern men Of sense will take co-ier
view Of Mr.. Days and his acts. The archi-
iect Of the Confcdcracy was socially poll
,icallv. and as y soldier the exemplar OF the
southern civilization. and n great orator Of
his time called him 'the gorgeous saladin
Of The south
His failure wa The logical consequence
of the conflict and Us elements aud not a
f,ult Of his own. OF al this enough is be
ing said. lmt IL is interesting 10 recall the
pcculiarities 81 such men.
General rlcasanton. q. one time com
mand,r of the Federal cavalry Of the Army
of the Potomac. told the writer a few years
AGO. in Washington. that No. and many other
Federal officers Of rank regarded Mr. Davis
rs the greatest OF all the Southern leaders,
combining the qualities Of craftsmanship
and military capacity. Re cited the fact
that the Cenfcdcracy had sprung into exist
cncc. "a nation fully armed, a. if by the
,,ayt Of q nagician's wand, ready 10 tight
for four years, when bat month leiore
ihc southern states had nothing but few
volunteer regiments.
lie also stated rs an instance Of Davis
Genius that his wonderful capacity Tor
knowing everything had caused the ord
nance Experimentation ind the saitpetre caves
that were used by our people IN the ReVolu-
ton and in the war Of 1872. and no one else
had ever thought Of when the material for
powder was needed.
Tnc acting Adiutant-Gcnpial Of the army
f1ld the writer in 1880 that the records Of
tbc War Department justified his own opin-
Jon that Mr.. Davis was the ablest secro-
Tar, Of War that ever held that portfolio.
The greatbridge at''cabiu Johns Bridge"
one Of the famous outlying posts Of Wash
ington. just above Georgetown used to bear
his name inscribed ON a marble slab in the
arch. But IL has been erased by the order
of the government. and the slab is blank.
one Of the famous Mexican war veterans
said that Mir. Davis popularity was his
phenomenal power OF memory and his vast
scope Of information on every SUBJECT, and
IL was impossible to call mp any subject
upon which he was not critically informed.
The Sf0I saws this evening: THAT though
blamed partly for the failure Of the Conicd-
cracv. IL is not oasy 20 see in looking over
the list Of southern leaders. Tombs, Cobb,
stephens, sldcll. sOule, and the rest, who OF
them could have carried that doomed under
taking any nearer 10 success than he did
Il has been the inyariable custom 70 lower
the flags ON the departments in honor of the
death Of an ex-Cabinct officer, but though
the portrait Of Mr.. Davis hangs in the Wal
Department, Secretary Proctor held that the
dopsrtmrnt knew officially Of no such man.
and that it was better 10 forget such things.
II will Dee remembered, however, that
when cx-secrctary Of War Conrad, of Louis
Jana, one Of Mr.. Davis deyout friends in
the Coniederacy, died, the fag was lowered
and the building draped.
There is an old clerk in the department
named Lee, the only one remaining who
served them under Mr.. Davis, and he and
the few others who remember him .dwelt
with warmth on his kind and amiable
nature in his association with his subordi-
nafes.
General Spinola, of New York, remem-
bored Mr.. Davis well. and spoke OF him AZ
a man of great ability, whe went on at a
tangent.
We only cite some Northern opinions.
The southern men preferred not 10 speak ON
the subject, ~ their opinions were quite
well known.
The announcement Of the death Of Jetler-
prise. His illness had lasted so long, and
the bulletins from his bedside had 80 fully
prepared the country. that when the death
occurred 10 was accepted almost without
cmOi on a. "a furcgOne conclusion. and quite
Within the course oi nature. There was
MEETING OF MIssIssIPPIANs
during the afternoon at the Metropolitan
Hotel, where speeches were made and rcsO-
lutions adopted. but otherwise no formall-
Ties occurred. OF course there was much
talk and interchange OF Renaissance In
connection with man who once occupied
20 prominent position at the capital.
MIR. DAVIS FAREWELL SPEECH.
~tenographcr Murphy, of the Senate. who
was "A boy lust beginning shorthand work
when Davis was at the zenith of his career
under the United states, speaking of the
closing scenes here Just before the war, said !.
" The galleries We're crowded when Davis
made his farewell address with young
southern men and bows. Davis was the
leader Of the south and Judah +. Benjamin
WAS It's orator. Those were exciting times.
but there WAS ncNcr.such a scene as when
BENJAMIN made his farewell speech. The
galleries were packed, and when Benjamin
ended by saying: 'Ihe south VIII never
surrender; never. never, never handkcr-
chiefs were waved and thrown into the
senate chamber. and there was an out
break such as have never scen in the SEN
ate"
MANY KIND WORDS
We're spoken conceruing Mr.. Davis ability,
his cOnsiderate treatment Of subOrdInaies
aud his powerful and vivid individuality.
General SpinOla. Congressman from New
York and Mills. of Texas, both had cOmpli-
Inentary things 10 say, and senator Reagan.
of Texas, who was Posimaster-General I'M
der Davis, gave many kind and flatterins
rccollectiOns.
Clements and Turner, Of Georgia, also
added their tribute Indeed, the dead Con
federate chieitain was the topic of general
conversation. Perhaps
THE MOST IMPRESSIVE UrfERANCE
Of tall was made 10y an old gray-haircd
veteran, "A retired army officer, who served
modestly. but with distinction, through the
war in the Union army, and who was a
brother officer in Mexico, who said; IL do
hope that the shrickers and the hOwlers will
manage 10 hold their tongues over Jefferson
Davis grave. Whatever Ofiense he has
given them by living must certainly have
been cOnd0ned by his death. For years he
has been diving, feeble, broken, outlawed
old man. ANY one who cannot forgive him
now must DC a gh0ul.'