Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-12-12
Career and Death of Jefferson
Da Wis.

Davis.
Jefferson Davis died at New Or
leans fifteen minutes before / o'clock
last Friday morning, in the presence
of his wife and few friends and
relatives. His death was painless.
The news was received with sorrow
in southern cities. The War De
partment at Washington deemed it
advisable that no official action be
taken on his death, his citizenship
never having been restored.
jefferson Davis will occupy con
spicuous place in American history
and in the history of the world. BY
his ability, his energy and ambition
he rose, forty years ago, to the front
rank of American statesmen. He
was a leading advocate of the prin-
ciple which had existed in many
minds since the foundation of the
Government, that the Union was a
mere loose compact between indie
pendent states, which any of them,
50 far as its own part was concerned,
could cancel at its will, and that
there existed no power in the gen
eral government To enforce the terms
Of the contract on state 80 repudl
ating its conditions. the opposite
principle-that the Union was an
understandable constitutional lorna
ton, incapable of dissolution or
destruction in any Of its powers,
and that the Government had in
nately the power to use any agencies
Of peace or war TO preserve its own
eXistence--was that which the seces.
sion leaders rejected and denied.
As the Union grew in territory, as
the people grew in intelligence, and
as the public conscience became en-
lightened, the conviction that human
slavery was great moral wrong
came into possession of the minds
of the non-slaveholding people of
the country But the system existed
under state laws, and the pernicious
principle of state rights became its
most powerful bulwark. This fact,
in return, strengthened the political
leaders of the slaveholding states in
their adherence to state-rights prin-
ciples, which they finally attempted
to enforce in action when Abraham
Lincoln was elected as an anti-slay-
cry President. They waged war
against the Union through four long
and bloody years, and they We're
conquered; their cause was destroyed
and their slaves were liberated as the
result. The rebel states contained
100000 inhabitants, or one-third
of the entire population of the
country at that time. In this war
over 100000 men were engaged on
the side of the Union, and about
half that number constituted the
rebel armies, who fought almost en-
tirely on the defensive, on inner
lines and behind entertainments.
The deaths in the Union army mum
bered about $4,000, those in the
rebel army about 100000. The cost
of the war to the nation was S6,o00,-
600, 900. The Confederate campaigns
cost s. 900, 100000 in their currency;
their losses in slave property were
$400,0O0,000, and their other prop
erty losses were simply inestlmable.
Their territory and cities were made
desolate, and the people were made
homeless and penniless.
Jefferson Davis was President OF
the rebel government, which he adj
ministered as long as the Confeder-
acy existed. lie was the official
representative and leader of the
greatest rebellion in history. In his
defeat a pernicious principle IN
politics, which had been menaclng
element in the Nation from the be
ginning, was destroyed, Slavery
VAS abolished. The cause of dis
LOYALTY and treason was hopelessIy
lost. The right and the duty of the
Government to enforce obedience
on reUalcitrant states were estao-
ished. The sublime principle OF
an indestrucuble Union was placed
on an impregnable foundation. The
rebel President was made a prisoner
while attempting an ignoble flight
and escape; he was lroned ana
pIaced in confinement, and was two
wears afterward liberated on bail,
wearing these bonds OF the law to
the close of his life.
A man who reached such al ele-
vation-who, guided or misguided,
t4. aesauies Of 50 many men anu 81