The sun., 1889-12-07
Jefferson Davis.

The death of JEFFERSON DAVIS at the age
OF eiphty-one Is one Of the most memorable
events OF memorable year. A veteran in
arms and craftsmanship, it could not be
said OF him that he Jagged superhuous on
tho public stage. 1t was well for him. and
well for q reunited country. that the years OF
the chief organizer OF secession should have
been prolonged beyond the normal limit Of
threescore and ten. Had he died twenty, or
even ten, years ago the embers Of fratricidal
passion might have been raked anew into
baleful fires over his grave. AS it is there Is
no one to revile, and there are many to
honor, or at all events to respect, his mem
ory. He has outlived sectional enmity and
personal detraction. He has lived long
enough to see the political atmosphere
purged Of prejudice and rancor, and to fore
cast In the candid attitude Of Northern con-
temporaries the sober and unbiased judg-
ment Of posterlty
1t was with a fine prescience OF what was
due to the nations magnanimity and to
the ingrained honesty Of the arch-rebel, that
HORACE GREELEY set his hand to the bail
bond that delivered JEFFERSON DAVIS from
imprisonment and from the jeopardy Of a
trial for high treason. Seldom has a gracious
act provoked at the moment more reproach
and indignation, and seldom has any been
more fully sanctioned in the end by the soft
ened heart and enlightened conscience of
people. Not only laws, but rightful estimates
OF principles and motives are unasserted
or unheeded amid the shock of arms Many
years Of peace and of dlspassionate retro
spect have been required to convince the
men who fought and suffered for the Union,
that In his disruptive view of the Constitu-
tion and the reserved rights OF States, JET
PERSON DAVIS was entirely sincere and pow
erfully fortified by teaching and example.
The air, hot with hatred and dense with the
smoke Of battletelds, needed to be cooled
and clarified before all OF US could recog-
niEe that the l-starred President of the
Southern Confederacy did but carry to their
foreseen conclusion doctrines not only form
ulated by JOHN @. CALHOUN, but avowed and
advocated by such teadyrepresentatlves of
New England feeling as TIMOTHY PICKER
ING and josiah QUINCY. Mr.. DAVIS
lived long enough, however, to hear
thoughtful men acknowledge that truth
Is verify gem OF many facets, and that he
whose gaze 10 fastened on one Of its aspects
is not to be judged harshly because. to others,
circumstances give another point Of view.
By no argument, but by the inexorable logic
OF events. were the upholders of the right of
secession dlslodged from their position.
From the hour that the Louisiana purchase
gave TO the United States tho Mississippi
valley, 1t was written in the book OF fate
that their Union should be unbroken.
THOMAS JEFFERSON himself was blind TO the
consolidating purport of his great achieve
ment and for two generations no man at the
South or at the NOrth-not even DANIEL
WEBSTER -declphered the irrevocable decree
OF destiny.
In his conviction of the justice of the cause
with which his name is inseparably associ-
ated Mr. DAVIS never wavered. In affirming
the right OF a State toresume its sovereignty
no believed himself Warranted by indlsputa-