Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-02-07
Daniels Grafton on Jefferson
Davis.

of jefferson Davis, Saturday evening at the
Academy in Richmond, before the General
of Virginia, in response to the
invitation Of that body. The house was
hacked with brilliant audience, which
included several Confederate Generals and
other celebrities.
Senator Daniel began by quoting the
words of Cicero: eft is the first and fun
damental law of history that it should
neither dare to say anything that Is lalse
or fear to say anything that is true, nor
give any Just susplclon OIL laVol VI o'''"'
isfaction." -
No less high standard, he said, must be
invoked in considering the life, character
and services of jefferson Davis, "a great
man of great epoch whose name Is blend
ed with the renoWn OF American arms anu
with the civil glories of the CaDlnet ana
the Congress Hall-a son OF the South VINO
became the head of a Confederacy, more
n0pulous and more extensive than that for
Which jefferson wrote the Declaration OF
Independence, and the Commander-ln-
Chief of armies greater than those OF when
Washington was the General. He sWayed
Senates and led the soldiers OF the Union
and he stood accused of treason IN a Couft
of Justice. He saw victory sweep the IL
lustrious battle-felds and he became a
cantiye. He ruled millions and was put
in chains. He created a Nation; he 1ol,
lowed it's bier, and he died distranchlsed
W. ~>o-5
But though great in many things, he
was greatest in that fortune which, llItlhg
him first to the loftiest heights. and cast
ing him thence to the depths OF dlsappolnt,,
ment. found him everywhere the erect and
CONSTANT FRIEND OF TRUTH.
He CONQUERED himself and forgave his enc
mics, but he bent to none but God.
The people of the South knew Jefferson
l.; dc thau CONSIGNED their
destinies. Ruins, wounds and death pc
came their portion, and yet they do de-
clare that Jefferson Davis was an unset
fish patriot and a noble gentleman; that as
the trustee of the highest trusts that man IA
can place in man he was clear ana laitil,
full; and that in his high office he exhlblteo
those grand, heroic attributes which were
worthy of its dignity and OF their Struggle
for independence.
Thus it was that when the news came
that he was no more there was no southern
home that did not pass under the shadoW
of affection Thus it was that
THE GOVERNORS OF CoMMoNWEALTHs
bore his body to the tomb, and that multi
tudes gathered from afar to bow In reVef-
ence.
Thus it was that throughout the south
the SCARED soldiers, the widowed wives:
the kindred of those who had died in the
DdGUlGS WHICH liz uC1lVOICei, liloU w S'A'o ~
terance to their respect and sorrow.
Thus it is that the General Assembly OF
Virginia is now convened to pay its trlb
ute. -,
Completer testimony to human Wortf
was never given, and thus it will be that
the South will build a monument, to re
cord it's verdict that he was true to his PEG
Stone that covers the dead will be Worthiel
of the Roman legend "Clarus ct oar J0r
tSss5n1ats.
Those who knew jefferson Davis in init
mate relations honored him most and loveo
him. At over four score years he
DIED WITH HIS HARNESS ON,
his pen trenchant, his mental eye un
dimmed, his soul athirst for peace, truth
Justice and fraternity, breathing his !ates1
breath in cleansing the memories OF the
lost Confederacy.
Clear and strong in lnte!lect, PROUD
high-minded, sensitive self-Wllled, but MOI
seIf-centered; lf-assertive for his cause
but never for his own advancement; ag
gressive and imperiOus, as are nearly al
men fit for leadership; with the sturdy VIZ
tues that command respect, but without
the small diplomacies that concillate
hostility, he was one of those characters
that naturally make warm frlends ana oit
ter enemies; a veritable man, terribly II
earnest such as Carlyle loved to count
among the heroes.
He would have turned with loathine
from misuse of prisoner, for there wa:
no characteristics of Jefferson Davis more
marked than
HIS REGARD FOR THE WEAK,
the helpless, and the captive. Brutal an6
base was the effort to stigmatize him as {
conspirator to maltreat prisoners, but bet
ter for him that it was made, for While hi
was himself yet in prison the evidences o.
his humanity were so overwhelming ina
finally SANDER stood abashed, and malig
nifty recoiled.
Alexander H. Stephens declared that thu
effort to fix the Odium on President DaVl!
constituted one of the boldest attempted
outrages upon the truth Of history Whlcl
has ever been eSsayed.'
Charles A. Dana, OF the New York sun
formerly AssistantSecretar OF War. nobly
indicated President Davis while he lived
and declared him altogether acquitted,
of the charge, and said OF him, dead. "
majestic soul has passed.
sTERNLY DID HE STAND
for principle. He was no courtier, no fiat
terer, no word magician, no time server, NJ
demagogue, unless that word shake iron
it the contaminations of its abuse and re
turn to its pristine meaning-a leader O.
the people.
Like Alng DdVlu WAS Hlo coHiui"Hu
'tThere shall no deceitful man dwell in m.
house." A pure and lofty spirit breathe(
through his every utterance, which, lik'
the Parian stone, revealed in its polish thu
fineness of the grain. He was always read.
to follow his principles to their loglca
conclusion, to become at any Sacrlhce thel
champion; to face defeat in their defense
and to die, if need be, rather than disguise
or recant them.
Proceeding, the eloquent Senator said
In the tremendous storm which has scarce
yet subsidized Jefferson Davis never ono
forgot that he was
CONSTITUTE ONAL PRESIDENT
under the limits of the fundamental Law
of the Confederate Republic. Some though
he might have impaired fercer energy tt
his sore-pressed battalio had he graspe(
the purse and the sword, seized the rein
of dictator, and pushed the enterprise o
war to its most exigent endeavor. Blu
never once did ambition, tempt or stress O
circumstances drive him to admit tn
| thought, at war as it was with the princi
| pies of the revolution which he led, ant
| with the genius of the Southern people h
| stood for constitutional right. To him
was the rock of ages Who does not nov
| rejoice that he was infleXible?
The address, which took an hour and
| half in its delivery discussed all the essen
Gldl duu ulStlllS ulSlleu loduuIcS VI tllo luC
MI. Davis, insisting that he truly represen
ted the South in not negotiating for peao
ON other terms than independence, ant
that revolutions only die in the last ditch
REFERRING TO PRESIDENT LINCOLN,
the orator said: "Had Jefferson HaYi
gone to Illinois and Lincoln to Mississippi
what different histories would be aroun'
those names And yet | fancy that tn
great struggle with which they were iden
titled would have been changed only in in
cidents and not in its great currents
Again he eloquently said: 81 shall
maintain that the Southern people hav
been as true to their instincts as any POI
ton of their race, and have made for then
as great sacrifices; that the Southern Con
federacy grew out of them, and only in
subsidiary degree in antagonism to any 0
them; and shall also maintain that Jet
ferson Davis is entitled to stand in til
Pantheon of the worlds great men on
| pedestal not less high than those ereote
for the images of Hampden, Sidney, Cron
we'll, Burke and Chatham, of the Father
land, and Washington and Hamilton, JET
ferson and Adams, Madison and franklin
OF the new world, who, however, varyin
in circumstances OF personality were
LIBERTY LEADERS
and representatives Of great people, grea
| ideas and great deeds